Istria
Forum, Temple of Augustus and the old town
Pula's Roman heart in a few walkable streets: the Forum square, the columned Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii. Best done as one slow morning loop before the cruise crowds.
Where
Pula, Croatia
Opening hours
The Forum and old-town streets are open access at any hour. The Temple of Augustus keeps its own daily visiting hours, typically through the day with shorter or seasonal opening in winter and around midday. Times change seasonally, so confirm current hours and prices on the official site.
Tickets
Free to wander the Forum square and the old-town lanes and to admire the temple's facade from outside. Stepping inside the Temple of Augustus to see the lapidarium costs a few euros. Prices change, so confirm current hours and prices on the official site.
Time needed
A slow morning loop of an hour or two takes in the Forum, the temple and the Arch of the Sergii, with time for a coffee on the square.
In short
Visiting Forum, Temple of Augustus and the old town
Pula's Roman core packs into a few walkable streets: the Forum, the open square that has been the city's centre for two thousand years; the columned Temple of Augustus, now a small lapidarium; and the Arch of the Sergii a short stroll away. The square itself is free to wander; the temple charges a few euros to step inside. Best done as one slow morning loop, ideally before the day-trippers and cruise crowds arrive.
The Forum and the temple
Everyone comes to Pula for the great Roman amphitheatre, but the city’s quieter Roman heart is here, packed into a few walkable streets around the Forum. This open square has been the centre of the city for two thousand years — a Roman public square that is now ringed by cafes and the town hall, and the obvious place to begin. Order a coffee, sit, and you’re looking at the same ground Pula has gathered on since antiquity.
Dominating one end is the Temple of Augustus, a beautifully preserved early-imperial temple with a portico of slim columns. The square and the facade are free to enjoy; stepping inside, where it now serves as a small lapidarium of Roman stonework and statuary, costs a few euros. It is a short visit but a satisfying one, and the building’s survival — rebuilt after wartime damage — is part of the story.
Walking the loop
From the Forum it is a short stroll through the old-town lanes to the Arch of the Sergii, a triumphal arch that once framed a city gate and now stands among the shops and bars. Threading between the monuments, the streets themselves are the pleasure: worn stone, shuttered windows, the odd fragment of Roman wall built into a later house.
Treat the whole thing as one slow morning loop of an hour or two — Forum, temple, arch, and back for another coffee. The single best tip is timing: come early, before the day-trippers and cruise passengers arrive and before the midday heat, when the square is quiet and the light is kind. Don’t expect a vast site; expect a compact, atmospheric set-piece that rewards a gentle wander rather than a checklist. Pair it with the amphitheatre, a separate and longer visit a few minutes away, for a full Roman morning.
Planning the rest of your trip? See the Pula city guide.
