Croatia's Best-Preserved Ancient Monument Is A Gorgeous Lookalike Of Rome's Iconic Colosseum

Sometimes we forget just how vast the Roman Empire once was throughout the Mediterranean. Roman ruins are usually associated with present-day Italy more than anywhere else. This is warranted, given Italy's multiple Roman sites that have been amazingly well preserved over the centuries. However, some Roman ruins worth a visit are well outside of Italy. A place offering an incredible look at historic architecture from ancient Rome is the perhaps unassuming coastal town of Pula, Croatia. Don't let this city's distant location prevent you from visiting either. Pula is well connected to other cities like Zagreb via direct flights, buses, and trains, and you can or even catch a ferry from Venice.

Combining engineering feats with picturesque archways, arenas are synonymous with ancient Roman architecture. The massive Pula Arena is a treasure of this Croatian city and was built around the same time as Rome's iconic Colosseum. It definitely looks strikingly similar thanks to its towering layers of archways that reach 105 feet in height. In fact, the Pula Arena is the sixth largest Roman arena in the world. Go inside to further transport yourself back to the age of epic gladiator fights.

Visitors who have stepped inside the impressive Pula Arena have sang its praises, and Viator offers tickets that allow you to do just that. The tickets do not have a time limit, but people usually spend two or three hours exploring. This historic site is open from 8 or 9 a.m., and closes as late as 11 p.m. depending on the time of year. The Pula Arena could once hold 20,000 spectators and inside you'll find some of this stadium-style seating remarkably still intact. You'll also see remnants of the intricate underground structures that allowed Roman arenas to put on such legendary (if not infamous) gladiator events.

Learn even more about the arena and the influence of the Roman Empire in present-day Croatia with a walking tour. Pula walking tours available for booking on Viator have great ratings and the Pula Arena is a major highlight. You will visit the outside of this site to learn more about it, and visit several more destinations around the city. Reviewers enjoyed learning from the knowledgeable guides who were ready to answer any questions. You can also explore Pula on your own and see other Roman structures like the Temple of Augustus and archways akin to those at the Roman Forum in Rome.

The Pula Arena no longer hosts gladiator fights as it did in the first century, but if you visit toward the end of summer, you can catch the Spectacula Antiqua. This event series transports you to ancient Rome with gladiator reenactments put on by the Spectacula Gladiatoria school and has been a mainstay of Pula for over a decade. Check online for dates and tickets. The building also now hosts concerts and other events.

While Rome does have hidden gem destinations for tourists who hate crowds, the Italian capital is still among the most visited cities in the world. It's increasingly common for locals to feel frustrated and priced-out of their homes as they struggle to live in places that receive hordes of visitors, which is an upsetting reason tourists may want to avoid busy major cities. A visit to Pula instead of Rome gets you up close to the grandeur of Roman arena architecture without the standing room only crowds found throughout Italy's capital city. The nearby coast gives a unique backdrop to all of Pula's gorgeous Roman structures as well.