Why Pula is Croatia's best-kept secret

Phoebe Luckhurst on why you should put Pula at the top of your Croatian itinerary

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Whatever your idea of a good time, Croatia can deliver. The country’s ragged coastline gives it the largest shore in the Mediterranean - which means mile after mile of beach, set on an a sparkling azure sea. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones fans make pilgrimages to Dubrovnik to visit the set; Split is an established party town, and its islands - among them Korcula, with its dense forests, and rocky Brac - are an adventure waiting to happen.

It’s quite an itinerary - travellers might wonder if there’s anything else left to discover. Oh ye of little faith: for this year, the destination on insider’s radars is Pula, the capital of Istria, the country’s northern peninsular, close to the Italian border. BA started flying there last year, and EasyJet has just added a route there from Southend.

It is a lush green expanse, whose close proximity to Italy can be felt in its culture and architecture. But it’s not all classical refinement: ravers have known about Pula for a while, as its amphitheatre, and surrounding coastline, hosts Dimensions and Outlook festivals in late August and early September.

These are the reasons to visit.

City life

Pula is Istria’s largest city, situated in the valley of seven hills, with extraordinary Adriatic views. And it’s a knockout to walk around: narrow cobbled streets that end, suddenly, with magnificent Roman buildings - including, notably, an enormous, spectacular amphitheatre, built to host 20,000 spectators between 27 - 68 AD, and is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre in the world with a complete circle wall.

Istria is a wine region: cloister yourself in one of the town’s tavernas and try the local grapes. Cuisine is a mixture of seafood and Italian dishes - Istria was part of Italy until 1947. The restaurants on the Limski canal have the best mussels, and the region is also famous for its white truffles.

Meanwhile, its beaches are unspoiled - unlike the busier southern parts of the country - and the seas known for being calm and tranquil, which means they’re perfect for swimmers.

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Daytripper

If it’s unspoiled you’re looking for, you need to visit Veli Brijun. Catch the ferry from just outside Pula - about 10km away - to visit this tiny, car-free islet. Animals roam free in its parkland, which is part of the Brijuni national park - look out for peacocks, as well as dinosaur footprints (it’s an ancient site). You can also visit the remains of Roman villas, and a safari park with elephants, zebras and llamas.

Venetian dream

Pula is a working port, and a gateway to the Adriatic. Make sure you’re there at night, to see its light installation, Lighting Giants, which features eight towering cranes illuminated in magical colours, and lasts for an hour and a half each evening. And then book yourself onto the ferry to Venice, which runs several times a day in the summer months, and only takes three hours.

The gateway to the Adriatic
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24-hour party people

This year, thousands of ravers will descend on Pula for two festivals: Dimensions (29 August to 2 September) and Outlook (5 September to 10 September). The town is an extraordinary site for a festival: the main part takes place in the amphitheatre, which will host acts including Kraftwerk 3-D, Moodyman, and Josey Rebelle at Dimensions, and Benobo, Wiley and Stefflon Don at Outlook, but you can also expect secret tunnel raves, in a network of caves far underneath Pula, as well as beach parties on the shore and boat parties off the coast - Dimensions has more than twenty, with acts including Helena Hauff and Ben UFO, and Outlook 50, with turns from Children of Zeus and Dbridge. They’re unbeatable parties that show off the town’s raving muscle.

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Rovinj

Rent a car - it’s cheap in Croatia - and drive to Rovinj, about half an hour from Pula. Its yellow and pink buildings are reminiscent of Portobello Road if it were set on azure coastline, and the streets are paved with boutique hotels, chic eateries and speakeasy cocktail bars - try Caffe Bar XL, just beneath the spectacular St Euphemia Church, looking straight out to sea. It’s small enough to feel like a hidden gem.

Wine o’clock

Now you’ve got the car, meander through Istrian wineland. In the centre of the peninsula, there is the Mirna Valley, which is dotted with vineyards happy for you to try a slug of Merlot, Teran, Pinots or Sauvignon Blanc - some excited oenophiles are calling it the new Tuscany. Experts suggest making a pitstop at Meneghetti and Trapan vineyards.

Southern promise

At the very bottom tip of Istria, there’s Cape Kamenjak, a 6km rocky protuberance that’s popular with the locals, but relatively undiscovered by tourists. It’s a protected zone full of little coves and wooded inlands, and feels a bit like the end of the earth. Leave your phone at home - this one’s too precious for Instagram.