Day 9 of our Croatia trip was while we were staying in Opatija, with side visits to the towns of Pula and Rovinj. Day 10 was a travel day from Opatija to Zagreb, where the festival we were performing in would be held.
The schedule for Day 9 included tours of Pula and Rovinj. Unfortunately, during the night I ended up getting sick and having to stay back during the day to rest. Josh went on the tours, though, so I’ll share his pictures and some facts about the two towns.
Pula Arena
The main attraction in Pula is Roman amphitheater, the Arena of Pula. In Roman times, gladiators fought here, then in Medieval times knights jousted here, and in modern times they still use the amphitheater for concerts and festivals. The Arena was built in the 1st century AD and is actually one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters left.
In the basement of the Arena, there are exhibits on the history of wine and olive oil. This underground area used to be used for the gladiators and animals before fights.
Pula and Rovinj
The hub of Pula is the forum, which has been the center of city life for thousands of years. In the first photo you can see the Golden Gate. The Triumphal Arch of the Sergi (aka the Golden Gate) is thought to have been constructed in 29-27 BC. It was originally a city gate built to honor members of the Sergi family.
After their visit to Pula, Josh and the group next headed to the town of Rovinj. The main sight Josh saw there are the Church of St. Euphemia. Josh said they had to walk up a big hill to reach the 18th century church. After the church, they had some free time to explore the town and get lunch.
Opatija to Zagreb
Day 10 we said good-bye to Opatija and headed to Zagreb. When we arrived in Zagreb, we did a bus tour of the city before checking in to the hotel. And then after dinner, a small group of us joined our guide Nino for an evening walking tour of the city and drinks at a local bar.
We went by the Zagreb Cathedral, which is still under major construction after a big earthquake in 2020. A lot of the city was damaged during the quake and they are still recovering, but the Cathedral is maybe the biggest reminder. One of the two iconic spires fell down, and the other was later removed because of leaning. Reconstruction is ongoing, though, so hopefully one day soon it will shine again.
On our night time walking tour of Zagreb we visited one of the sites I was excited for- the Zrinjevac Meteorological Column. The Column was built in the late 1880s and includes equipment to measure and record temperature, humidity, and air pressure. For many years it was used as the official measurements for the city.
Our night time tour wound through a few different parks and squares. It was definitely a culture shock walking around at night like this and seeing people just hanging out. In Chicago you would never just go hang out in a park at night! Zagreb is a very safe city though, and it’s completely normal here.
The first photo below is a restaurant we passed that is popular with a lot of the diplomats and politicians in Zagreb. The second photo is Ban Jelačić Square, where a football match was playing.
After getting a beer with the group, we headed back to our hotel. We woke up to a great view of the city (I’m kind of obsessed with the streetcars), and prepared for festival to begin!
The Rest of the Trip
- Croatia Trip Days 1 & 2: Planes, Busses, and Sleep Deprivation
- Croatia Trip Day 3: Old Town Dubrovnik, Cavtat, Wine Tasting, Mills, and More!
- Croatia Trip Day 4: Lokrum Island
- Croatia Trip Day 5: A Long Bus Ride, a Visit to Split, and History was Made
- Croatia Trip Day 6: Krka Falls, Zadar, and our First Concert
- Croatia Trip Days 7 & 8: Pools, Wine, Salt, and Football
- Croatia Trip Days 9 & 10: Pula, Rovinj, and Zagreb
- Croatia Trip Day 11: Zagreb Botanical Garden
- Croatia Trip Days 12 & 13: Tamburica Festival & Nikola Tesla Technical Museum
- Croatia Trip Days 13 cont., 14, & 15- The Finale
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