Once upon a time in Croatia, this mysterious world was hidden deep in an enchanted forest and called “The Devil’s Garden.” For the few brave souls that dared to venture beyond the woods, they found a paradise of amazingly-colored lakes, spectacular karst and thunderous waterfalls. Together it creates the natural phenomena which can still be seen at Plitvice Lakes National Park. Every year, at least 1,200,000 visitors come to be awed by the geomorphology and natural beauty of changing lake colors. There are 16 cascading lakes in crystal-clear shades of blue and green. Plitvice waterfalls have been called some of the most beautiful to be found among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Plitvicka Jezera National Park is spread out over 73,350 acres and some of the most amazing features are underground in the form of subterranean caverns.
Plitvice National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where 16 gorgeous lakes from azure to green to gray are said to constantly be changing colors based on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and depending upon the angle of sunlight. It’s an amazing natural phenomena and just one of the many reasons people come to Plitvice
The beauty of Plitvice National Park, Croatia, boosted it into the second round of the New Seven Wonders of Nature competition
It’s said that ‘humans have inhabited the Plitvice Lakes area for thousands of years’ and the natural beauty of the place makes it easy to see why
Walkway throughout has taken people to see one of the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This was Croatia’s first National Park; it was established in 1949
The large waterfall. Plitvice stream water descends through the rocks, forming a 255 feet high (78 m) amphitheater of the Great falls — the highest waterfall in Croatia.
World of Waterfall said of Plitvice, “It’s not all that unfamiliar to see a sequence that goes like waterfalls-lake-waterfalls-lake, etc. etc. It’s probably one of the more memorable waterfall attractions in the world.”
Plitvička Jezera is also known as Plitvice Lakes National Park. The protected area of this National Park “extends over 296.85 square kilometres (73,350 acres). In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage register among the first natural sites worldwide. Each year, more than 1,200,000 visitors are recorded.”
Falling Lakes. Plitvice is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. The national park is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia.
Duck and fishes as seen in but one of the 16 crystal clear, cascading lakes. There is plenty of wildlife around Plitvice, but only a few species of fish. It is still unexplained if the fish have lived in this area since ancient times, or if they were populated in the last 100 years.
Phenomenal beauty. Limestone peaks rise in the area with the highest being Seliski Peak at 4,196 feet (1,279 meters). The water travels underground but encounters karst obstacles, creating numerous creeks that enrich the lakes.
A foggy fall day
The cave and walkways. “The underground configuration of the Plitvice Lakes consists of various geologic features. Generally, the whole area of Plitvice Lakes National Park can be attributed to the South-East European karst area. The typical feature of this karst area is brittle or porous rock, mostly limestone or dolomite. This configuration creates different geomorphological phenomena being referred to as dolina (sinkhole), polje, uvala, ponor, etc.”
The music of cascading waterfalls
Wikipedia explains about Plitvice: “The overall water body area is about 2 square kilometers. The two largest lakes, Prošćansko jezero and Kozjak, cover about 80% of the overall water body area. These lakes are also the deepest, with a depth of 37 and 47 meters respectively (about 121 – 154 feet). On Lake Kozjak, low-noise and ecologically-friendly electric boats are being used. None of the other lakes in the park exceeds 25 meters (82 feet) in depth. The altitude drop from the first lake to the last is 133 meters (436 feet).”
Walkway leading to and from the cave
This is the barrier between Gavanovac and Kaluđerovac
The World of Waterfalls states, “These waterfalls were apparently tourist attractions even since the late 19th century. We learned this from a plaque alongside the Galvanovac that stated that Plitvice was named after a world famous Croatian opera singer at the time. So, this is hardly a new attraction though it seems to only be coming into its own as a world class tourist attraction recently.”
Ducks on smooth water before a storm.
Fog and fall
Enjoy the autumn silence
Fall among the falls. Spring and fall have the most rain, but the average annual precipitation rate at Plitvice Lakes is 1,500 mm (59.06 in).
The average temperature in winter is -3 ºC ( ≈ 26 ºF)
Plitvice organ – frozen waterfall.
Transformed by ice
Winter
Grandeur of Plitvicka Jezera National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park may be famous for its falls and clear turquoise water, but more than 80% of it is covered with natural forest that prevent erosion. The forests provide a habitat for a diverse and rich fauna. The Forest National Park is a haven for all three European large carnivores (bear, wolf and lynx)
Sublime Plitvice Lakes, Croatia. Adventure possibilities here include: “The Plitvice Lakes are perfect for long walks or taking a boat ride on the lakes to get a better view of how beautiful they are. There is also a tourist train for those of you who don’t like walking. Walking through the park is good for your eyes – green is a soothing color and long walks and fresh air balance body and spirit. For those of you in search of adventure we suggest rafting on the Korana River. It is especially exciting in springtime, when the river overflows from the melted snow. Your desire for adventure can be satisfied on the rapids of the Korana River either by canoe or kayak. This is a mountainous region, which means the possibilities are endless when it comes to hiking and free climbing.”
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