CROATIAN TOWNS

                                             Pula and Zadar
        Pula, a city of 5000 located on the southernmost tip of Istria, is the largest city and has the only airport in Istria. Many Istrian towns have two official names, one Italian and one Croatian. The 400 years of Venetian rule have strongly influenced the region’s architecture.

      The large regional center has some industry, a large naval base and a busy commercial harbor. It was an important base for Romans and Roman ruins abound.  The Venetian Citadel, 17^th century, is in the center of Old Town.

   A well preserved 1^st century Roman Amphitheater, seating 23,000, is the 3rd largest of its kind preserved in the world,--northeast of old town, it overlooks the harbor.  Constructed entirely of local limestone, it was built for gladiator contests. When gladiator contests were outlawed it was used as a market. The inside has been gutted but the nearly complete outside remains. Shows are now preformed inside.

     We found much less English spoken here as well as less friendly people. The town, except for the Roman ruins, had little to offer. Strong Turkish coffee is common here but picturesque sidewalk coffee cafes were few. We entered one establishment to buy a drink in order to use the bathroom.

     Grape vineyards and olive groves thrive in the red soil.   During Europe’s 30-year war, 1618-1648, Croats were sent to Paris. They wore a scarf in a unique way. The French intrigued with the fashion 

      Zadar has a long, tumultuous and dynamic history as it has been destroyed, plundered, and devastated only to surpass these obstacles and rise from the ruins with even more beauty, strength and wealth. In 1202 the city was burned and conquered by crusaders and Venetians. After the city’s burning, the first Gothic churches in Dalmatia were built.  Following Venetian rule Zadar was ruled by the Austrians (1797), later the French from 1806-13. After the short French rule the Austrians again ruled until 1918 when the city became part of Italy. After WWII, Zadar was united with Croatia. Today it is part of the independent Republic of Croatia.

      This city of 72,500, sitting on a long peninsula between the harbor and the channel, is the main city of northern Dalmatia. Its strategic position made it a target during war time. It was damaged in 1943-44 during WW II and again in 1991 when 60 percent of the city was destroyed. Rebuilding and restoration has been slow but has retained the city’s old flavor. 

     Parts of the ancient wall remain. Today there is a large tuna fishing industry with much of the tuna being exported to Japan. Basketball is big in this town. Baron von Trap was born in Zadar. We sampled their local sausage at lunch time. The servings were huge and we each ate only half of our meal. The use of credit cards is less in Croatia than in Slovenia where I used it all the time. It was an unusually hot day with temperatures in the mid to high 80s.

       We met our guide in the main square, the general meeting place.  Dalmatia starts in Zadar and runs south to Dubrovnik. Croatia’s oldest university was started in Zadar in 1396.

      The ancient seaside market town with Italian accents is one of the oldest Slavic cities on the Adriatic coast. Roman and Venetian heritage has created a rich turbulent history and the culture and spirit is reflected in the town’s numerous monuments. It seems to be a city of churches.

      Marble traffic-free streets in old town are replete with Roman ruins, medieval churches and fascinating museums. Massive 16^th century fortifications still shield the city on the land side while high walls protect along the harbor.

      The guide walked us all around the city trying her best to find shade every time we stopped. St. Donatus was built over the old Roman forum destroyed in a 6^th century quake. The tower was added in the 16^th century and the church added to in the 19^th century. It is only 200 steps up to the tower. The round part of the church is used for concerts as it has great acoustics.

      Just before walking the promenade we stopped in a grove of trees to gaze upon the profile of Alfred Hitchcock on a bulletin board. Hitchcock visited Zadar in the 1960s, loved the cherry liqueur and said the sunsets were the most beautiful in the world.

      It seems all Adriatic cities have promenades and this one was tree lined. A sea breeze made the walk to the wave organ bearable. The original purpose was to extend the sea wall to accommodate cruise ships. The wave organ was a wonderful and creative bonus. Thirty-five horizontal pipes of various lengths and widths run under the Zadar channel. Holes on the sidewalk whistle as the waves hit the pipes below. It creates a sound similar to that when blowing across a soda bottle. Several rows of steps/seats are available so one can enjoy the tranquility and concert. In the evenings many sit here to watch the sun set.

     Our hotel was built during the communist era and typically had a mammoth street level reception area and an equally huge restaurant. Rooms were a bit small, but ours was comfortable and had a balcony that afforded a pleasant view. We did not find Zadar particularly interesting, but maybe it was the exceptionally hot day.