Plitvice Lakes is the largest national park in Croatia. Plitvice Lakes - a natural wonder in Croatia
Plitvice Lakes - a cascade of karst lakes on the Korana River, in the middle part of Croatia, on the border with Bosnia. Plitvice Lakes Park is one of the few places on the planet where new waterfalls appear every year. A unique work of nature.
largest national park Croatia is located in the northwest of the Dinaric Highlands, in eastern Lika. Indicated on the maps of the XVII century. The Devil's Garden, this lake district is now a real Paradise with a peaceful atmosphere and landscapes, whose total area is 29.5 thousand hectares, of which over 13 thousand hectares are occupied by virgin forests, interspersed with fields, water meadows and several villages. The most important attraction of the park, the main task of which is to protect the unique landscape, natural vegetation and geological formations, is a cascade of 16 picturesque karst lakes in the upper reaches of the Korana River, interconnected by 92 waterfalls.
A diadem of sixteen lakes shines in a high mountain valley surrounded by dense forest. Each lake flows into the next, forming foamy, rumbling waterfalls.
Over thousands of years of existence, the flows of these lakes have dissolved the limestone rock and filled the valley.
The stairway lakes, the steps of which form barriers of limestone tuff, are rightfully considered a real treasure of Croatia.
The highest and second largest Proshchansky lake with a depth of over 37 m lies at an altitude of 636 m above sea level, and the lowest Novakovitsa-Brod at around 503 m amaze tourists with its grandeur and majesty. The beginning of the lake chain is given by two small rivers - Crna and Bela. On the slopes of the wooded mountains, they merge into the Matitsa River and form the first waterfall.
Every year new waterfalls are born in Plitvice. Scientists have found that this is due to calcephiles, Cretaceous plants.
The mountains in Plitvice are composed mainly of limestone, so the waters of rivers and lakes are rich in dissolved lime. Calciphiles extract calcium oxide from water and, dying, form solid deposits. Branches and leaves that have fallen into the water become petrified after a year.
Limestone dams grow several centimeters a year. Over time, they block the river. Water breaks through porous, fragile chalk dams, and waterfalls arise.
Nestled in the surroundings of picturesque mountain slopes covered with dense beech and spruce forests, which are home to martens, squirrels, bears, forest cats, wolves, Plitvice Lakes amaze with the purity and transparency of their emerald waters, teeming with various fish, including trout.
Tourists will also get an indelible impression from the contemplation of the Plitvica waterfall with its streams and cascades in the town of Sastavci, which means "the confluence of waters" and the largest lake Kozjak.
Tourist routes laid on bridges and wooden decks directly above the lakes and small waterfalls, fascinate with their unpredictability and beauty. The excursion program for the Plitvice region, which became a national park in 1949 and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979, includes a “cruise” on a boat on the water surface of the lake, which in one of the films plays the “role” of primeval Indian territories.
However, lakes are not all the attractions of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, an important component of which are mysterious caves in the amount of 36 caves, the most famous of which are Golubnyacha and Mratsna, where you can see sinter-architectural decorations, as well as get acquainted with the specific cave fauna of insects, crustaceans and bats.
The public group for the protection of the Plitvice Lakes existed at the end of the 19th century. Its members took care of the preservation of this unique natural monument.
On the territory of the park it is forbidden to have picnics, make fires, you can not come with dogs and swim in the lakes. All pleasure boats are powered by electric traction, so the waters of the lake are protected from the release of gasoline. The lakes themselves are not cleaned, they do not remove fallen trees, trying to preserve the natural balance.
The water in the lakes changes color from grayish brown to blue-green and turquoise. At the bottom, through the clear water, fallen leaves and trunks of mighty trees can be seen. Through the largest lake Kozjak, whose area is 82 hectares, and the depth is over 45 meters, tourists are transported by ferry.
The lakes are surrounded by mountains covered with spruce and beech forests. In ancient times locals called the dense thicket the devil's garden.
