Plitvice Lakes National
Park
Croatia's major and most
visited National Park
The most well-known of all Croatia's national parks, Plitvice
offers 16 pristine lakes to explore, all interconnected by sparkling waterfalls. There are panoramic views in the
park, with rich woodlands.
You'll find waterfalls and streams flowing over beautiful
travertine, one of the most beautiful types of limestone. You'll be able to explore caves and meadows, hike the
hills or simply enjoy the wonder and beauty of the area. Bear, deer and many other creatures call this area
home.
At the 16th lake the waters converge into river Korana, which
officially starts at the 16th lake and runs through central Croatia, through to west Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
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Plitvice Lakes National
Park is based on 16 sparkling lakes emanating from Korana
River, all interconnected via beautiful waterfalls, in the midst of virgin
forests. |
Exploring the lakes
Surrounding the lakes, you'll find virgin forests of beech,
spruce and fir, as well as the sparkling waters of the Korana River, which flows though the
area. If you're feeling adventurous, enjoy a
kayaking trip down the river, or whitewater rafting.
There are wooden walkways snaking through the park, suspended
above the water, making it a hiking dream for the visitors. For added pleasure and first-hand experience, hop on
the silent electrical boat to further explore the lakes.
The park
is open year round, though visitors will find winter to be cold and icy; however, the lakes rarely freeze over.
Nature lovers, hikers, kayakers and rafters will all find much enjoyment in this incredible
area.
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Every year Plitvice
lakes and waterfalls are visited by numerous visitors coming
from countries around the world, attracted to this natural wonder in
Croatia. |
Natural wonder
In July 2018 theculturetrip.com listed
Plitivice Lakes National Park in the 2nd spot among "23 Natural Wonders in Europe That Will Take Your Breath
Away", right after The Tuscan Countryside. It called the Lakes as 'a standout attraction in
Croatia and well worth a day trip from the
capital'.
The internet magaine Travel and Leisure in May 2017 has placed Plitivice Lakes
National Park on the list of the world's most beautiful spots with the most turquoise-blue waters, calling it a natural hidden
gem.
Plitvice Lakes National Park now visits more
than one million visitors annually. It is the
most visited national park in Croatia. In 2010 there were 750,000 visitors by the end of August. That was an
increase of 5% on 2009 visitor numbers. In 2013 that number had grown to one million visitors per
year. Most of those visitors come from
Germany, Italy, France, Russia, Israel, and Japan.
One of the most often asked questions by the visitors to the
park's staff is what they do, or how they make the lakes' waters so turquoise? The answer of course is that they do
nothing - the emerald green colour of the lakes' waters is all nature by itself.
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One of the ways to
explore Plitvice Lakes is via silent-running electrical boats,
which tour one of the largest lakes, without disrupting much the fish and
wildlife. |
Winter's idyl in park
The Japanese tourists especially like the park, visiting it
throughout the year, even in the Winter time, when the park gets covered in the snow, making for an idyllic and
spectacular winter sight.
The snow is not cleared from the park's pathways, to give
park's nature a break. So, visitors have to make their own way through the snow on the pathways, which they don't
seem to mind at all.
Plitivice National Park was created in 1949 and has been churning out happy hikers ever since. It
is officially recognized by UNESCO as a National Park since 1979.
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