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.