Croats were very reluctant to visit, cut wood and hunt around the Chernaya River, as the place was considered enchanted. There are brown bears in the national park, and one of mountain ranges even called Medvedzhak.
According to legend, Plitvica will exist as long as at least one bear remains alive. In addition to bears, martens, badgers, squirrels, forest cats and wild boars are found in the forests.
Birds feel at ease in the park: woodpeckers, blackbirds, jays, nuthatches, hawks, white-tailed eagles.
Nature, untouched by man, attracts migratory geese, mallards, bean goose. And the transparent lakes are rich in excellent trout.
The park is famous for its caves, there are 36 in total. Most of the caves are concentrated in the eastern part of Plitvice. Golubnyatsa Cave, 165 meters long, is decorated with stalactites. In the territory national park there is a protected area in which access is prohibited to everyone except rangers.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is business card Croatia, a unique natural formation and an unambiguous must see. The lakes are unusually picturesque - wooded hills surround turquoise lakes, which are interconnected by a series of waterfalls and river cascades. Along the shores of the lakes, under the waterfalls and above the noisy water, winding wooden walkways and decks are laid (their length is a total of 18 km). In 1979, UNESCO declared Plitvice Lakes a World Heritage Site.
The lakes are divided into upper and lower. The upper lakes, lying in the dolomite valley, are surrounded by dense forests and are connected by several magnificent waterfalls. The lower lakes are smaller and smaller. They are mainly fed by the Bisla and Crna rivers (their names mean white and black), which join south of Lake Proščansko. To make it easier for you to imagine the scale of the spectacle, I drew a red square the size of a person walking along the path.
In this article, I will tell you how to best organize your visit to Plitvice Lakes, how is it with parking, ticket queues, accommodation options. What is better to take a tour or go on your own.
The nearest cities with airports are Zagreb, Rijeka and Zadar. From these cities to Plitvice Lakes, it will take only 2-2.5 hours by car. Vacationers in the Rijeka or Zadar area can easily visit the Plitvice Lakes in one day without spending the night. In the summer season, you can find yourself an excursion to the Plitvice Lakes or rent a car and go on your own. You may want to save money and go to Plitvice Lakes on regular buses, see the bus schedule (English). In this case, you will also have to look for an overnight stay on the lakes as quickly as possible.
If you are relaxing on the coast of Istria, you will reach the lakes in 4-5 hours by car. In all tourist cities The Istrian coast offers excursions to the Plitvice Lakes in the summer, such excursions are usually carried out in one day. Departure of the bus is carried out at 6 - 7 o'clock in the morning, return at 22 - 24 o'clock.
Those traveling by car have the opportunity not to torment themselves with such an extreme day regimen and plan one or two overnight stays in the Plitvice Lakes region, along the way you can also see. We chose two overnight stays for ourselves, the first day we drove from Pula, examined Slun-Rastok, swam in the river there, swimming in the Plitvice Lakes is prohibited, the second day we walked around Plitvice Lakes, spent the night in Sluni (30 km from Plitvice Lakes), and on the third day we went towards the house. Fare for toll roads from Pula to Slunya in 2017 amounted to 110 kunas or 1100 rubles.
About the weather in the Plitvice Lakes area
You need to understand that the climate of continental Croatia is very different from the climate on the coast. Palm trees, cacti, olive groves grow by the sea, there is practically no winter, and mountains on the Plitvice Lakes, only coniferous and deciduous forests grow, in winter there is snow. Those. be sure to monitor the weather on the lakes on the day of your visit and take extra clothes with you if necessary, it can be much colder there than on the coast, or maybe not, as lucky.
In our age of smartphones, you can put a weather informer on your phone, ask it several places of your future deployment and watch the weather there in real time, we did just that. The data is updated via the Internet, which is available in all hotels and even campsites.
Where to stay in Plitvice Lakes
Directly at the entrance to the ENTRANCE2 park (see map of the area below), there are three official park hotels -
Map of Plitvice Lakes National Park Organized excursions lead only along the route from the entrance ENTRANCE1 to ENTRANCE2 (see map of the area above), this is the most minimal route possible, it usually takes about 3-4 hours to complete it. Independent travelers can diversify their lives and choose a longer route for one day or take 2 days to visit the national park. In August, I would not recommend taking two days for walks in the park, two days among the crowd is too tiring in my opinion.
