Bus from Pula to Šibenik

Pula may not be the largest city of Croatia, but it takes the 8^th spot when it comes to size and is the largest city of Istria with population counting 57, 460 citizens and more. What makes Pula distinctive among other Croatian cities is its tradition of winemaking, fishing, shipbuilding, and booming tourism. In addition, it has also been Istria's administrative centre since ancient Roman times. While to an unobserving eye Pula may seem like a usual workday city, wealthy Roman architecture makes Pula stand out not just in Croatia, but worldwide. The star of the show is the remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, smack in the heart of the city, which dominates the streetscape and doubles as a venue for summer concerts and festivals.

Amphitheatre: Pula’s most famous and imposing sight situated in the heart of the city is this 1st-century oval amphitheatre, which lies above the harbour northeast of the old town. This mesmerizing construction, made completely out of local limestone, is called the Arena by locals and tourists alike. Throughout history it was used for hosting gladiatorial contests. With the capacity to accommodate around 20,000 spectators. Nowadays, Arena represents Istria's popular tourist attraction, but it is also the place of mass entertainment events, such as concerts and competitions.

Lightning Giants: A sight not to be missed while visiting Pula is its star evening attraction, a lighting display at the city's 19th-century Uljanik shipyard, regarded as  one of the world's oldest working docks. Renowned lighting designer Dean Skira has lit up the shipyard's iconic cranes in 16,000 different colour shades, which bring them to life four times every evening on the specified hour and last for 15 minutes.

Temple of the Augustus: While this temple is the only visible remnant from the Roman era on the Forum, it was regarded as Pula’s central meeting place from antiquity through the Middle Ages, and it has still preserved this function today. The temple, whose building process took a lot of time to finish, from 2 BC to AD 14, is open to public throughout the year,  now housing a small museum of Roman sculpture with the occasional temporary show.

Zerostrasse: This underground system of tunnels was built before and during WWI to shelter the city's population and serve as storage for ammunition. Now tourists can walk through several of its sections, which all lead to the middle, where a photo exhibition shows early aviation in Pula. 

Triumphal Arch of Sergii: While it cannot bear the title of the oldest Roman monument, this triumphal arch that was built in honor of the powerful Sergii family’s participation in the pivotal Battle of Actium in France. It dates to about 30 BC and despite its great age. The arch has preserved its shape till today.. When it was built the arch was a city gate leading up from the naval port. Carved into the stone are friezes depicting cupids and garlands, and just beneath this you can still spot a relief of a horse-drawn battle chariot.

Kastel, a Venetian fortress overlooking Pula, dates from the 1600s. The powerful-looking walls which leave every visitor speechless were designed in a star configuration, which was a state-of-the-art design in order to repel artillery after the arrival of gunpowder. Kastel was created with the purpose to serve as Venetians’ main stronghold, defending Pula’s harbour as well as the entire upper Adriatic.

Situated inside the Austro-Hungarian fortress Verudela, Pula’s Aquarium is regarded as the largest in Croatia. The aquarium is a useful option for rainy days or the hottest afternoons in summer, as well as a magnificent place for those traveling with children. Blending neatly with the fort’s stone architecture, tanks with freshwater and marine species native to Croatia and the Adriatic, together with tropical displays, a turtle rescue centre (the only one to be found in Croatia) and an entire room devoted to sea horses, are an unforgettable sight. The centerpiece of the attraction is the shark tank, which is found in the former atrium of the fortress.

Historical attractions aside, Pula is a busy commercial city on the sea that has managed to retain a friendly small-town appeal. It is conveniently located and with a short bus ride, a series of beaches can be reached at the resorts that occupy the Verudela Peninsula to the south. Further south along the indented shoreline, the Premantura Peninsula hides a spectacular nature park, the protected cape of Kamenjak.

Šibenik is the oldest self-contained Croatian city on the Adriatic, the capital city and the cultural, educational, administrative and economic center of the Šibenik-Knin County.

It is mentioned for the first time on Christmas in 1066 in the gift of Peter Kresimir IV, so it is also called Kresimir's city. By the mid-17th century, the plague epidemic was the largest city on the entire eastern coast of the Adriatic. Šibenik was de facto the capital of Croatia from December 1944 to May 1945. It is also important as the seat of the Croatian Navy.

Cathedral of St. Jakova in Šibenik is the most important construction work of the 15th and 16th centuries. on the ground of Croatia. Due to its exceptional value in 2000, it was incorporated into the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, which in 2017, on that list, was joined by the Fortress of St. Nicholas.

Sibenik is located at 43˚44 'north latitude and 15˚55 east longitude. The relief is characterized by a very indented coast, a wide belt of the hinterland of the Primorska-Dinaric karst of Zagora, a mountain-mountainous area with a bend Plavno and fertile fields in Karst, Knin, Kosovo and Petrovo polje and the northern bukovica Bukovica with Promin, the canyon of the Krka and Čikola rivers and Miljevci.

There is more explanation of how Sibenik got its name, and that in science no other interpretation of his name was accepted as safe and accurate. In his work, Juraj Šizgorić describes the name and position of Šibenik, which he states that the city is called because it is surrounded by tribes. The name Šibenik comes into contact with the forest through the Sibinicum toponyms, which is extracted from an augmentative late-valley, or ranoroan form of silvon, silvonae or silvona. The name of sibin covered the narrow micro-region of Šibenik, along and around the elevation where the fortress of St. Mihovila.

Turism has been developing constantly in Sibenik in recent years, and the number of guests is increasing every year from year to year. Most tourists who are on the Sibenik Riviera are staying in hotels in Solaris hotel complex or in several kilometers away to Vodice, Primosten, Rogoznica or on islands like Zlarin or Prvic.