April 24, 2023 - The grand opening of the renovated Small Roman Theater will be marked by a two-day music and stage program, which, apart from the inauguration of the future summer stage, is also intended as a gift to the Pula public on the occasion of the City Day celebration

The grand opening of the Small Roman Theater in Pula will take place on Pula City Day, May 5 this year. The opening ceremony will be accompanied by a sumptuous music and stage program directed by Krešimir Dolenčić and Aleksandar Švabić. The following day, May 6, the stage of the Small Roman Theater will host Perpetuum Jazzile, a Slovenian musical attraction and one of the most recognizable vocal groups in the world. This will officially celebrate the restoration of the original function of an extremely important ancient cultural monument in Pula, whose reconstruction was carried out by interdisciplinary teams of architects, designers, conservators, archaeologists, and art historians.

"The complex renovation project of the Small Roman Theater is behind us, and we are proud to soon present one of the most spectacular concert, theater, and performance spaces in this part of Europe. As a community, we have an obligation to protect the rich cultural heritage and at the same time think of ways to integrate this valuable cultural heritage into the modern fabric of the city so that it serves today's needs in culture, and the public gets the opportunity to enjoy a space of unique monumental value, atmosphere, and acoustic quality", said Darko Komšo, director of the Archaeological Museum of Istria.

In the first century of our era, the Small Roman Theater served the cultural needs of the then-population of Pula. The renovated version can accommodate around 1,250 people today and, just like in ancient times, it will be a medium for encounters of the audience and artists, various performers of performing arts, and its devotees. It is important to point out that after almost two decades of neglect, the Small Roman Theater was renovated using a contrasting method, using steel and white concrete, whereby exceptional care was taken to ensure that the foundations of the new construction did not touch or endanger the Roman remains of the building anywhere. 

The grandstands were completely built without nuts and bolts so as not to disturb the acoustics of the space, and the height and depth of the stairs correspond to the original proportions, whereby the ratio 1:2 was respected, according to the instructions from the "Ten Books on Architecture" by the famous Roman architect from 1 century BC, Vitruvius.

Part of the Small Roman Theater of Europe project is the monumental, 330 square meters large screen that was placed on the facade of the Archaeological Museum of Istria. The reconstruction project of the Small Roman Theater received an honorable award at the Piran Days of Architecture and was also nominated for the "Bernardo Bernardi" architectural award.

The renovation of the Small Roman Theater was financed by the European Fund for Regional Development and the funds of the Ministry of Culture and Media, as well as the own funds of the Archaeological Museum of Istria.

February the 1st, 2023 - Pula apartment prices, much like most other things which are purchasable of late, have shot up by as much as seventy percent in some cases. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, s fully furnished apartment in the attic of an Austro-Hungarian building spanning 48.57 square metres in Stoja (Pula) is currently for sale for 135,000 euros. At that price, it means that a single square metre of an apartment in Stoja costs a whopping 2,779 euros. A two-room apartment in the Sijana area spanning 75 square metres in a building built back in 2008 is being sold for 200,000 euros or, if it's easier for people to calculare in the old way - for one and a half million kuna.

There are also Pula apartment prices coming in at 2,666 euros per square metre, and the brand new residential area under development in Marina Veruda offers luxury apartments with a swimming pool, where a one-room apartment on the ground floor spanning 51.41 square metres on a turnkey basis, costs a massive 289,181 euros.

There are even some where the price per square metre will cost a buyer as much as 5,624 euros. A resident of Pula can hardly afford that even if they held a position in any one of the top paying local companies, but the location above Marina Veruda is probably not intended for locals. It's more than likely aimed primarily at foreign buyers who are perhaps more affluent, and who will be able to get from their yacht to their apartment easily, or rent it out while aboard their yacht, writes local portal The Voice of Istria/Glas Istre.

In a way, this is a picture of the Croatian real estate market as it currently stands, which, judging by the prices per square metre, is almost entirely intended for a buyer from Western and Central Europe, but not for a Pula local, who simply doesn't take home that sort of cash each month or year.

"Regardless of the interest rates, Pula apartment prices have jumped so much that our customers can't keep up with them," explained Sergio Ricchiuto, the owner of the Pula-based real estate agency Immobilia Nekretnine/Property, who has been in the business for more than forty years now. He says he doesn't know why square metres in Pula have become so expensive recently.