The time required to visit the park is highly dependent on the current season and the current weather. In winter, not all trails are open in the park, boats and buses do not go, but prices for entry tickets fall by half, there are significantly fewer visitors than in summer. In the hot summer season, the passage of the route will be hindered by crowds of people and queues. The lakes are beautiful at any time of the year and they are different in every season, I would love to visit the national park in winter or autumn.
In fact, as many as 9 hiking trails. Route A (total length 3.5 km) is used by everyone, route C is an extended route B. The longest route is K1 (18.3 km). Route selection also depends on weather conditions and the presence or absence of crowds of people. All trails are marked so you won't get lost. Next, I will tell you what we saw while walking along route A and C. Of course, photographs cannot convey all the power and beauty of natural phenomena and definitely cannot replace a walk in the park.
Photos of Plitvice Lakes Park
This is how the descent to the lakes from ENTRANCE1 looks like. This path offers a fabulous view, which I showed you in the first photo for this article. I will show photos sequentially from ENTRANCE1 to ENTRANCE2, this route is marked with the letter A on the signs and runs along the lower lakes. From ENTRANCE2 to ST3 we went further along route C along the upper lakes.
Descent down to the lakes Croats are not original in names, the most big waterfall called VELIKI SLAP, which means just a big waterfall, I suspect that in spring it is much fuller. At the foot of the mountain, bridges were laid, along which people pushed to the platform located at the very foot of the waterfall.
The largest waterfall in Plitvice The photo below shows a drawing of Lake Kaluderovac, it better than anything describes the local relief and illustrates the cascading of lakes with turquoise water. There are waterfalls between the cascades, walkways run almost over the very edge of the water, it is not recommended to leave the paths. Firstly, because it is wet and dirty there, secondly, in order to protect nature and not trample on the local unique flora, and thirdly, you personally saw a small snake in the grass, you should not tempt fate.
Lake Kaluderovac Such beauty could be formed due to the unique alternation of geological rocks. The dolomite base, limestones, chalk deposits, tuff have varying degrees of hardness and varying degrees of resistance to water erosion, so in places lagoons are formed, and in places barriers of harder rocks create barriers to flow. This process does not stop for a minute, the formation of lakes and waterfalls continues. If in one place the tuff barrier fails to withstand the pressure of the water and breaks, then in another place the sedimentary rocks will strengthen the new barrier.
Drawing illustrating the geology of lakes A large amount of calcite is dissolved in the waters of the lakes, crystals of this substance settle on the roots of living trees and dead trunks that have fallen into the lake, contributing to the petrification of the latter.
Limestone deposits on plant roots In the clear water of the lakes, numerous flocks of not frightened fish swim right under your feet.
Fish in the lakes, in the lower left corner you can see the walkways Waterfalls fall right from under your feet with a roar. In general, a picture of fantastic beauty surrounds from all sides.
Waterfall, in the center you can see a board from the walkways The photo below clearly shows the walkways and people on them. There were a lot of people in August. In some places there were traffic jams on the bridges. After all, next to each waterfall you want to be photographed, so you have to wait until the previous people are satisfied and move on and you will have the opportunity to take their place.
Footbridges and waterfall 
Appreciate the crowds, so on about the entire route A Route A, although the most overloaded with people, is also the most picturesque.
At the end of route A, a queue was waiting for us, this time people stood to get on a boat and cross the large lake Kozjak. We pushed through there for an hour. You can stand in turn, part of the family wanders around souvenir shops and cools tired legs in the lake, and the person in charge guards the queue, then you can change.
Queue to board the boat Near the pier there are several cafes and stalls, where at inhumane prices you will be offered to taste sandwiches and french fries with meat. This is the only place in the park where you can have a bite to eat, the rest of the cafes are located outside the park at the official entrances.
Public catering establishments - fast food Tickets to the park are checked when boarding the boat. At this point, you can say that route A almost ends. You can get off the boat at the first stop and continue walking through the park, looking at the upper lakes, or you can get off at the second stop and you will get to the ENTRANCE2 entrance, take the bus train and go to the entrance ENTRANCE1. On this inspection of the lakes will be completed. Group tours drive only on this route.
boats We decided to continue walking along the upper lakes. It was already less crowded. You will not be able to see anything fundamentally new on route C, everything is the same as in the lower part of the park - waterfalls, cascading lakes with turquoise water. There we saw violators who swam in defiance of the prohibitions. No park attendants were seen. Further photos of the upper lakes.
Upper lakes Waterfalls of the upper lakes 
Bridges and waterfalls 
wild cyclomenes We walked faster along the upper lakes, we spent about 2 hours on the whole trip along route C, route A took us 4 hours due to the crowds and the queue for the boat. Reaching bus station ST3 we boarded the bus-train and went to the parking lot. The crowd at the bus stop was huge, not everyone managed to get into the approaching bus. It's strange vehicle drove us all the time down a very narrow path between rocks on one side and an abyss on the other, it was scary in places, in the middle of the way it pressed against a cliff to let a similar train go up to ST3 station.
Bus-train and crowds of tired tourists To say that we really liked Plitvice Lakes is an understatement. Plitvices are simple fabulous place extraordinary beauty. Do not be discouraged if you have the opportunity to visit it only in autumn or winter, you will receive your positive emotions at any time of the year, but in the summer you need to mentally prepare for the fact that another 10,000 people will walk around the park with you.
Tired and overwhelmed with impressions, we went to the store, and then to our apartments. The vacation was inexorably coming to an end, the next day we had a big drive towards the house according to the plan. In the next article, I will talk about the Czech city of Olomouc, which caused mixed emotions.
Thinking of visiting Croatia for the first time?
I even envy you a little, because you just have to be enchanted by this wonderful country! There are countless places in Croatia that you should definitely visit!
Let me help you plan your itinerary a bit. Here's what you'll learn from this post:
Plitvice Lakes National Park- a must-see place!
Plitvice Lakes (Plitvička jezera) - the first thing I wanted to visit in Croatia!
That is why I spent only one day in Zagreb and escaped from the bustle of the city in this amazing place to admire the ensembles of waterfalls.
And I didn't regret a bit. Why?
I hope everything becomes clear to you as soon as you look at these photos.
But to make it clearer, I will still answer some of the most popular questions:
1. WHAT ARE THESE LAKES AND WHY SHOULD YOU GO HERE?
Plitvice Lakes is an ensemble of 16 natural lakes. National park listed UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the spectacular views, rare fauna and unique turquoise waters.
They are located in the heart of the country, 130 km from the capital. This is very cool, because it is convenient to get there from Zagreb and Split, so you can arrange such a one-day tour for yourself.
2. HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD I SPEND IN PLITVICA LAKES?
It depends on what you want to do there, and how much time you generally have.
Well, let's say if you just want to check in here (or you're running out of time), one day is enough. There are a bunch one day tours from the same Zagreb or Split.
But, according to me, in a day you will not enjoy this amazing place to the fullest. I spent here two days and I think it's perfect!
On the other hand, if you want to have fun here to the fullest (I’ll tell you what options are below) and not rush anywhere, then you can stay for three days. It won't be boring, I tell you!
LIFE HACK: Try to come here early in the morning, then there will not be a crowd of people in the park yet, and you can take cool photos. When there are a lot of tourists, this unique atmosphere is lost.
3. HOW MUCH DOES THE ENTRY COST?
By the way, if anyone is interested, you can even go to the park with your dog, it's not forbidden. I saw with my own eyes people walking there with dogs.
6. HOW TO GET TO PLITVICK LAKES?
Unfortunately, trains don't go there., and I was unable to use my Eurail pass.
If you don't want to rent a car, don't worry! There is a convenient transfer from Zagreb.
