Pula Arena, the 2000 year old ampitheatre
If you read my last post you'll know that I went to Pula in Croatia recently. To be honest, I had never heard of Pula before. The main reason I went was because of a last minute change in plans, and the flights to Pula were very cheap. It turned out to be an excellent choice, and I found an unexpected gem that exceeded all my expectations of this place. Just look at this magnificent amphitheater.
This the the Pula Arena and is located opposite my airbnb, that's the building on the left below. I got a spectacular view of it every day. How often do you get to sit on the terrace every morning for breakfast looking out to a 2000 year old Roman amphitheater? Plus, the arena is often used for concerts and different kinds of performances. I won't have to buy a ticket if I lived here. How cool is that!!!
First impression
I went inside the arena on the last day of my 5 day stay in Pula. By this time I had already seen and walked past it many times and didn't think it would be that much different from the inside. How wrong was I! My first impression of it was breathtaking. The inside was a lot bigger than I expected. When you're standing inside a 135m x 105m elliptical shape 2000 year old structure how can it not take your breath away? The elongated shadows of the columns behind me falling to the ground, made it even more impressive.
Despite its age, the Pula Arena is very well preserved, in fact it's said to be one of the most well preserved amphitheaters in the world. Unlike the Colosseum in Rome which I found a bit tatty, all its sides here are still complete and you can actually feel your own presence. The Collosseum was very crowded, whereas here, visitors were sparse as you can see, but that doesn't mean the arena is any less impressive. To be honest, I prefer this to the Collosseum.
I saw some people walking towards the front of the arena, that's the side facing the sea on the west. Curious to find out why they chose this particular spot for photos, I headed the same way. Then it became clear. What a great backdrop for a photo to make the arena standout against the little us.
In the old days, the arena sat twenty thousand people. Nowadays, it sits five thousand. Concerts are often held here, as are film festival, musical performances etc. I know I said earlier on it would be cool to sit on my airbnb terrace and not have to buy a ticket, but I think the atmosphere inside the arena would be much better. Especially if during late afternoon, early evenings as the sun is going down, and you get a bit of sea breeze from far afield. It sat down for a few moments, yes, you're allowed to, and it was ok, though I don't know how it would be if I had to sit for the whole evening. I imagine people would bring a cushion to sit on.
If you love shadow photos, you'll love the arena, just make sure you come at the right time of the day. Not that I had deliberately timed it, I had come back from a long day out (see my next post) and it was a bit too early for dinner. The one hour time slot at late afternoon was perfect.
Underground museum
There's a series of underground tunnels beneath the arena, and of course I went to explore. I think they've only opened up a small section to visitors. There's an exhibition about olive making in the region dating back to the 1st century. I found these vessels rather amusing, like nipples 😂. These are called amphorae, and the pointy end is to allow the vessel to stand in the sand or to place it in a stand. Not sure why it's designed like that, kinda odd if you ask me. But then, I wasn't born 2000 years ago, so what do I know?
What I do know is that the people were very clever back then, they were already extracting olive oil using these grinders made from stone, and storing it in these massive stone containers. I put my foot next to it so you can see how big they are.
If you don't get a chance to go inside the arena, you can still get a perfect view from the outside. It's still spectacular, but you don't get to feel the vibe of standing inside this majestic structure.
And when you're outside, remember to checkout the worldmappin sticker I left behind. It's outside the arena at the back. You'll see it if you walk up the path on the right-hand side. Let me know if you ever come to the Pula arena and found my worldmappin sticker.
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Good evening my friend ♥️
I have never been to an amphitheater in person, when I saw this I was so amazed, I can't imagine what it would be like if I lived there, and saw this almost every time, a beautiful historical place.
It's amazing, have a nice day my friend
I don't know if the locals living nearby will ever get bored of it, guess I'll never find out
You are absolutely right, sometimes something that we have seen often, will eventually become boring, unless there are changes or updates made so that the object looks a little different.
I like this place♥️
I wasn't familiar with this specific coliseum.
I look at these magnificent photographs you've given us and imagine the magical vibe that must surround anyone who visits.
I imagine being there and feeling it packed with the audience of that era, cheering euphorically at the battles taking place inside...
It must have been quite an atmosphere with twenty thousand people inside back in the old days, the gladiators battling away and all the animals the the madness of the crowd.
Without a doubt, something tremendous, impressive.
Congratulations on the opportunity to visit!
Okay ngl. I was like "Those vessels are definitely wierd" and when I saw you comparing them to nipples I went "Yup. That's it."😂
I had honestly never heard of Pula either, but it looks amazing! That view from your Airbnb sounds unreal—waking up to a 2000-year-old arena? Literal dream.