''The media claims that the prices went up by about 10 to 20 percent, which isn't quite the case because the prices of some properties jumped from 50 to 70 percent, depending on their location. For our locals, especially young people and young married couples who are thinking of buying an apartment, it becomes mission impossible because at these prices they simply can't afford it regardless of the current interest rate, which is a small item compared to the price,'' Ricchiuto concluded.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

December 1, 2022 - Though they can be cheerful and cute, birds can create a mess in public areas. In Pula, they remind of measures to keep things under control - the prohibition on feeding birds.

As Poslovni / Glas Istre write, despite the engagement of falconers, the installation of loudspeakers with sounds of bird predators, and even colourful balloons - starlings and other birds still cannot be driven away from their favorite habitats in the city center.

One of those is the Giardini, or rather the crowns of centuries-old trees, from which flocks of birds decorate the heads of passers-by and numerous tourists and restaurant terraces in summer. And it is not that individuals do not contribute to birds moving in, as they like to feed pigeons and other bird species in this particular location. Many, however, do not know that this is prohibited by the city's Decision on communal order.

The Communal Palace specifies that according to the said decision, it is not allowed to leave any waste or "contaminate in any other way surfaces where it is forbidden to feed birds, dogs, cats, and other animals."
Violation of this provision is punishable for legal entities under Article 177 and for natural persons under Article 180 of the decision above. The prescribed amount of the fine is from HRK 5 to HRK 10,000 for legal entities, while for natural persons, the fine is HRK 300 to HRK 1,000," the Communal Palace states.

They add that the city police do not keep special records for acts that violate the ban on feeding birds.

The City specifies that it is forbidden to feed birds, dogs, cats,and other animals in public areas, because this pollutes public spaces and birds then gather at the feeding grounds.

"Given the aggressiveness of certain bird species, this is used to protect people from the danger of excessive growth of a certain bird population, but also the need to keep animals under the control and supervision of experts. In addition, such actions also affect citizens' quality of life in terms of day and night rest, hygiene, pollution of facades, as well as other consequences that arise from it", the City states.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

November 3, 2022 - Looking for a festive visit to Istria? A new Air Serbia service is offering flights to Pula over the Christmas period.

The weather in Croatia these last few days has been exceptional, with people still swimming in the Adriatic. It coincides with the period when most flights to the coast stop for the season, businesses close, and the long winter begins. 

Before the Homeland War, there used to be year-round flights to Croatia's Adriatic airports (read more in this fascinating interview with a 1980s tour rep - Croatian Winter Tourism in 1990: Full of Life! Tour Rep Interview).

Initiatives such as the Split Winter Tourism Roundtable have put the issue back on the agenda, and KLM is running 12-month flights from Amsterdam several times a week to Split, a great option for those wanting to connect with the Dalmatian coast out of season, but there has been little promotion of the fact. 

And, as ExYuAviation writes:

Air Serbia has scheduled a limited winter service between Belgrade and Pula during the holiday period. Flights will operate between December 23 and January 9 each Monday, Wednesday and Friday with the ATR72 turboprop aircraft. Tickets are available for purchase through the airline's website. 

Unlike Croatia Airlines, Air Serbia has a global network, including New York, which will allow both tourists and diaspora to visit Istria over the holiday period. 

Great news, and one more connection to the Croatian coast out of season which will breathe a little more life into the Adriatic lifestyle during the winter months. 

For the latest flight news to Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

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August the 16th, 2022 - The Pula Aquarium, known for its efforts in conservation and the rescue and rehabilitation of all sorts of Adriatic marine lifeforms, has a new and very interesting resident which can change its own gender every eight years.

As Morski writes, over more recent days, the much loved Pula Aquarium presented to the public the third largest fish of its future tropical lineup, a Humphead wrass named Napoleon (Cheilinus undulatus), the largest bony fish which naturally lives on coral reefs.

The Humphead wrasse is an unusual looking fish which stands out for both its colour and its size, and it got its name from the large hump on its head that resembles Napoleon Bonaparte's hat - hence the name.

