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Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes

If anyplace on earth is a natural paradise, Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia is that place. Of all Croatia's eight National Parks, Plitvice is the oldest and most visited. It's easy to see why. Bears and wolves lurk in its primeval forest; schools of silvery fish dart through its pristine rivers; its beech trees are a cacophony of chattering birds. The crown jewels are the 16 translucent lakes connected to each other by a breathtaking series of cascades. Plitvice Lakes National Park has become Croatia’s busiest tourist attraction welcoming some 750,000 tourists a year. Nearly all come in July and August.

Waterfall on Plitvice

Just past the main entrance, the Korana River drops a torrent of water 258 feet into a frothing pool that begins the lower lakes. Lying at the bottom of a canyon, the narrow lower lakes are bordered by steep limestone walls and climb like a giant staircase to the upper lakes. Wider and surrounded by dense forest, the upper lakes lie on a bed of dolomite. At the very top, the White and Black rivers are the spigots that water the park. The high mineral content of the lakes explains their extraordinary colors, which range from day-glow green to deep azure.

Like other National Parks in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes rests upon karst, which explains its unusual topography. What seems to be stone is actually travertine, a sort of petrified plant. The water absorbs minerals from the dolomite underlying the lakes and coats the plant life, turning it to porous travertine stone. The new travertine sprouts moss and plants that again petrify and the process repeats itself. All the barriers separating the lakes are composed of travertine constantly growing and changing shape. A well-laid out system of wooden walkways allows you to pass all around and sometimes through the water and there are hiking trails through the woods. Plitvice National Park is home to 120 species of birds as well as deer, boar and the occasional bear or two. Plitvice Lakes in early springThere's no wrong season to visit Plitvice Lakes.

Lakes

In winter the frozen falls are magnificent, in summer the lush greenery is relaxing, in spring and fall the water volume is highest. In 1979, UNESCO named Plitivice Lakes a World Heritage Site, encouraging its preservation. Since forest vegetation in warmer part of the year is extremely lush due to influence of coastal climate, and continental geographic position supplies Plitvice with plenty of snow in the winter, the National Park is well visited in all seasons of a year. There are forest areas within the Park, which, due to their virgin wood features, were proclaimed to be special reservates (e.g. Corkova uvala). There is snow on Plitvice from November to March, which is favorable for lovers of cross-country skiing. The Lakes surfaces freeze in December and January.

In the summer water temperature in the largest Lakes, Proscansko and Kozjak is around 24°C, which makes it suitable for bathing. There are altogether 20 caves in to rocks near the Lakes the famous of which are Golubinjača (Pidgeon cave), Mračnjača (Dark cave), Velika pećina (Great cave) and Šupljara (Empty cave).

You can make a tour with a tourist train and boat beside walking. Depending on your choice of visit program (there are six itineraries offered by the management of the National Park), you will need 3 to 6 hours for an organized tour. Guests who wish to stay on Plitvice can find accommodation in hotels Jezero, Plitvice, and Bellevue which are situated in narrow zone of National Park. The accommodation can, beside in hotels, also be found in private houses.

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