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You are here: Home / Travel / Europe / Croatia / Colourful Croatia – Plitvice Lakes – Nature in Action

Colourful Croatia – Plitvice Lakes – Nature in Action

July 13, 2013 by Fiona Maclean 13 Comments

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Last Updated on June 26, 2016 by Fiona Maclean

Plitvice Lakes – Walking Boots and Karma

Lack of time to do any real research and an innate desire to reach the coast of Croatia on my recent trip were the key reasons for asking to visit the Plitvice Lakes.  Having started my journey in Slavonia I needed a landmark midway between Osijek and Split.  I looked at a map of Croatia and noticed a large dark green area – Plitvice Lakes National Park.  Fine!  That seemed a good stopping point on the way to the sea.   We arrived in the evening into a heavily forested area.  The hotel was large and full of tour groups.  It was charming partly because of the rather dated feel – everything was very functional – but it did feel like stepping into the set of a Seventies TV show.  We ate in the huge dining room feeling slightly out of place with most of the other tables seating lively groups of 10 or more.

Plitvica Croatia - Big Slap

The next morning I opened the balcony window of my bedroom and stepped out into blazing sunshine.  So, I put on sandals and a light summer dress and went to eat breakfast before my tour of the lakes.  And, then I met my guide.  Dressed in jeans and hiking boots and carrying a rucksack and a walking umbrella she looked every inch a serious walker!  And, as she outlined the walk we were going to do I realised I DID need to change my footwear for the walk she’d planned (3 hours or so).  Of course she offered me the option of the ‘shorter’ version (there are various routes available depending on your walking ability).  But, it would have been sad to miss what promised to be an astonishing spectacle.  So,  shod in a rather more suitable pair of trainers, I set off with her to visit the upper and lower Plitvice Lakes.

https://www.london-unattached.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Plitvice-Croatia-Lake-Transport.jpg

We could walk to one of the entrances into the lakes from the hotel, so didn’t need the truck buses.  My guide explained that at one point you could drive around the top of the lakes.  But, this is a National Park (the oldest in Europe, founded in 1949) and a Unesco listed heritage site, and the cars were damaging some of the lake infrastructure.  So now visitors have to use carefully positioned entrances – and transport for those who want to follow certain routes is provided via the truck buses.

Plitvice Croatia Waiting for Lake Transport

Transport across the lakes is also provided via electric ferries, specially designed to ensure the lakes’ ecosystem is not disturbed unnecessarily.  And, walking routes are carefully marked out and maintained.  All of this careful management enables Plitvice Lakes to welcome over a million guests each year hopefully without damage to what is an ever-evolving system of lakes and waterfalls.

Plitvice Croatia - maintainence

Once we’d cross the lake we started our tour following the upper lakes route.  Of the two routes, my guide told me that the upper lakes were generally a little quieter.

Plitvice Croatia - Fish in LakeAnd that meant we had a chance to see some of the flowers that grow around the lakes as well as fish (trout and chubb) and a few dragon flies (it was a little early in the year!).  We also listened to the unhappy frogs, complaining to each other about how thoughtless the humans were to disturb them in their homes (or so the guide told me).

Plitvice Croatia Ladies slipper Orchid

I was rather pleased with myself for being able to identify a ladies-slipper orchid.  But I don’t have a note of the name of the second orchid we spotted.

Plitvice Croatia - Flora

My guide explained a little of how the lakes and waterfalls form.  There’s something quite special about this constantly evolving natural wonder and because you can see the formation of the travertine in progress, countered by still lake waters and then by the torrents of the waterfalls there’s a kind of magic dynamic to the whole place.

Plitvice Croatia - Waterfalls

The underlying rock structure is limestone and dolomite and, the lakes and waterfalls are at a point where several small rivers meet.  The water flowing over plant-life causes the formation of what is called travertine.  It’s a kind of calcification and if you look closely you can sometimes see the old tree roots and moss in the rocks.

Plitvice Croatia - pre- calcification

Plitvice Croatia - Calcification

I was fascinated to learn that Nikola Tesla had tried to persuade the owners of the Plitvice lakes to create a hydroelectric generating station at Plitvice Lakes way back in 1892.  His request was turned down, but the hut where he started to work on the project still exists, as a kind of unofficial memorial to the man who spent much of his life in America working on early developments in electricity.

