Aquarium Pula

The aquarium occupies Fort Verudela, a low ring of Austro-Hungarian masonry built into the headland south of Pula, and the building is half the interest. Tanks are set into vaulted casemates and gun rooms, with the moat and roof used for outdoor pools. The collection concentrates on the Adriatic - grouper, scorpionfish, rays, an octopus or two - alongside tropical and freshwater sections. The part most people remember is the marine turtle rescue centre, where injured loggerheads are kept in outdoor tanks while they recover, usually with a board explaining what happened to each one. Allow longer than you think, because the fort itself takes some walking.

History

The aquarium is housed in a fort built by Austria-Hungary in 1886. Italy took the fort over in 1918, Germany occupied it in 1943, and two years later it passed to Yugoslavia; demilitarised in the 1950s, it served as a hotel, was abandoned in the late 1980s and became the aquarium in 2002. By the start of 2020 its turtle centre had rehabilitated 160 loggerhead turtles and returned them to the sea (Wikipedia, Aquarium Pula).

Highlights

• The casemate tanks - Adriatic species displayed in the vaulted gun rooms of the old fort.
• The turtle rescue pools - outdoor tanks holding loggerhead turtles brought in injured and awaiting release.
• The fort roof - open ramparts with a view over the Verudela coast and the sea.
• The shark and ray section - larger tanks in the deeper part of the building, including small Adriatic sharks.

When to go

Open all year, with longer hours in summer. Late afternoon in July and August avoids both the beach traffic on the peninsula and the worst of the heat. Wet weather days are when it is busiest, since half the coast heads indoors at once. Winter visits are quiet but some outdoor sections may be closed.

Practical notes

Prices are high for the size of the collection, and parts of the fort feel dated and dim. Some tanks are small by modern standards. Signage is uneven and not everything is translated well. The walk from the bus stop is exposed, and parking on Verudela in August is close to hopeless. It works better for families than for aquarium enthusiasts.

Nearby

The Verudela beaches are a short walk, and Pula's Roman arena is fifteen minutes by bus.

Key facts