We were very lucky to find such an amazing Airbnb at such short notice. It was the first one that came when I logged in, I didn't even bother to look for another place as the pre season price was so reasonable. I thought I'll probably never get a chance to stay at such an amazing location again, so why not
Somewhat of a low effort comment here but these are stunning photos. Nice job, Very well done!
😄Nice comment
I wrote that at work on my lunch, so only had time to look at the photos lol. I had a chance to read through. The nippled vessels are clever. Makes me think that the floors were sandy where they were kept. I'm picturing a dessert market like in a cartoon 😂
Seeing the view is so beautiful ❤️
It's quite amazing just how much bigger the amphitheatre looks once inside! I always try and picture what places like that were like in their heyday - especially 2000 years ago!
As for those vessels - no comment 😅
Happy travelling LUT <3
I couldn't really grasp its magnitude until I was surrounded by it inside, and all the columns standing so tall and mighty, it was quite something. The best thing was that it wasn't packed with tourist inside, it pretty much felt like I had the whole place to myself
Having the place to yourself must have felt amazing, which seldom happens when sightseeing!
I've been to Croatia several times, but I've never been to Pula. I've always wanted to see their ancient amphitheatre, which is so well preserved
Pula was never on my go to list, and I certainly hadn't expected to return to Croatia so soon as I like to go to different countries. Luckily this turned out to be a great trip
At first glimpse, I honestly thought this was the Colosseum. It looks like a great place to have leisure strolls and the height on that thing is truly breathtaking. Not forgetting to mention, these are pretty amazing pictures too!
Thanks. I've been to the Colosseum before, it was very busy and I remember had a lot more to see because they had some structures in the centre, whereas Pula had a massive open space. Two very different atmosphere. One cannot go to Rome without going to the Colosseum but it's nice to have a contrasting view here
That must've been such an interesting contrast for you to observe! While the Colosseum has always been on the bucket list, I would really love to visit Pula too.
Truly a gem in time, it feels like I'm in a gladiator movie, beautiful photos
Ha ha! You have good imagination!
Wow, that is impressive. I think it is awesome that you are just like "eh flights here are cheap, let's go!". I wish I had that kind of freedom and motivation!
We had planned our Istanbul trip for a couple of months already but pulled out the last minute due to the protests. I looked for the cheapest ticket and found Pula, which at that time I did not know about and booked it immediately. It cost us around £80 per person, which to be honest, I couldn't even get a return train within UK for that price.
That's awesome! I'm sorry your original plan didn't work out though.
Beautiful place. You also had a great view from your Airbnb. But these are gems... that place looks gorgeous, and sitting there admiring the dance of the shadows must be very inspiring.
Nipples... Hahaha... 😅
Having breakfast in the morning looking out at the arena was lovely, so nice that we didn't want to leave to go out. Other than that, the apartment itself was also very nice, it's nice that the host didn't just let the view sell itself and made sure the rest of the apartment was also in very good condition
Very clever! Your host's vision was never blurred... he had the gold mine right in front of him.
Looks like an interesting location. You may have Romanian friends giggling when you say the name of the town, as it means some swear word in there.
mmmm.... I had to google that 😄
I bet the Romanians have a laugh when they go there
We sure do. Same word, in Botswana, means Rain. Just a fun fact.
A similar coliseum, less crowded, better preserved and directly visible from your accommodation: sounds amazing. I maintain that impromptu plans can have great and good surprises like this one. Interesting visit! And good to see that sticker. Detlev suggested me to use the hasthag #proofofpin every time we leave one. It's a good idea to be able to see where they are scattered :)
https://peakd.com/trending/proofofpin
proofofpin is a good idea, I'm going to add it to my other posts now. You should let everybody else know as well
Yes, but I think for now wmp team are the only ones who have the stickers, and the winners of the winter challenge.
What a stunning place and it really would be ideal to have that view every day and it looks very well kept, that's the best thing about it. The flowery surroundings and the pictures you took are fantastic.
Yes I was surprised by the inside, it looks super giant and I didn't suspect that when I saw the picture of the outside. Walking around that place must be quite a shock to see the height of the place.
I love the shadows and as you mention it's best to visit in the afternoon hours to appreciate how the sunlight is filtering through the structure.
The tunnels and what you find there is great to explore. A wonderful place you have found, a great treasure worth visiting. Thanks for bringing it to me, I loved it! Hugs!
I have picked this post on behalf of the @OurPick project! Check out our Reading Suggestions posts!
Please consider voting for our Liotes HIVE Witness. Thank you!
I loved how they made the outside so pretty as well making it a very pleasant walk
It is beautiful!
Realmente debe ser impresionante estar en una construcción tan antigua, si se pudiera viajar en el tiempo y ver cómo lo construyeron, hoy día es tan difícil construir una casa buena con tanta maquinaria , la verdad eran muy buenos los que realizaron esa obra
The ancient people were so intelligent, its unbelievable how they built these amazing structures that are still standing today
Hiya, @lauramica here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Top 3 in Travel Digest #2539.
