Bus from BRATISLAVA to PULA

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, and with a population of about 450,000, the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia, occupying both banks of the River Danube and the left bank of the River Morava. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two sovereign states. Vienna and Bratislava, the nearest capital cities in Europe (only 60 km) were once connected to an electric tram.

The city received its contemporary name in 1919. Beforehand it was mostly known in English by its German name, Pressburg, as it was long dominated by Austrians and other German-speakers.

Bratislava lies in the north temperate zone and has a moderately continental climate. During the summer the temperature can rise to 30 C, sometimes even more. During the winter, the temperature is about 0 C, but at night, and they can go lower than -10 C. If it snows, the snow cover will not last longer than a few days.

On the eastern bank of the Danube is the old historic part of the city, while in the west the new modern part. Bratislava has always been one of the main cultural centers of Central Europe.

What to see in Bratislava:

Bratislava Castle is one of the most prominent structures in the city. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transitional period between the Stone and Bronze ages and has been the acropolis of a Celtic town, part of the Roman Limes Romanus, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre for Great Moravia. A stone castle was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Devín Castle is the ruined and recently renovated castle in the borough of Devín, on top of a rock where the Morava River, which forms the border between Austria and Slovakia, enters the Danube. It is one of the most important Slovak archaeological sites and contains a museum dedicated to its history. Due to its strategic location, Devín Castle was a very important frontier castle of Great Moravia and the early Hungarian state. It was destroyed by Napoleon's troops in 1809. It is an important symbol of Slovak and Slavic history.

Rusovce mansion, with its English park, is in the Rusovce borough. The house was originally built in the 17th century and was turned into an English neo-Gothic-style mansion in 1841–1844. The borough is also known for the ruins of the Roman military camp Gerulata, part of Limes Romanus, a border defence system. Gerulata was built and used between the 1st and 4th centuries AD.

Parks and lakes. Due to its location in the foothills of the Little Carpathians and its riparian vegetation on the Danubian floodplains, Bratislava has forests close to the city centre. The largest city park is Horský park (literally, Mountainous Park), in the Old Town. Bratislavský lesný park (Bratislava Forest Park) is located in the Little Carpathians and includes many locales popular among visitors, such as Železná studienka and Koliba.

Bratislava's zoological park is located in Mlynská dolina, near the headquarters of Slovak Television. The zoo, founded in 1960, currently houses 152 species of animals, including the rare white lion and white tiger. The Botanical Gardens, which belong to Comenius University, can be found on the Danube riverfront and house more than 120 species of domestic and foreign origin.

Pula may not be the largest city of Croatia, but it takes the 8^th spot when it comes to size and is the largest city of Istria with population counting 57, 460 citizens and more. What makes Pula distinctive among other Croatian cities is its tradition of winemaking, fishing, shipbuilding, and booming tourism. In addition, it has also been Istria's administrative centre since ancient Roman times. While to an unobserving eye Pula may seem like a usual workday city, wealthy Roman architecture makes Pula stand out not just in Croatia, but worldwide. The star of the show is the remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, smack in the heart of the city, which dominates the streetscape and doubles as a venue for summer concerts and festivals.

Amphitheatre: Pula’s most famous and imposing sight situated in the heart of the city is this 1st-century oval amphitheatre, which lies above the harbour northeast of the old town. This mesmerizing construction, made completely out of local limestone, is called the Arena by locals and tourists alike. Throughout history it was used for hosting gladiatorial contests. With the capacity to accommodate around 20,000 spectators. Nowadays, Arena represents Istria's popular tourist attraction, but it is also the place of mass entertainment events, such as concerts and competitions.

Lightning Giants: A sight not to be missed while visiting Pula is its star evening attraction, a lighting display at the city's 19th-century Uljanik shipyard, regarded as  one of the world's oldest working docks. Renowned lighting designer Dean Skira has lit up the shipyard's iconic cranes in 16,000 different colour shades, which bring them to life four times every evening on the specified hour and last for 15 minutes.

Temple of the Augustus: While this temple is the only visible remnant from the Roman era on the Forum, it was regarded as Pula’s central meeting place from antiquity through the Middle Ages, and it has still preserved this function today. The temple, whose building process took a lot of time to finish, from 2 BC to AD 14, is open to public throughout the year,  now housing a small museum of Roman sculpture with the occasional temporary show.

Zerostrasse: This underground system of tunnels was built before and during WWI to shelter the city's population and serve as storage for ammunition. Now tourists can walk through several of its sections, which all lead to the middle, where a photo exhibition shows early aviation in Pula. 

Triumphal Arch of Sergii: While it cannot bear the title of the oldest Roman monument, this triumphal arch that was built in honor of the powerful Sergii family’s participation in the pivotal Battle of Actium in France. It dates to about 30 BC and despite its great age. The arch has preserved its shape till today.. When it was built the arch was a city gate leading up from the naval port. Carved into the stone are friezes depicting cupids and garlands, and just beneath this you can still spot a relief of a horse-drawn battle chariot.

Kastel, a Venetian fortress overlooking Pula, dates from the 1600s. The powerful-looking walls which leave every visitor speechless were designed in a star configuration, which was a state-of-the-art design in order to repel artillery after the arrival of gunpowder. Kastel was created with the purpose to serve as Venetians’ main stronghold, defending Pula’s harbour as well as the entire upper Adriatic.

Situated inside the Austro-Hungarian fortress Verudela, Pula’s Aquarium is regarded as the largest in Croatia. The aquarium is a useful option for rainy days or the hottest afternoons in summer, as well as a magnificent place for those traveling with children. Blending neatly with the fort’s stone architecture, tanks with freshwater and marine species native to Croatia and the Adriatic, together with tropical displays, a turtle rescue centre (the only one to be found in Croatia) and an entire room devoted to sea horses, are an unforgettable sight. The centerpiece of the attraction is the shark tank, which is found in the former atrium of the fortress.

Historical attractions aside, Pula is a busy commercial city on the sea that has managed to retain a friendly small-town appeal. It is conveniently located and with a short bus ride, a series of beaches can be reached at the resorts that occupy the Verudela Peninsula to the south. Further south along the indented shoreline, the Premantura Peninsula hides a spectacular nature park, the protected cape of Kamenjak.