The third stop on our hot summer tour of Croatia was Plitvička Jezera (or Plitvice Lakes) National Park. Similar to Krka National Park in my last blog post, Plitvice Lakes is famous for its travertine waterfalls. The primary difference between the two parks is that Plitvice is geologically more mature than Krka, in that the original river has transformed into a series of 16 lakes that cascade from one to another. This is unlike Krka National Park, where the Krka River still flows but is periodically interrupted by beautiful waterfalls. Plitvice Lakes is also in a forested landscape, while the Krka River gorge cuts into a rocky and very arid landscape. Plitvice Lakes became a national park in 1949, and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Visiting Plitvice Lakes National Park is made quite easy by park management’s mature approach to welcoming visitors. There are two entrances to the park, about three kilometers from each other along the primary park access road. Both entrances offer similar services so there is no need for a preference. Once gaining access to the park, there are a series of seven recommended self-guided tour programs that range from two to eight hours (3.5 to 18.3 km). The programs can include hiking the trails along the lakes and waterfalls, an electric boat shuttle, and a ride on a “panoramic train” (custom made trucks with passenger trailers). All of the tour programs hit the primary highlights of the park! There is no swimming, biking, or backcountry camping allowed.
I decide to embrace the inescapable fact of tourism in Plitvice by making a cabin reservation at a nearby holiday camp. This resort is quite unlike any other place I have ever stayed. They have a campground for RVs and tents; they have tree houses and tepees; and they have posh cabins around a small artificial lake (no swimming!) or the always-busy swimming pool. I opted for the cheaper and basic cabin to dip my toe into this experience. They also have a nice restaurant with live music, a grocery store, a kiosk selling river rafting and ziplining excursions, a miniature golf course, and rental bicycles and electric scooters. Phew. I think some of the people staying here never bother to visit the national park!
Like our visit to Krka National Park, I purchase tickets online a few days before hand that specified our arrival date and time. This helped us to skip the ticket line when we got there. Since the day was quite warm and we had our old dog with us, we decided on a modest tour program from Entrance #1. This starts at the lowest part of the park and hikes up past waterfalls to successively higher lakes. All of it is gorgeous, with beautiful cascades and amazingly blue water! We personalized our program whenever something sparked our interest, and we ended up hiking until our feet were sore, and took both the boat and train shuttles.
So many waterfalls! Next stop, the beach.