Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia: a natural European wonder

Largest waterfall in Plitvice Lakes near entrance 1

Largest waterfall in Plitvice Lakes near entrance 1

Plitvice Lakes National Park (Plitvicka Jezera) in Croatia is situated a couple of hours drive south of the capital city of Zagreb, close to the border of Bosnia and Hercegovina.  With our whirlwind tour of the Balkans, we felt Plitvice Lakes National Park , in addition to Dubrovnik, was a must see in Croatia.  The pictures we saw of the park while researching prior to our trip were simply gorgeous, so our expectations were very high.  Reachable by only bus or car, Plitvice is slowly being discovered as one of the great natural wonders in Europe.  It is the oldest national park in southeastern Europe and now has over one million visitors every year.  The park consists of a series of sixteen lakes and waterfalls that are interconnected.  The park is further subdivided into upper lake area and lower lake area.

Terraced upper and lower lakes of Plitvice Lakes

Terraced upper and lower lakes of Plitvice Lakes

For people visiting, there are a series of walking paths that are well marked which allow easy navigation of the park.  The coral green color of the lakes is simply stunning on a clear day.

Coral green color of the lakes

Coral green color of the lakes

The natural ecosystem of the parks is preserved as no fishing or swimming is allowed in the lakes.  The only boats allowed are ones that carry visitors between the upper and lower lakes.  The lower lakes contain the largest and most impressive waterfall in the park which easily visible upon entering the park at entrance one.

Largest waterfall in the park

Largest waterfall in the park

However, the upper lakes, on average contain larger and more numerous waterfalls then the lower lakes.   Our day at Plitvice Lakes National Park was very enjoyable and spending one day at the park was the perfect amount of time there.

Waterfalls in the upper lakes

Waterfalls in the upper lakes

As with any amazing tourist attraction, more people are discovering Plitvice Lakes National Park.  As tourism continues to boom in Croatia, I would expect the influx of visitors to surge extensively over the next decade.  The only downside to the experience was battling the multitude of tour groups that were visiting.  Given the narrow walking paths that interconnect the lakes, it did feel crowded at times, especially as the morning and early afternoon progressed.

Walking paths interconnect the lakes

Walking paths interconnect the lakes

On the whole, my wife and I were impressed by Plitvice but I didn’t leave with a feeling of amazement.  Maybe it was just the day, maybe my expectations were too high, but I never felt in awe of what I was witnessing.  After having come from Lake Bled in Slovenia which exceeded every expectation, maybe a slight letdown was inevitable. Plitvice was a great and scenic place to visit but if given the choice of visiting either Lake Bled or Plitvice Lakes National Park, my heart lies with Lake Bled.

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Tips: 1.  Wear good walking shoes as the wood boards on the walking paths are uneven.  We saw atleast one person with a sprained ankle while we were there.

2.  Start at entrance 1 to the lower lakes and work your way from the lower to upper lakes.  This route will give you better views of the waterfalls.

3. Count on spending between 4-7 hours at the park, depending on how much you want to see and how fast you want to walk.  The entrance fee is around $18 US.

4.  Hotels are limited around the park.  The best and newest hotel around the park area is Hotel Degenija which is located under 10 kilometers from entrance 1.  In addition, dining is limited in the area and this hotel has a nice restaurant just adjacent to it.

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Comments

  1. I simply want to say I am all new to blogs and abtolusely savored your blog site. Very likely I’m want to bookmark your blog . You surely have superb posts. Thanks a lot for revealing your web site.

  2. It’s a bit inland and not the easiest to approach, but road vehicle will take anyone there. It’s a scenic place…

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