Park Plaza Arena Pula

Visitors to Pula might be surprised to see a bronze statue of James Joyce outside a café in the city centre. Ireland is a land with many charms, but it’s a world away from the turquoise seas and open blue skies of Pula. Yet, Pula was the first place Joyce ended up after leaving Ireland with his wife. The restless writer never particularly took to the city, but visitors to Pula will be hard pressed to imagine that was the city’s fault; nothing objectionable can be found in the glittering harbour, historic monuments, and stunning nature parks.

Of course, Joyce’s experience will be considerably different to any current visitor to Pula. While Joyce lived on an English teachers wage in a small apartment, you will stay in the beautifully refurbished Park Plaza Arena, in airy and contemporary rooms with balconies overlooking one of the two seawater pools. While Joyce worked away daily, you will have to endure nothing more arduous than picking the days relaxation method – perhaps you would like to start in one of the outdoor swimming pools? Maybe you would rather visit one of the massage rooms, or undergo a treatment at the sauna and spa? Or, if feeling energetic, you may choose instead to visit one of the Park Plaza Arena’s numerous tennis courts, or partake in a game of volleyball, squash, or one of the many other sporting pursuits that can be enjoyed in the hotel recreation centre.

One thing we know Joyce did enjoy was the food and bars of Pula; there’s a café dedicated to him in the town centre. His favoured café exists no more, but with the hotel restaurant serving a selection of the finest traditional Istrian dishes, made on site from locally-sourced produce, you can get a taste of the Pula that visitors to the city have been enjoying for decades.