Pula rewards a tight budget. The Roman core is free to walk, the beaches are free to use, and one of the city’s best nightly shows costs nothing at all. The catch is that a few things look free and are not, so here is exactly what you pay for and what you do not.
Free, all day
The Arch of Sergii is a free Roman triumphal arch at the old town gate, open at any hour. The Forum is the Roman square and still the city’s main meeting place, free to sit or cross. The Small Roman Theatre, cut into the hill below Kastel, is free to look at from the outside. Every beach is free to use, from Ambrela to the coves of Cape Kamenjak, and the harbour promenade and the covered market hall are free to walk even if you buy nothing.
Free at night: Lighting Giants
The shipyard cranes along the harbour are rigged with programmable lights and run as a nightly show, free to watch. It takes about twenty minutes, it is best after dark, and it is the most Pula thing in Pula: industry and light in the same frame. You watch from the harbour front, no ticket, no fence.
The hill walk, and what it costs
The walk up to Kastel fortress is free, and the panorama over the city, the harbour and the Arena from the walls is free. What costs money is the Kastel fortress museum inside: entry is €7 for an adult, €3 for children, students and over 65s, and it is open 9am to 9pm May to September, 9am to 5pm October to April. So climb for the view without paying, but know the gate to the collection is priced.
What is not free
The Pula Arena is about €10 to €15 for an adult. Zerostrasse is €7 for an adult and €3 for children, students and over 65s. The Temple of Augustus is about €2. None of these are expensive, but none are free, so budget for the one or two you most want. The things to do page lists the paid sights alongside these.