What is rather remarkable about this fish, is the fact that after the eighth year of its life, it changes its gender from female to male, and during this sex change, the colour of the body also changes - from orange-red to dark blue-green. This species is extremely important for the health of coral reefs because it feeds on an animal known as the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), which eats coral and given the chance, destroys these gorgeous reefs.

Humphead wrasse are a very widespread Indo-Pacific species, they reach an impressive body size of up to 2.2 meters and a weight of 191 kilograms with a lifespan of up to 32 years. It is quite a rare fish, but despite that, it is still unfortunately hunted for its tasty meat, and according to the IUCN, it is now considered an endangered species as a result of that. Due to overfishing, their population has decreased by a worrying 50 percent in the last 30 years alone, Aquarium Pula explained when discussing their new resident, Napoleon.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

August 14, 2022 - More fires in Istria, including one causing problems near Pula Airport. Live updates from Index.hr. 

Today around 12 o'clock, a fire broke out in the area between Pula Airport and Muntić.

HAK (Croatian Roads Association) reports that the road from the Airport to Valtura is closed to traffic.

An hour ago
Firefighters issued a statement about the fires:

"20 firefighters with 9 fire engines of the Pula Fire Brigade, and all voluntary fire brigades from Pula were engaged in the intervention to extinguish the fire in the open area between Pula Airport and the village of Muntić, which was reported at 12:00 p.m. Two Air Tractors AT- Fire Boss have joined the action. The current burned area is about 20 hectares.

The fire near the village of Štokovci is being extinguished by 27 firefighters with 13 fire trucks from the Pula Fire Department, the Rovinj Fire Department, the Pazin Fire Department, the Buzet Fire Department and volunteer firefighting companies from the area of ​​Pula and Rovinj. 3 Canadair CL 415 planes have also been called in to help. The burned area has not yet been estimated.

The fire near Peroj was localized at 2:45 p.m. There are 12 firefighters on the ground with 5 fire trucks from the Pula Fire Brigade and volunteer fire companies from Fažana, Vodnjan, Peroj and Medulin. Currently, extinguishment is being carried out, and the burned area is about 2 hectares."

3 hours ago
"There are no casualties, the houses are not threatened"
"The fire in Peroj is under control, it will be fine. The one in Muntić is now in a more favorable condition, and with the help of the Canadairs, it will be controlled. There is another fire in Bijažići and Bibići. Almost all the forces of the Pula fire district are on the ground.

Five teams from Rovinj, one from Pazin and one from Buzet came to help. Two Canadairs have also arrived, and a third will probably arrive, but it is not certain yet. There are no victims, the houses are not threatened, the electricity is cut off in some parts, and the road between Savičenta and Juršić is closed," said Kozlevac, Glas Istre reports.

4 hours ago
"Firefighting is made difficult by a strong bura wind"
"Extinguishing three fires in open spaces in the County of Istria is in progress.

One open space fire is near the village of Muntići, towards Valtura, another near the village of Juršići towards Svetvinčenat and the third near Peroj. The fire engulfed the area of grass and white gorse," reported the Croatian Fire Association.

"Extinguishing the fire is made difficult by a strong storm. About 80 firefighters with about 30 fire trucks are participating in the extinguishing intervention, and two Canadians are also coming to help," said county fire chief Dino Kozlevac.

Forces from the Fire Department of Pula, the Public Fire Department of the City of Pula and all voluntary fire brigades, three teams from the Fire Department of Rovinj and one team each from the fire departments of Pazin and Buzet were engaged in extinguishing the fire.

You can follow live updates from Index.hr (Google Translate is your friend) here.

JULY 22 UPDATE

July 21, 2022 - The fire in Slovenia is the worst in the country's history. A look at the latest updates and the impact it is having on Istria. 

Overnight, 800 firefighters brought the biggest fire in Slovenian history under control. However, the situation is still difficult. Due to the wind, the fire is moving from Italy towards Slovenia.

Latest updates from Index.hr: 

Minister of Defense: The situation has worsened in the last few hours
"In the last few hours, the situation has worsened; extinguishing fires from the air is greatly hampered by poor visibility. The headquarters determines measures depending on the development of the fire. Three settlements have been evacuated: Novelo, Temnica, and Vojščica. At the moment, our main task is protecting buildings," the Minister of Defense Marjan Šarec announced on Twitter. 

