Plitvice Lakes National Park - Croatia
Updated: Nov 7, 2020
Magical lakes and waterfalls in Croatia, it was utterly mesmerising, the vivid colours and raw nature walk through the park. We were overwhelmed by the crystal clear waters and exceptionally well-maintained park.
They have well-planned walks for everyone, from an excellent relaxed trek from 2 hours to a more expert level of all day. We opted for the 2-3 hour walk, and it was perfect for enjoying the wonderful park, a short boat ride and stroll with magnificent views of the magical lakes and waterfalls. Once you are finished there is a shuttle bus waiting to return you to the entrance, where you have a short walk back to the car park.
We chose 'Program E' for Easy:-) It starts at the southern entrance to the Park (“Entrance 2”). The tour is circular and includes the area of "Upper Lakes". The program consists of a short boat ride across Lake "Kozjak" followed by a walk upstream all the way to Prošćansko Lake. Return to the starting point is by panoramic train. Experience the idyllic beauty of the peaceful and spacious "Upper Lakes" with wooded shores and their most attractive waterfalls "Veliki" and "Mali prštavcima" as well as many smaller waterfalls.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia, in 1979 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage register.
The national park was founded in 1949 and is in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The important north-south road that passes through the national park area connects the Croatian inland with the Adriatic coastal region.
The protected area extends over 296.85 square kilometres (73,350 acres). About 90% of this area is part of Lika-Senj County, while the remaining 10% is part of Karlovac County.
The national park is world-famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Sixteen lakes can be seen from the surface. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colours change frequently depending on the number of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.