You can also get to public transport. A lot goes there buses. Quite often, and travel is cheap. View schedule and . You have to pay extra for luggage, as when flying on low-cost airlines (7-10 Croatian kunas, which is about 1 euro). Usually, if you buy tickets on the website of carriers, such as, for example, Autotrans, you can save 5%. By the way, they also have Wi-Fi on the buses!
NOTE: the parking fee is 7 kn/hour (1.3 euros).
7. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO TO PLITVICA LAKES?
Anytime, really. I went there in early October, the weather was still good, and the water was an incredible turquoise color. But at any time of the year this place is beautiful in its own way. I bet it's beautiful under the snow too!
In short, it doesn't matter when, just go, you'll love it!🙂
Hiking boots can be omitted, regardless of the season, because the roads here are even, and you will also be comfortable in ordinary shoes (well, that is, comfortable, not in heels, of course). But do not forget that this park is still located in a mountainous area, and it is cool here in the evenings, so you should still take warm clothes!
8. WHERE TO STAY ON PLITVICA LAKES?
Recently, more and more people have appeared in the National Park more places where to stay. Just like mushrooms after the rain!
OTHER ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS IN PLITVIC LAKES NATIONAL PARK:
Luxury hotels:(from $ 100 and more) - The Jezero Hotel is the only one located in the park, and this is its great advantage.
In Croatia, we traveled on our own, slowly moving from place to place. One of the attractions that we definitely wanted to visit was the Plitvice Lakes. They are located in the center of the country, quite far from resort coast. I filmed the surroundings through glass, which they did not have time to wash off from any flying muck that hit it and stuck tightly. I put this garbage only to show you a little road scenery.
The lakes are located in Northern Dalmatia, and this is quite far away, for example, from Western Istria and Dubrovnik, the road to Plitvice Lakes will take at least 5 hours one way. However, thousands of travel agencies and travel agencies, both in Croatia and in other countries, sell excursions from them to the Plitvice Lakes.
Travel agents advise to allocate about 8 hours for a walk in the park, that is, to go through the longest route laid in the park, route K. This time will be enough to form your own idea of \u200b\u200bthe reserve, but it should be noted that in this situation you will have to stay in Plitvice for the night. There are three hotels in the vicinity that offer rooms at very serious prices, by Croatian standards, from 70 EUR per night. It will be cheaper to stay overnight in an apartment.
Here we stopped and walked around the neighborhood. This place is located near the town of Slun. This city, according to legend, was founded by the Croatian king Zvonimir.
Slunj was first mentioned as a feudal fortification in the 12th century. In Slun we visit the ruins of an old Francophone fortress built in the 15th century together with a Franciscan monastery during the war with the Turkish kingdom.
In the 16th century, the city was destroyed by the Turkish army and turned into an outpost of the Military Frontier. At the end of the 17th century, this place began to look like Slunj looks now. The village of Rastoke, where we stayed, is part of the town of Slunya.
This is an amazing place. The village itself is located at the confluence of the Koran and Slunitsa rivers, which forms big number waterfalls. Here, houses, many of which were once water mills, stand right on the water. The noise is incredible. And how the locals manage to sleep here at night is not clear.
This area is often referred to as the "Small Plitvice Lakes" due to its resemblance to a national park.
People have long settled in these places, according to some sources, the first houses appeared in the 17th century, but the most active period of construction fell on the 19th-20th centuries. The village is located on the main road connecting southern and northern Croatia, and thanks to this, trade has never been a problem here. Unfortunately, where there is a person, there are often conflicts: in the 1990s, the war reached Rastoke. The village was completely destroyed and subsequently reconstructed
Because apart from beautiful scenery and there are no more houses here, then I photographed everything that fell into the lens.
Plitvice lakes- a national park in Croatia, located in the central part of the country, in Lick-Senj (90.7%) and Karlovac counties (9.3%). The waters of the Korana River, flowing through the limestone, over the course of thousands of years, have inflicted barriers of travertine, forming natural dams, which in turn have created a series of picturesque lakes, waterfalls and caves.