According to the locals, the fire has already approached Vojščica - about 300 meters, which can be seen from the increasingly thick smoke, soot, and ash, reports a 24ur journalist.

Helicopters from Austria, Croatia, and Slovakia arrive to help
It is expected that around 1,000 firefighters and several helicopters, including four Slovenian army and two police helicopters, will fight the fire. A helicopter from Austria is already putting out the fire, and Croatian and Slovak helicopters are also on the way.

The fire also threatens settlements in Italy
The fire is threatening the Slovenian Kras region and spreading to the Italian side. It threatens the inhabitants of the villages of Sablici, Jamiano, Medeazza, and Doberdo. Slovenian and Italian firefighters are trying to protect the mentioned locations.

At Medeazza, according to the head of Duino-Aurisina, Igor Gabrovec, the fire is only a kilometer away from the settlement. The highway in the direction of Trieste has reopened today, while the section in the direction of Venice is still closed.

Numerous explosions in the area of the fire, exploding devices from the First World War
A fire in the Kars area caused numerous explosions of devices that remained in that region from the First World War. Commander Darko Zonjič said they no longer count explosions but only mark them along roads so they can be recorded later.

"Even during the night, there were a lot of explosions due to high temperatures in the area affected by the fire. Yesterday, 18 different explosive devices were removed from the villages of Sela na Krasu and Korita," said Zonjič.

Civil protection headquarters: Three fires are currently active
The Slovenian Civil Protection Headquarters announced that three fires are currently active. Firefighters are most concerned about the fire in Klarići, a hamlet near the Italian border. More than 1,000 firefighters are on the ground.

Sirens sounded for the evacuation of residents
Evacuation sirens sounded in three villages in the Kras region; Temnica, Vojščica, and Novelo. The place for gathering citizens from those areas is the gymnasium in Komno, the Civil Protection HQ announced.

Civil Protection Commander: This is the biggest fire in the history of Slovenia
Civil Protection Commander Srečko Šestan said they had never had so many firefighters on the ground at night. Almost 1,300 people, including 1,000 firefighters, fought the fire during the day. When the fire began to threaten the houses, additional forces were called in. Šestan assessed that it was the biggest fire in Slovenia so far.

"At the moment, the situation is under control; there is no strong wind, which makes it easier to put out the fire because the fire does not spread. Of course, the situation can change quickly because a storm has been announced," wrote Defense Minister Marjan Šarec this morning, adding that he is participating in firefighting with the Slovenian army.

"Since yesterday, the army has been helping with water supply and accommodation, the military ambulance service has been called, and they will also inspect with a thermal camera to detect hidden hotspots. They will also provide meals for the troops on the ground. If necessary, we will also send soldiers," Šarec said. 

A lot of smoke in Istria
"A good part of western Istria is still in smoke; the situation has even worsened. A lot of reports are coming from Poreč," writes Istramet.

After Canadairs, the Ministry of Defense sent a helicopter to the fire scene in Slovenia
During the day yesterday, the water cannon dumped 48 tons of water on the burned area in nine bursts.

Polluted air throughout Slovenia
The fire caused air pollution in the area of Koper, Postojna, and Nova Gorica.

Stronger winds are not expected
"We can look at wind as optimists or as pessimists," says Brane Gregorčič from the Environmental Protection Agency. He said that there really wouldn't be any stronger wind. He pointed out that the problems on Wednesday were caused by the western wind, which spread the fire from Italy towards Slovenia. "We expect similar winds today, but in between, there were about 18 hours of calm as far as the wind is concerned," he said.

Smoke in Istria
A large amount of smoke from the fire raging in the Slovenian Kars region covered Istria with thick smoke, bringing a significant deterioration in air quality, reports Istramet.

The station for measuring air quality in Žužići near Tinjan at 5:15 am recorded a significant increase in floating particles. During most of the night, PM 2.5 particles were below 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and after 5 hours, it increased more than three times and reached 40 μg/m3.

