Pula

The 1st-century Roman amphitheatre built under Vespasian, one of the six best-preserved in the world and the symbol of Pula, still hosting summer concerts and the film festival. Dogs cannot go inside the monument, but the surrounding streets and the harbour park below it are leash-friendly and give the classic photo angle from outside the walls.

Pula's main square has been the civic heart of the city since Roman times, still framed by the perfectly preserved 1st-century Temple of Augustus on its short side and ringed by café terraces. The open paved plaza is fully walkable with a leashed dog, and many of the surrounding terraces will seat you with a dog at the outdoor tables.

The Arch of the Sergii (Zlatna vrata, the Golden Gate), a triumphal arch raised around 27 BC by a leading Roman family, marks the southern end of the pedestrian Sergijevaca shopping street. It stands on open ground at the edge of the old town, easy to reach and photograph with a leashed dog at any hour.

The Venetian star fortress of the 17th century crowns the central hill of the old town, now home to the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria, with ramparts giving a 360-degree view over the city and harbour. Dogs on lead can climb the wrapping lanes and walk the outer ramparts; only the museum interior is off-limits.

The wild Cape Kamenjak nature park on the Premantura peninsula, 10 km south of Pula, protects 29 km of indented coast with low maquis, dirt tracks and many coves. It is the best dog destination near Pula, with off-leash stretches and several signposted dog-friendly coves; there are no shops inside, so bring water, and watch the unfenced rocky shore with the kids and the dog.

The pine-shaded Verudela peninsula 4 km south of the old town wraps a continuous 5 km promenade past coves, bathing platforms and the Blue Flag Ambrela beach, where a small dog section is signposted. Leashed dogs are welcome along the whole seafront loop, which links south into the Lungomare path round the Stoja peninsula for a longer coastal walk.