Sixteen terraced lakes
Linked to one another by falls and streams across the park.
Antonio Pejić — CC BY-SA 4.0 · dronepicr — CC BY 2.0 · dronepicr — CC BY 2.0 · Mark Ahsmann — CC BY-SA 3.0
Croatia's tallest waterfall at about seventy-eight metres, at the northern end of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, UNESCO-listed since 1979. The fall drops from a cliff where the Plitvica stream meets the Korana river, and around it in the park lie sixteen terraced lakes linked to one another by falls and streams. What forms all of it is tufa rock: calcium salts precipitate out of the water onto moss and plants so that rock barriers grow over thousands of years, the water rises behind them and a new lake forms. The park is therefore in constant change — the lakes you see are not fixed. Essential practical points: the park is among the most crowded sites in Croatia, and tickets are booked in advance with a timed entry slot in season and sell out. Prices vary sharply between summer and off-season. The boardwalks have no railings in many places and swimming is entirely forbidden. The best seasons are spring for the volume of water and autumn for the colour.
Linked to one another by falls and streams across the park.
The tufa barriers keep growing, so the lakes are not a fixed shape.
Spring for the water's volume and autumn for the colour — summer for the crowds.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
About a hundred and twenty kilometres north, an hour and a half to two hours by car, or by direct bus in season. Book a timed ticket in advance and start early — the numbered routes take between three and eight hours depending on which you choose. Entrance 1 is closer to the Veliki Slap.
The routes are lettered A to K and differ in length and time. For a first visit in one day, the middle routes combining the lower and upper lakes and including the boat crossing on Lake Kozjak are best. The short routes cover only the lower lakes and the Veliki Slap — suitable if you have half a day or are with small children.
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