This morning, smoke in the form of haze is particularly visible in northern Istria, where there is a strong burning smell 

For more breaking news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

July the 16th, 2022 - Pula water usage limitations are set to come into force this week to allow for the more rational use of water resources as temperatures soar across Istria County and beyond.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the popular Istrian City of Pula, alongside Pula Herculanea, which, as part of its wider range of activities also provides maintenance services for public green areas and street cleaning across Pula, will start a series of activities from this week.

The aim of the aforementioned activities will be the more rational use of water resources in order to contribute to prevention or mitigate the effects of the possible announcement of water reduction measures in the area of the wider ​​Istria County and in the City of Pula itself, as was reported from the City of Pula.

As long as there are the proper preconditions for this, the activities of street cleaning and watering of public green areas in the centre of Pula will be carried out without additional savings measures, even at the moment of the possible declaration of reduction measures, writes local portal Glas Istre. It should be noted that the activities of watering park surfaces and plants are carried out during the night, because then the plants can use the water much more optimally, and the consumption is significantly lower due to reduced evaporation and the influence of the harsh summer sunlight.

In order to take a more proactive role in the rational use of Pula water resources, we will start reducing the watering of the remaining public green areas outside of the very centre of Pula in order to minimise overall water consumption. After the decision of the City of Pula comes into force, the measure of closing the showers on the beaches and swimming pools of Valkane, Stoja, Mornar, Zelenika and Hidrobaza will also be implemented.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

July 15, 2022 - Great promotion for Istria - Medulin and Pula will host the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships!

Tokyo will host the World Athletics Championships in 2025, the members of the World Athletics Executive Committee decided at a meeting in Eugene, where the 18th edition of the World Championships will be held until July 24, reports Gol.hr. 

At the same meeting, it was decided that Medulin and Pula will host the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships, and two years later, that competition will be held in the American city of Tallahassee, Florida.

"It is a great honor for Croatia and the Croatian Athletics Federation to host the 2024 World Athletic Cross Country Championships. We are grateful to World Athletics for the trust shown, and now it is up to us to present Croatia, Istria, Medulin, and Pula, as well as the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in 18 months in the best light," said the president of the Croatian Athletics Federation, Ivan Veštić, and added:

"The best Europeans ran in Medulin in 2002, and in 2024 the world's best runners will compete on the most beautiful cross-country course in the world."

Tokyo beat Nairobi, Katowice, and Singapore in the race to host the Athletics World Championships.

"In the strong competition of candidates to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships, Tokyo has presented an exceptional candidacy. I hope that bringing the world's athletics elite to Tokyo again will be a shining example for Japan, which will celebrate 100 years since the founding of the National Association of Athletics Federations in 2025," said the president of World Athletics Sebastian Coe.

Tokyo will host the World Championships for the second time in history. The first time it was host in 1991 when the third edition of the World Athletics Championships was held, while 34 years later, the 20th edition will be held.

Next year, Budapest will host the 19th edition of the World Athletics Championships.

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

June the 29th, 2022 - Pula scooters and bikes are becoming more and more popular as this beautiful Istrian city tries to lean more towards green and sustainable ways of getting about.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Pula is the first city in all of the Republic of Croatia to receive a complete system for local micromobility. It's managed by the Public Bike System, and includes an impressive offer of 150 electric scooters, 15 classic bikes and 15 electric bikes, and is an upgrade to the city's public transport offer that will relieve the city of passenger car traffic and protect the environment.

To use these Pula scooters, you'll need to download the TIER application (app) on your smartphone, and to use the bicycles, be they classic or electric, you'll need to download the Nextbike application.

Until July the 30th, 2022, people can try out these new Pula scooters for free using the code "GOPULA". After creating an account on the TIER application, this code allows them two free unlocks and 20 minutes of free use of one of the scooters.

The director of the Public Bike System, Ante Gustin, expressed hope that similar solutions would soon be sought by as many cities across the Republic of Croatia as possible, all of which aspire to achieve the status of smart cities.

"People are already used to using public bicycles, but we believe that these new Pula electric scooters will delight them. TIER is otherwise Europe's leading provider of micromobility services, and is a company dedicated to creating simple and easily accessible solutions for urban mobility.

With the mobile application, the scooters and bicycles are located and unlocked, and the price depends on the duration of use. We take care of the charging of the batteries and maintaining the scooters and bikes,'' Gustin concluded.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.