Plitvicka Jezera, Dinaric Alps, Croatia

Wow after wow in Croatia's largest nature park

Where is it, how to get there, what and how to visit?

Plitvicka Jezera is located in the "center of Croatia", 130 km VSV from the Croatian capital Zagreb, via E65/E71 and D1, driving time 2 hours. At the same time it is only 10 km to the E of the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Plitvice Park has 3 entrances identified and on the maps as such, but after I visited it, going out to do my kilometers of running, I found 2 more ways to access the park following a marked car road and a marked path.

We make the circuit of the park on foot, partly by boat, partly by bus, to the 16 lakes, which are joined by cascades over the mostly snowy natural thresholds (travertine with a lot of moss), a kind of Bigăr Waterfall in Romania 100 times bigger and replicated 10 times. The visit lasted 6 hours.

About Plitvicka Jezera Nature Park

Plitvicka Jezera Nature Park became in 1949 Croatia's first nature parkand in 1979 it was added to the list UNESCO Heritage. With its 295 square kilometers it is the largest Croatian park. The lakes themselves occupy 2 kmp. It is probably the number one tourist attraction in Croatia.

Plitvicka Jezera Park reveals to visitors wonder after wonder, wow after wow. Here we reach 16 lakes formed naturally in steps and delimited by travertine barriers that form between them 92 waterfalls, larger or smaller. The lakes are formed by the course of two streams - the Black River and the White River - which merge into the Matica River, as well as several springs at the bottom of the lakes. The Korana River is formed after the lower lake. The difference in level between the first and the last lake is 158 meters.

In the park there are several tourist trails: by boat - two in number, by bus - two, trails - the one around and between/ across the lakes, and others that climb the surrounding hills. The altitude of the park ranges from 367 mdm to 1279 mdm on the Seliski Peak in the Mala Kapela Mountains, part of the Dinaric Alps. Being a karst area, the relief contains limestone rocks, caves, sinkholes, sinkholes, waterfalls and especially lakes.

Route map

(click on objectives for extended version)

Technical box

Difficulty: easy

Duration / distance: 3 - 4 hours / about 10 km

Bookmark: unmarked

Water sources: springs on the route

Minimum altitude: 520 meters above sea level at Cascada Mare (point 3 on the map)

Maximum altitude: 600 meters, at point 7 on the map

Level difference: +200 m / -200 m

Remarks: from one bank to the other among lakes and waterfalls, between points 5 and 6, 3 km by bus

1. Vapora and the bus

We started at the steamboat station P3, which runs upstream the longest, 82 m, and also the deepest lake, 47 m, Lake Kozjak. Close to our destination on the right bank we enjoy the first waterfalls that come out of "nowhere" and flow in parallel, in the lake. Very soon we would realize that they are among the smallest. We then changed the boat and crossed to the other shore, where there is a bus stop for both those going up to the upper lakes and those going down to the lower ones. We took the "down" bus first.

Lake Kozjak

the boats

electric buses

2. Bus stop 1 - Cascada Mare

We begin to be shown the wonders of the park at every turn. We choose to continue to Mare Waterfall. We cross the left bank on wooden decks built on the border between two lakes.

from the vantage point

natural pass

Jezero Kaluderovac

the creek creeps through vegetation

observation point

3. Mare Waterfall

Mare Waterfall or Veliki slap is at the bottom of the park and has a 78-meter drop. It is the highlight of the park and the busiest. My recommendation is to visit the big waterfall in the first part of the trail and as early as possible to catch less crowds.

me to Plitvicka Jezera

Mare Waterfall

4. Cascada Mare - Bus stop 2

We turn back partly on the same road, then choose to continue upstream on the right bank after crossing the lakes once more. We enjoy the joy of the fish playing in the water, the ducks coming to pose for pictures. We arrive again on the shore of Lake Kozjak, the big lake. Here we meet a dragonfly. It sat on my finger for about 15 minutes. Even a frog wanted to be a star and posed photogenic. After a superb and leisurely walk, we arrive back at the central bus station, from where we embark "up the hill" to the upper lakes.

fish in the lake

landscaped footpaths

Jezero Milanovac

a duck in the picture

brave butterfly

5. Large, upper loop

We start the longer loop of the per pedes route from the upper lake back over bridges and paths to the high lake.

Proscansko Jezero is the second largest lake in the park, occupies 68 hectares and is 38 meters deep. It's a dream. Watch and admire!

We pass several times from one bank to the other, past amazing waterfalls that form on the travertine sills between the lakes, on landscaped footbridges that offer wonderful views. The big, upper loop took almost 2 hours.

We're back on the boat. And we're following the walks back the way we came. At the disembarkation point is a large clearing with a souvenir shop. In the glade there were also some options to drink or eat outside at tables sitting on wooden benches.

Proscansko Jezero

flowers and butterflies

it's really deep in here!

doesn't look deep, but ...

how beautiful!

parallel waterfalls

how crystal clear!

waterfalls and lake

another lake

by boat

My conclusion

I was left with so much joy/energy after this nature visit! Even though we walked 18 kilometers, I didn't feel when the time had passed. Do not underestimate the duration of your visit to Plitvicka Jezera. The forest surrounding the lakes is just the place for a refreshing walk. You will need a day for this visit and you probably still won't get enough and if you can you will return. I still want to revisit the lakes of Plitvice set on natural steps linked together by waterfalls or threads of water flowing through/over moss layers. It was an exceptional day. An encounter with nature and its living creatures in the true sense of the word.

All the best!

Steps: