Bus departs at 7:00 am from Ljubljana, Dolgi most parking lot, and heads to the southwestern part of Istria in Croatia. We stop in the town of Fažana, where we take a boat to Veliki Brijun island, not far from the mainland and Pula. Mediterranean climate is favourable to indogenous and exotic plants and animals from almost all parts of the world. The tourist train drives past a safari park and the housing area to various exotic animals, such as the zebra, the Somali sheep, the Indian cattle, the elephant, the camel – to mention few. Several stops will enable us to see the most interesting points. The archeological excavation sites will show the remains of the Byzantine castrum and an ancient harbor from the Roman times. The modern history related to Yugoslavia, Tito and the visits to the Brijuni by the most prominent international politicians during the time of the Cold War (the visits of the President Nixon, Fidel Castro) is presented on a permanent exhibition “Tito on the Brijuni“.
When back to Fažana, we have some free time. It might be convenient to have lunch here, in Fažana, especially if you need to follow some dietary restrictions. Next, we drive to Pula, the cultural and economic centre of Istria.
There are various monuments in Pula so we shall sightsee the city also by bus. The ancient part of the city is widely liked and the Pula amphitheatre is probably the most significant monument of the city and the region. Built in the 1st century, at the same time as the Colosseum in Rome, it had the same purpose: to host gladiator games. Today different venues take place in the arena: the film festival, the concerts, the performances.
We head back and arrive to Ljubljana late in the evening.