Journey to Pula

Pula was the regional centre in the ancient days. In the middle ages it lost some of its influence, until the Austro-Hungarian monarchy decided to make their prime military port there.

Until Napoleonic wars Austria did not have a real military navy, but after that turmoil period it took over the territory of the Venetian republic and its arsenal. But because the Venetians were partial towards the unification of Italy, there were many rebellions and the Austrians decided upon a safer place for their base. The final decision was placed in the hands of a foreigner, not to be bias and thus the Danish admiral Hans Birch Dahlerup, decided to make Pula the main military port, with a shipbuilding facility and an arsenal.

The town was defended by a newly built chain of fortresses inspired by the fortress in Linz, but they’ve become obsolete. So with the developments of artillery an outer ring was built, where batteries were places in top of fortress, protected by steel shells.

The fortress were in use until the end of WWI, when Italians gained control of the town and melted the, by then, obsolete artillery. They’ve also built a huge base for hydroplanes, but after WWII Pula also became an important naval base as one of the three major ports of the Yugoslavian navy. The navy also kept control of most of the fortress.

Today Pula is part of Republic of Croatia and the military retained only a small fraction of the armed forces there. It seems most of the population doesn’t really care for these fortresses and uses them as a waste dump or a stone query. It may happen that this great architectural heritage will be destroyed, despite a number of enthusiasts trying to use it as a stage for various events.

PULA is today an interesting tourist centre, with a heavenly islands (also a national park) of Brioni, with their own mezzo-climate, a bit milder than the one in the city itself. There are 14 islands with many rare botanic and bird specimens, mostly thanks to the former president of Yugoslavia, the late marshal Tito, who even had a »safari park« there, where he kept many animals from Asia and Africa he received as a personal gift. There are many roman remains there, for they already knew this heaven of Earth, and among other things, there grown the oldest olive tree in the world (still baring fruit). We also suggest you visit many of the beaches around the town, from the sandy beach of Medulin, to the rocky beaches at Kamenjak and Veruda, or simply head down to the town beach.