Description

Fort Punta Christo is the largest Austro-Hungarian fortress around Pula, standing on the Punta Christo (Proština) headland in Štinjan, north of the city. It covers more than 10,000 square metres, stretches about 260 metres in length and holds as many as 270 rooms.

Its position could hardly be better. From the headland, the fort watched over the entrance to Pula Bay and the breakwater on one side, and Muzil and the Brijuni Islands on the other, guarding the northern side of the harbour entrance and the southern entrance to the Fažana Channel.

The fort grew in stages over almost 80 years: a Martello tower in 1836, followed by works in the 1850s and 1860s, and major upgrades from 1880 to 1903 and again in 1914. A moat surrounds it, crossed by just three entrances, and its inner courtyards lead down to underground rooms. It was damaged by bombing at the end of the Second World War.

After years of neglect, the fort was cleared and brought back to life. For ten years, until 2019, it was home to the Outlook and Dimensions festivals, two of Europe’s most popular electronic music festivals, which brought tens of thousands of young people from all over the world to Pula every year. Massive Attack, Lauryn Hill, Grace Jones, Damian Marley and Jeff Mills are just some of the artists who played at the fortress and in the Arena.

Today the fort is run by a local association and hosts concerts, exhibitions and cultural events within its massive stone walls.