The name "Plitvice Lakes" was first recorded by Dominik Vukasovich, a priest from Otočac, in 1777.
On April 8, 1949, Plitvice Lakes received the status of a national park, and since 1979, the Plitvice Lakes National Park has been included in the register of world heritage» UNESCO.
Until 1958, the park was inaccessible to tourists; only clearings were laid in it. In 1958, Josip Movchan, the director of the park, began the construction of footpaths, and today, in addition to a wide network of decks, there are routes for diesel and environmentally friendly electric road trains, ferries and electric pleasure boats. It is strictly forbidden to swim in the lakes of the park, and in the park as a whole - to have picnics, make fires, walk dogs without a leash. Such a strict order is due to the preservation of natural balance, which for many years has been carefully guarded by local ecologists.
In 1979, the Plitvice Lakes were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the spring of 1991, the territory of the park became the site of events called Plitvice Bloody Easter - the first armed clash of the war in Croatia, which led to casualties. During the Yugoslav wars, Plitvice Lakes became the scene of battles more than once. To date, the park itself has been completely cleared of mines, and the tourist infrastructure has been restored and is being intensively developed, but mines are still sometimes found in the vicinity of the park.
The territory of the Plitvice Lakes National Park is 29,482 hectares (19,479 hectares according to UNESCO), includes 16 large and several smaller karst cascading lakes, 140 waterfalls, 20 caves and a unique beech and coniferous forest, preserved from ancient times and possessing the ability to self-heal. Bears, wolves, many species of rare birds and other animals live on its territory.
The total difference between the level of the upper and lower lakes is 133 meters. Most upper lake The cascade is fed by two small rivers called Crna and Biela (“Black” and “White”). Plitvice Lakes is one of the few places on our planet where new waterfalls appear every year, which is due to the limestone origin of the local mountains. Leaves and branches from nearby trees that have fallen into the water are quickly covered with calcephils (the so-called "chalk plants"), which, when dying, turn to stone and form solid deposits that block rivers. Water, gradually washing away such "dams", forms new waterfalls.
The park is located in a mountainous area high point- Mount Mala Kapela (1280 m).
The lakes of the park are divided into two groups: Upper and Lower. The total area of lakes is 217 hectares. They are fed by five rivers: Korana, Crna, Bijela, Plitvica and Riecica. There are about 30 waterfalls; due to the erosion of the rock and the formation of new sediments, lakes and waterfalls gradually change their configuration. Most lakes are named after the people who drowned in them. In 2008, it was still allowed to swim in Lake Kozjak, but a large number of drowned people led to a complete ban on swimming.
The biggest upper lakes:
Proshchansko lake, Proshce, 68 ha, depth 37 m, length 2.5 km;
Cyginovac, 7.5 ha;
Roundwood, 4.1 ha;
Batinovac, 1.5 ha;
Vir, 0.6 ha;
Veliki Jovinovac, or big lake, 2 ha;
Mali Jovinovac, or Small Lake, 2 ha;
Galovac, 12.5 ha;
Milino lake;
Gradinsko lake, 8.1 ha;
Veliki Burget, 0.6 ha;
Kozyak, 81.5 ha, depth 46 m, length over 3 km;
The largest lower lakes:
Milanovac, 3.2 ha;
Gavanovac, 0.7 ha;
Kaludjerovac, 2.1 ha;
Novakovic Ford, 0.4 ha.
The main waterfalls on the Upper Lakes are Batinovachki, Galovachki, Kozyachki; on the Lower - Milanovachki, Milka Tarnin, Great Cascade. The most beautiful and well-known is the Sastavtsi waterfall, overthrowing the water of the Korana and Plitvica rivers from a height of 72 meters.
The park has two entrances and is connected by two routes - long and short. You can park on either side, follow the selected route and return back by bus or train, or vice versa, go and return to the car.