Plitvice Croatia Teslas Shed

Reaching the lower lakes involved another trip by electric ferry.  We visited the picnic spot before walking round to the largest of the waterfalls ‘Veliki Slap’ which means ‘big waterfall’.  For an amateur photographer like me it is impossible to give a proper idea of the scale of this series of waterfalls.  About 70m tall, you can stand at the bottom and look up…

Plitvica Croatia - Slap

But, you can also walk across a rather narrow path and up the hill on the other side toward the exit,and perhaps this photo gives the best idea of scale with tiny ant-like people marching across the wooden suspension bridge.

Plitvice Croatia - Slap and People

Once you reach the other side, you walk up a hill where you can look across at the ‘BIG WATERFALL’.  And from there, you can see the whole series of waterfalls that make up this particular part of the Plitvice Lakes.

Plitvica Croatia - Big Slap

I visited Plitvice Lakes in the middle of June. It was already busy and at times, particularly in the lower lakes, difficult to get any real sense of the place.  I’d suggest that visitors during peak season who CAN do so would be advised to take the longer and quieter hiking route.  And, for those who want to take a gentler walk, perhaps consider visiting in spring or autumn when the lakes are quieter. It’s a very, very special place and worth seeing when there’s a real chance to take time over it.  And, I believe in Karma – that I was meant to see this place, which was nominated as the eight wonder of the world and, for me, deserved that accolade.  I feel very privileged to have visited what must be one of Croatia’s greatest natural treasures

 

With thanks to the Tourist Board of Croatia for hosting me on this trip

For more information on what to see and do in Croatia, please visit www.croatia.hr.
For my visit to Plitvice I stayed at   Hotel Jezero which costs from £46 based on two people sharing a double room with breakfast. For more information or to book, please see here.
I travelled with Easy Jet.     One-way flights from London Gatwick to Zagreb cost from £32.99. For more information or to book, please visit www.easyjet.com

Filed Under: Croatia, Travel Tagged With: Croatia, Plitvice, Unesco

About Fiona Maclean

London based freelance writer and marketing consultant. I edit London-Unattached.com and write for a number of other publications. With a music degree and a background in marketing across many sectors, my passions include all types of music, food, restaurants, wine and travel

Comments

  1. Sharon H says

    May 30, 2016 at 12:25 am

    What fabulous photographs. My sister visited here last year and was blown away by the beauty. I would love to see it myself, it really does look spectacular.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    July 21, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    I have been to Plitvice Lakes twice and love that place! My advice to you is to be there as early as you can 🙂

    Reply
  3. Chris says

    July 18, 2013 at 11:51 am

    That is really a stunning place. I would like the quieter hiking part.

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      July 18, 2013 at 10:31 pm

      chris, I would also suggest going out of the main peak season! it’s beautiful but you know, peace and tranquility can so easily be spoilt just by too many people

      Reply
  4. Rebecca says

    July 18, 2013 at 5:51 am

    It looks like such a serene and beautiful place – I love the waterfalls! Looks like you had a fabulous time.

    Reply
  5. Jess @UsedYorkCity says

    July 17, 2013 at 12:31 pm

    These waterfalls are gorgeous! I impressed myself by knowing enough Bosnian to be able to translate “big waterfalls”, lol. What an amazing time in Croatia you must have had!

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      July 17, 2013 at 2:59 pm

      I did, I’m still going!!!

      Reply
  6. The Wimpy Vegetarian says

    July 16, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    I spent 2 weeks in Croatia a few years ago, the Plitvice Lakes was the absolute highlight!!! We’ve told so many people about it, but even our photos didn’t do true justice to the grandeur of it.

    Reply
  7. Kevin says

    July 15, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    Stunningly beautiful. I feel like I came from a vacation just looking at your photos.

    Reply
  8. Stevie Wilson says

    July 14, 2013 at 1:53 am

    that’s some trip!! the sites are beautiful . Your photos are stunning and the waterfalls so lovely. I would think this would be great to be there in the height of the summer. ( how far away is this from the coast?)

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      July 14, 2013 at 9:24 am

      It’s about 2 hours drive from the coast. The catch with going in the height of summer is that it is understandably very popular. It’s quieter from September through to early June – and just as stunning!

      Reply
  9. Janie says

    July 13, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    Wowee, what an absolutely stunning place!
    Janie x

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      July 13, 2013 at 10:24 pm

      isn’t it wonderful! I’d love to visit through the seasons…they told me that in winter the waterfalls freeze over and you can see the movement behind the ice.

      Reply

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