Trip to Pula and Rabac

Visiting Pula in the countries Istria region has long for myself, so this time I decided to visit this less touristic place in Croatia with the beautifully stunning view, perfect for my photography. Pula is the largest city in Istria and a historical jewel. This was my full family trip, including Alfredo and Besi (our pets), so this time we escaped Valkanela and rented an apartment near the town center of Pula.

Although less promoted, this Istrian peninsula’s charming town, Pula, has a history of over 3000 years. The wealth of Roman architecture makes otherwise Pula a standout among Croatia’s larger cities. It has so much to offer to tourists who want to discover both the historical and the cultural part of the region! A must when visiting Pula is its giant amphitheatre. It’s the sixth largest of its kind in the world, and one of the best preserved Roman arenas you’ll find. I have a deep love and fascination with the sea and the Adriatic in particular. Exploring marine life is my fascination and I found Aquarium Pula is a treasure of Adriatic flora and fauna and protected marine organisms. Moreover, it is far more than your average tourist attraction where education is as important as entertainment. But it is far from the town center, housed in an Austro-Hungarian fort on a beautiful tip of the Istrian peninsula. You can learn about Istria’s under-explored watery coast, the whole Adriatic and the wider aquatic world. Each room of the fort represents a different part of the marine environment. We came across marine turtle and for your information, Aquarium Pula is the only marine turtle rescue center in Croatia. Injured turtles are sent here from all along the Adriatic coast to be nursed back to health, for re-release into the wild. Our next destination was Rabac, one of the Istria’s largest resorts. You will find beaches in Rabac extremely beautiful and probably the best in all Istria. Unlike typical Istrian rocky, artificial and pebbly beaches, Rabac offers naturally wonderful pebbly beaches. We’ve discovered the endearing peninsula of Istrian shores with the deep azure blue waters of the eastern Adriatic Sea. Despite the weather forecast of rain, we stuck on the beach side next day to spend a relaxing time with coffee and books while watching a stormy weather outside. Rabac will charm you with splendid vistas over the east coast of Istria. It is a great base to intersperse beach activities with day trips to nearby Labin. Labin is one of many picturesque hilltop towns in Istria. But it also has its own unique vibe. Labin is a medieval town full of many interesting Baroque palaces like Battiala Lazzarini Palace which is currently the town museum. After a walk through the narrow streets of the Old Town, pay a visit to the Town Museum with its archaeological and unique in this part of Europe, a miniature coal mine. I found Pula and Rabac two of the most charming cities in Istria Europe! You will find the natural treasures with adventurous activities over here. Seven days were absolutely not enough to fully explore this little peninsula!