As the main naval port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the city of Pula has a host of magnificent buildings built during the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century to show, such as the Marine Casino or the Market Hall, which still serves its purpose in the centre of the town, and the many forts along the coastline and on the hilltops of the town. A few years ago (2011) another, a mostly unknown, part of Pula has been opened for public, the Zerostrasse. The Zerostrasse is part of the underground maze of tunnels which connected the numerous forts and served as warehouses and shelters. The underground tunnels below the Kaštel alone could take about 6000 people, while the capacity of all shelters in Pula was more than 50,000 people, the number almost equal to the number of town’s inhabitants.
A part of the Austro-Hungarian tunnel system has been opened for public and is also used as a space for exhibitions and a series of underground electro music events. Besides the always interesting and changing, mostly local history themed, exhibitions, the Zerostrasse is a perfect stop during hot summer days, as the temperature in the tunnels doesn’t raise above20 degrees Celsius. The entrance to the Zerostrasse is located right to one of the major sights of the city stemming from the times of the Romans (a good tour guide would give you the exact year here), the so-called Twin Gate. The tunnel is also known by imaginative military name; Tunnel No. 12. The tunnel is some 400 m long and has a central hall. Its side tunnels are 3 – 6 metres wide and about 2.5 m tall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjOfT43jCo
The Zerostrasse is usually not part of a guided tour through Pula, but experienced guides, such as myself, like to take their groups into the tunnel, mostly because the visitors form neat queues, it’s close to the city’s other sights, it’s pleasantly cold and you can tell stories about the city from a time when the city flourished.
Ticket Info:
Adults: HRK15.00
Children under 15 years: HRK5.00
Students and groups: HRK10.00
Opening Hours: June 15 to September 15 from 9am – 10pm
