We really enjoyed our time in Rovinj but one of the reasons Rita and I chose Croatia was our next destination, Plitvice Lakes National Park. So, we were really looking forward to getting there. We plugged the address into our Tom Tom and headed away from the coast and into the interior for our 3.5 hr drive. The first half of the journey was on their Interstate which is a dream to drive. Unfortunately, Tom Tom instructed us to turn off the Interstate and we ended up on a very narrow country road for the last half of the journey passing through tiny villages that seemed to have every resident selling sacks of potatoes, cabbage, apples and pumpkins out of wheelbarrows in front of their houses. We also encountered numerous tractors being used as passenger vehicles crawling along the road. Upon finally reaching the national park and our accommodation, Rita had to pry my fingers off the steering wheel and guarantee me a stiff drink in the bar. We settled into our very large room before going for a walkabout to find the entrance gates to the parks hiking trails before retiring with a bit of excitement for our next days adventure.
Plitvice (PLEET-veet-seh) is ranked as one of Europe's most spectacular natural wonders and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is nothing quite like this lush valley of 16 terraced lakes, with its waters full of vibrant colors that are laced together by countless waterfalls and miles of planked walkways. Plitvice became Croatia's first national park in 1949 and now attracts almost a million visitors a year.
The morning was sunny and warm but we could see clouds forming so we quickly went down for breakfast and then headed for the park entrance gates. The cost to enter the park is 110 Kuna ($22 Cdn) per person and this also includes the use of their bus and boat shuttles to get around the park. After looking at the maps and reading about the sites, we took the bus shuttle to the far end of the park and started our hike from there. A little over 5 hours later we were back home, exhausted but thrilled with the experience.
Plitvice (PLEET-veet-seh) is ranked as one of Europe's most spectacular natural wonders and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is nothing quite like this lush valley of 16 terraced lakes, with its waters full of vibrant colors that are laced together by countless waterfalls and miles of planked walkways. Plitvice became Croatia's first national park in 1949 and now attracts almost a million visitors a year.
The morning was sunny and warm but we could see clouds forming so we quickly went down for breakfast and then headed for the park entrance gates. The cost to enter the park is 110 Kuna ($22 Cdn) per person and this also includes the use of their bus and boat shuttles to get around the park. After looking at the maps and reading about the sites, we took the bus shuttle to the far end of the park and started our hike from there. A little over 5 hours later we were back home, exhausted but thrilled with the experience.
The amazing color is from the calcium deposits that are released into the water from the eroding limestone
The eroding limestone creates amazing waterfalls throughout the 16 lakes
The water is crystal clear due to it coming from high-mountain glacier runoff
There are several large caves and this boardwalk leads to one you can climb through
Boardwalks snake around the lakes and waterfalls of the park
This is the largest waterfall in the park and it plunges 250 feet over a cliff into the valley below
Climbing a steep trail up and over the waterfall leads to this spectacular scenic outlook
Wow, what a gorgeous park! I'm putting this on my bucket list. Josie
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