Pula, Croatia

Pula is the largest city in Istria, Croatia, with about 52,000 residents, founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC. Its centerpiece is the Pula Arena, a Roman amphitheatre built in the 1st century AD that seated around 7,000 spectators and ranks among the six largest surviving examples in the world. On the nearby Forum stands the Temple of Augustus, completed between 2 BC and 14 AD, while the Hill of Kastel rises above the harbor crowned by a Venetian star-fortress. A 30-kilometer electric railway still links the city to inland Istria at Lisine. What travelers find beyond the Twin Gates depends on the season.