Pula gets its share of grey days, and the city handles them better than most Adriatic towns because the best rainy-day move is underground. Start there, then move between the indoor sights on foot, with long lunches filling the gaps.
Start in Zerostrasse
Zerostrasse is the move when it pours: the First World War tunnel network under the hill stays dry and cool whatever the sky does, entry is €7 for an adult and €3 for children, students and over 65s, and the fixed route takes about thirty minutes. Do it first, because it is the one sight that weather cannot spoil.
The Kastel museum
Above the old town, Kastel fortress houses the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria. Entry is €7 for an adult, €3 for children aged 5 to 16, students and over 65s, and €5 for groups of ten or more, with under 5s and disabled visitors free. It is open 9am to 9pm May to September and 9am to 5pm October to April. The collection covers the region’s sea and military history, and the climb up also gives you the best covered view in the city.
The old town museums and the aquarium
The Archaeological Museum of Istria sits in the old town and is the natural next indoor stop after Kastel, with Roman stone and finds from the city. The aquarium inside the Verudela fort is the one for children on a wet morning, though it is priced like a major attraction rather than a small one, so treat it as a planned spend. Check current opening times for both before you go, since they shift through the season.
Long lunches and cafe culture
Rain is a good excuse to slow down. The konobas and the market hall do a long lunch, and Pula’s cafe culture is a legitimate activity: an hour over a macchiato on the Forum is the local way to wait out a shower. Our where to eat guide covers the kitchens, and the things to do page lists the rest that works indoors.
