Croatia ｜ Old time in the Adriatic

It's hard not to start a tour of Pula from the Pula Arena, because the beautiful appearance undoubtedly makes it a symbol of the city. I have a special feeling for ancient Roman ruins, presumably because of the arrogant, desolate temperament on them.

The advantage of the off-season is that there are fewer people. When you buy tickets to enter the arena, you find that it is almost a private booking. The stone lions on both sides of the door have been almost polished after years of grinding.

The Pula Arena is one of the six largest arenas in the world. At the time it could accommodate 20,000 spectators.

The side facing the sea is three stories, and the highest point is more than 30 meters, which is quite magnificent.


At this moment, standing in the empty arena, there was silence. The sun was drilling between large clouds, and these huge limestone blocks were sometimes illuminated and sometimes shrouded in haze.

Pula's Istria Peninsula has a long history. It was conquered by the Roman army in 117 BC. Since then, it has been ruled by the Holy Roman Empire for 500 years and later by the Venetian Republic, so there are many Italian shadows in terms of architecture and food culture.

Pula was fortunate to have not suffered too much damage during the process of changing hands several times, so that we can see this arena with a history of more than 2000 years.

I sat on the steps, imagining the sound of the people here in the old days, as if the sound of the gladiators was fighting. Today, it has become a new venue for large-scale events in Pula, where concerts, sports competitions and film festivals are held.

Get out of the arena and walk along the colorful old street to find other ruins in Pula.

The church passing by is Pula Cathedral.

In addition to the arena, Pula also has a trumpet temple and a trumpet triumphal arch.

The Temple of Augustus has a history of more than 2000, and was originally built in honor of Augustus the Great and the Roman goddess.

There are 6 Collins pillars in the front hall. This architectural form originates from ancient Greece. The pillars are full of flower baskets and are very decorative, just like the pillars of the Temple of Zeus in Athens.

The small triumphal arch in Pula is called Triumphal Arch of the Sergi

The carvings on the Arc de Triomphe are exquisite and ornate, which is quite Greek.

The change of history left Pula a lot of relics of different eras, which gave it the reputation of "City Museum". Walking along the colorful old town, the pace could not help slowing down.



Back to the arena again, it was the setting sun, and the sunset dyed the arena into gold, which was even more spectacular.

For dinner, I chose Amfiteatar, the restaurant next to the arena. The sales and taste made the food ecstatic.




The main course is chicken, served with refreshing vegetables.

The dessert is handmade ice cream with hot brownie chocolate cake, but the cold and hot match is extremely harmonious.

Zadar was a city I really liked during my trip, even surpassing Dubrovnik, probably because of the fireworks in the old town of Zadar. Zadar is the oldest city in Croatia since it was inhabited by humans. The new city is completely separated from the old city, allowing Zadar's old city to fully retain the structure of a traditional Roman city.

Zadar established an urban structure during the Roman era. The shape of the city formed in the medieval era has remained to this day, and the city walls and several gates facing the land have also been preserved.

The center of the old town is the Roman Forum, where the Church of St Donatus and the bell tower stand in the center of the square.

The church is modeled after Byzantine architecture, with a circular church top of 27 meters. From time to time, a large group of pigeons flew up and down, a lot more angry.

It was discovered after instructions that the church was built on the site of the original temple. The irregular stones left by the original church became the cornerstone of the new church.

The Roman Forum used to contain the main hall, city hall, church, and temple, but now there are still broken walls. Faced with these exquisite stone carvings, it seems as if you see the splendor of this city in the ancient Roman era. .



I really like the existence of the ruins here. The remaining huge stones are scattered on the Roman Forum. The children are playing here. People drink coffee in the cafe next to them. Playground that can be touched and climbed. I think that one day, children will become interested in these stones that accompanied them from childhood to childhood, to understand the history of their country, and to know these human civilization relics.


The churches gradually built after the Middle Ages are scattered in the middle of the old city. The most inconspicuous in the narrow alley is the earliest surviving one.

The church is no longer used as a church, but as a place for local artists to sell their handicrafts.

Entering one inside, you can see the earlier part of the church, and the colorful murals above the vault are still faintly visible.

St. Anastasia Cathedral, also known as Zadar Cathedral, is the largest Catholic main church in the entire Dalmatia region. Its history can be traced back to the 4th-5th century AD.

The front door of the church is influenced by the Italian-Roman style, and the sculpture on the door is the Virgin Mary and her child. There are also two small doors on the left and right sides, carved with lions and bulls.

A wedding is being planned inside the church. A local said to me: This is their popular place for wedding ceremonies, which can be booked months in advance. When the wedding ceremony is held, friends and relatives from both sides will sing along the way from the gates of the old city.

St. Chrysogonus Church, the pillars and arcades on the second floor of the church reflect a strong Roman style, which is impressive


Next to the Roman Forum is St. Mary's Church, an early Romanesque Benedictine abbey, where nuns still live today and live a life of almost isolation.

The old town is most affected by the fireworks here. I remember that I visited an ancient village in the country. The pattern and buildings of the ancient village are well preserved, but almost all the villagers have moved out. The entire ancient village is as cold as a haunted house and has no vitality. The charm of the ancient village is greatly diminished. Zadar's Old Town is full of life at every moment of the day. In the early morning, the farmers' market on the Old Town Hall Square started the day of the Old Town, where people can buy fresh produce.

This cafe in the Old Town Square cannot be found without the guidance of locals

There is an old church hidden in the cafe.

Go inside and you can see the columns and vaults of this Romanesque chapel, and it should be a cool thing to have a small gathering of friends here.

At the other end of the old town, people can sit under a tall Roman column and drink coffee, thinking about how spectacular the huge foundation stone left next to it is. Modernity and history are thus seamlessly connected in the old city of Zadar.



There are many bars and restaurants in the alleys of the old city. In the evening, life here has just begun. Friends come here to gather, drink and chat. It's really lively here after eight in the evening.


The Land Gate is the largest of Zadar's surviving city gates. A winged lion is carved in the center of the gate.

Recommend this seaside restaurant Fosa just outside Land Gate.


The main course is handmade seafood pasta. The delicious soup is completely absorbed by the noodles.

On the side of the old town facing the sea is the promenade, which is also a favorite leisure place.



Sitting on the steps of the seafront promenade and watching the sunset seems to have become Zadar's evening repertoire. People laugh at the seaside until the sun falls at sea level, leaving the sky full of light.


Continue from Zadar and stop in the little-known town Sibenik, just to look at the world heritage church here: St. Jacob's Cathedral (also translated as St. James's Cathedral). The cathedral is right on the coast, and you can see the whole church from the air.

This church was one of the most creative buildings of the Renaissance period from the 15th to the 16th centuries. It took over 100 years to build it, and it took three generations of architects to complete it. As a result, it became northern Italy, Dalmatia, The continual fusion of architectural art in the three regions of Tuscany.

St. Jacob's Cathedral is the world's largest pure stone church. Prior to this, the church was mostly made of wood and brick. In the construction of St. Jacob's Cathedral, the architect used carpenter-style splicing techniques to combine the church from the wall, the cylindrical vault to the dome with stone blocks, without using any wood and bricks. The superb craftsmanship is breathtaking.


The carved patterns on the side doors of the church and the stone lions standing on both sides are very delicate and exquisite in craftsmanship.


The church's side entrances and 71 avatars with different expressions on the outer wall are also the characteristics of this church. Each avatar's face, hairstyle, and expression are different and lifelike.


This day happened to be Sunday. Mass was being held in the church, so I could n’t enter the tour. I took a quiet photo and then backed out, with a little regret.