Your post has been manually curated by the @worldmappin team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!
Become part of our travel community:
Thanks @worldmappin and @lauramica , always a pleasure to be featured !
You are very welcome @livinguktaiwan! it was well deserved. ☀️
Always a pleasure to have your posts on the map 😘😘
I didn't know there was a coliseum in Croatia and it was so well preserved. Thanks for sharing.
The Roman reach was vast in the old days, very impressive
Great post!! Thank you for writing so nicely about Croatia❤️! There is a movie being recorded in Pula now! Right near the Arena!
We actually saw a crew filming one evening, it was on the Riva just outside those big colouful lights. We stood there for a long time watching them set things up, and then they shooed us away before they started to film. If the movie comes out, and you remember, can you please let me know. I'd be interested to see if it the same one.
Are you from Pula as well?
This looks like exactly like Verona arena, just that seems more "empty"... Looks less old aswell even tough both are Roman
Maybe they're both one of the six best preserved arenas..
Did a check and both pula and Verona are one of the best arenas😅 nimes one looks great too
What a beauty... At first I thought it was the Colosseum and then I read the title...
The surrounding landscape is truly amazing and a very well-preserved landmark. I wish the Colosseum had that kind of surrounding; it was not what I expected when I visited the Colosseum...
You are lucky indeed. Such a view often doesn't come in handy or easily...
What a wonderful amphitheatre, can't believe it's 2000 years old...Just wow...
The Colosseum has a very different vibe, and I think it's a must visit because of it's historical value. But this was so different, and it's amazing that it's still so complete
That amphorae joke made me laugh 😂 Ancient design always has its quirks!
It's so funny isn't it 😂
The view is so beautiful ❤️
This is incredible. It must have been way better than the Colloseum - not that I've been, but I'm pro places with less media coverage haha. Like those Roman ruins I went to in North Morocco - incredible, and so little known. What a great place to accidentally end up!
I'm pretty chuffed that I ended at such a nice place. And the fact it was pre season with less people was very nice as well
Wow, what a magnificent piece of ancient architecture. I am impressed by its condition. It is amazing to see such old building standing so nicely. Those Romans really knew what they were doing. Thank you for sharing!
The best thing is that it's still so well preserved, allowing us to admire it today
Yes, very impressive!
Beautiful pictures ❤️
Wow, what a masterpiece! It’s amazing how something so ancient can still leave such a powerful impression. Nice shots!
2000 years and still standing strong, not bad!
A true testament to timeless craftsmanship! 😊
If I hadn't read the title, I could easily fall for thinking it was the Colosseum in Rome, lol. Looks so cool!
Colosseum on a smaller but more complete scale, very glad I got to see this, and was able to compare the two
Looks like an extraordinary place. Never heard of it either until reading this post. Fascinating how they stored the olive oil in those stone containers too.
I've never heard of Pula before either, oddly enough easyJet fly from our local airport so it was a good accidental find
Very impressive! You had a wonderful experience with that change of plans. This amphitheater is amazing. From the outside view to what you can see inside is stunning. And it's good that people around preserve its beauty and make the place looks clean as always.
It's very fortunate that our change of plans worked out well in the end, in fact a lot better than we expected
That's great to hear!
Visiting such places is absolutely priceless. That's how I felt when I visited the ancient city of Ephesus in Izmir. There was a huge amphitheater there too. I've never visited an underground museum before. Was it easy or difficult to take the photo of you putting your feet up? 🤣🤣
Doing yoga helps 😁
I've seen lots of posts on Izmir, need to get there sometime
Looking forward to see you in Turkey 🤞😅
I love it when I have the opportunity to appreciate places with history. This is one of those occasions, and I'm grateful for it. This post is also a gateway to knowledge.
That's the best thing with Hive, you get to see so much about this world within leaving home
Absolutely true and that is one of the wonders of this hive.
You'd have such a great view lodging opposite this work of art. A very nice place of history to learn about 👌👌
It was certainly a great stay
https://www.reddit.com/r/croatia/comments/1k6yb56/pula_arena_the_2000_year_old_ampitheatre/
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the people( @flummi97 ) sharing the post on Reddit as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com. Otherwise, rewards go to the author of the blog post.
Wish we knew about this gem back at Hivefest! Love arenas and it looks stunning, we'll definitely add Pula in our go-to list for next Croatia roadtrip! Awesome photos and thanks for sharing @livinguktaiwan
Fun fact: Last week I was in Instanbul and it was beautiful! Mentioning this cause you cancelled your plans and wanted to mention that it's completely safe, or at least that was my experience!
Inspiring your post, I loved it, thanks for sharing.