The national park strikes, first of all, with a riot of colors and shades. The lakes themselves, which are located in steps, demonstrate all conceivable shades of blue, blue and turquoise. The foliage of trees has all sorts of shades of green. Having got to the observation platform above the valley of the Koran River for the first time, not a single person could resist admiring this color scheme, which was created by nature. Going down to the lakes, you can see how the shade of the water changes. But the most surprising thing is to find that near the shore the water has a serious depth, although this depth is not felt at all by the eye, the water is so clean and transparent.
We walk along these wooden paths. The water strikes with purity and all shades of blue and green.
In order not to fool around with changing lenses, I took two cameras and simultaneously shot everything I saw, and when I dumped everything into the computer, there were so many photos and everything was so similar that it was simply impossible to remember what and where was taken. The only thing I did was partially separate the photos of the waterfalls from the photos of the lakes.
Attracting tourists to the Plitvice Lakes began in 1983. Specialists have developed a development program focused on attracting European tourists to these most beautiful places in the country. Within the framework of this program, steamboats and boats for water excursions were purchased, trails for tourists were laid, recreation areas were equipped, the first hotel was built, and advertising was placed in the press. different countries. This approach turned out to be correct, interest in the lakes flared up, even the Austrian imperial family, headed by Emperor Franz I and Empress Augusta Caroline, visited the park.
In 1991, Plitvice Lakes experienced one of the most tragic events in its history - the national park became the site of repeated armed clashes during the Yugoslav war. One of these clashes is called the Bloody Easter, it became one of the tragic pages of the modern history of Croatia. There is nothing special to write about the lakes, I will tell you about what happened in this territory.
And so, what is the Yugoslav war and, in particular, the war in Croatia. Don’t ask anyone, no one really knows, but all thanks to the way these events were covered in our press, at that time we had enough of our own problems. The war in Croatia lasted from March 1991 to November 1995, it was a military conflict on the territory of the former Socialist Republic Croatia, caused by the secession of Croatia from Yugoslavia. After Croatia declared independence, the Serb population of Croatia tried to create their own state on its territory so as not to secede from Yugoslavia. This was regarded by Croatia as an attempt to include the territories of Croatia into Serbia.
Initially, the war was fought between Yugoslav People's Army forces, Croatian Serbs and Croatian policemen. The leadership of Yugoslavia, with the help of the federal army, tried to keep Croatia within the country. During the collapse of the country on the territory of Croatia, a self-proclaimed state of Serbs was created - the Republic of Serbian Krajina. Then the struggle began between the Croatian army and the army of the Krajina Serbs.
In 1992, a ceasefire agreement was signed, followed by the recognition of Croatia as a sovereign state and the introduction of UN peacekeeping troops, as a result of which the conflict took on a sluggish, focal character.
In 1995, the Croatian army carried out two major offensive operations, as a result of which a significant part of the territory of the Republic of Serbian Krajina came under Croatian control. The conflict was accompanied by mutual ethnic cleansing of the Serbian and Croatian populations.
As a result of the war, Croatia achieved independence and maintained its territorial integrity, but during the fighting, many cities and villages were badly damaged or completely destroyed. The damage to the Croatian economy as a result of this conflict is estimated at about 37 billion dollars, and the total death toll during this war exceeds 20,000 people.
With the beginning of the conflict, problems began for the inhabitants, in 1991-1992 the Croats were expelled from the territories controlled by the Serbs, and the Serbs were expelled from the territories controlled by the Croats. By 1993, 251,000 Serbs had been expelled from the territories under Zagreb's control alone. The second major flow of Serbian refugees, about 230,000 people, was recorded in 1995 after Operation Storm. Many of them settled in European countries After the end of the war, only 115,000 Serb refugees returned to Croatia.
In Croatia, the term " Patriotic War", in Serbia this conflict is most often called the "War in Croatia" or "War in Krajina". In Russia, this conflict was combined with the Bosnian War and used the faceless term "Yugoslav crisis".
At the moment, relations between Serbia and Croatia are generally of a partnership nature, but they regularly file lawsuits in international courts against each other.
In general, the conflict between Serbs and Croats is a very bloody and difficult story, not without the "wise leadership" of the USSR. More than 20 years have passed and this story has repeated itself, only in different scenery.
And this is a monument to the first Croatian victim of the war - Josip Jovic, who died in clashes on the Plitvice Lakes, I found this photo.
What happened here...
On March 29, Croatian police suddenly met with a serious rebuff from the Serbian territorial defense forces, which were located in the park.
Therefore, on the night of March 31, it was necessary to urgently convene a meeting of the Presidium of the Federal Government of Yugoslavia and discuss the situation on the Plitvice Lakes. Discussed and the Yugoslav People's Army was ordered to intervene to create a buffer zone between the two sides, and thereby put an end to the fighting.
On March 31, Easter Sunday, Croatian police entered the national park to drive out the Serbs. But Serb units ambushed a bus carrying Croatian policemen on the road north of Korenice, resulting in a firefight. During this clash, two people, one Croat and one Serbian policeman, were killed, 20 people were injured, and 29 Serb militias and policemen were captured by Croatian forces. Among the prisoners was, in particular, Goran Hadzic, who later became the President of the Republic of Serbian Krajina.
Then, on April 2, the command of the Yugoslav People's Army ordered special units of the Croatian police to leave the national park, which they did.
They fought, what they achieved besides the fact that they laid people down is not clear.
This is how things happened here.
The park is located at an altitude of 400-1200 meters above sea level, so the air here is clean, fresh, transparent and saturated with the aroma of virgin forest. There are many routes of different lengths in the park: the shortest is 2 hours, and the longest of them is designed for a 7-8-hour walk, that is, it requires good physical shape. Some of the routes can be traveled in a tourist electric train. It is impossible to get lost on the route, at every turn of every path there is a sign or a navigation poster.
Total on the territory protected park you can see 16 very beautiful lakes, 140 waterfalls, the real beauty of which cannot be conveyed even by the most best photo, more than two dozen caves, beech and coniferous forest.
The park is a unique self-healing ecosystem. Every year, old trees, dying, sink to the bottom of the lakes, turn into white fine-grained silt.
Every year new waterfalls are born here that fill the lakes. the purest water. Until now, scientists are arguing about the nature of the origin of these lakes, they have not come to a consensus.
Unfortunately for all tourists, swimming in the lakes is prohibited here, but this has its advantages, for many years the lakes have remained unsurpassed in purity, brightness and beauty - despite the fact that many thousands of tourists come to their shores every day. In addition, you can’t put up tents here, kindle fires, fish, tear plants, the administration is doing everything to preserve this natural beauty for the next generations. But you can take as many photos as you like.
Well, that's about all there is to tell and show. It’s good that we didn’t go a long route, there were quite enough impressions here. The beautiful nature here is beyond doubt, but you start to get tired of some monotony.
The charm of Plitvice Lakes sinks into the soul and stays there forever. Absolutely clear water murmurs in countless waterfalls, the leaves of tall beech trees rustle, wooden platforms creak underfoot, the air is filled with birdsong, the smell of pine needles and an aura of endless peace. It seems that such beauty should cure people of anger and hatred forever. But this is not so, quite recently, Serbs and Croats killed each other in paradise glades. But today the fabulous forest is completely cleared of mines and weapons.
The existence of the Plitvice Lakes is possible only due to the coincidence of several natural factors. The Dinaric Highlands, where a cascade of reservoirs stretched, consists of dense travertine limestone, which, however, is easily washed away by water. Calcium dissolved in it is extracted by calcephilous plants, after their death, flakes of a pure mineral are formed, which settle to the bottom of reservoirs. From time to time, sediments block the flow, but the water finds another way, forming new waterfalls. Lakes are like a living being, changeable and vulnerable. Preservation of this fragile natural balance - main reason strict bans on swimming, fishing and spending the night in the park.
How to get to Plitvice Lakes
The lakes are located 135 km from Zagreb - and this is only 2 hours away by a comfortable bus. Aeroflot regularly operates direct flights to the capital, the flight takes 3 hours. At the airport, you need to take the Pleso carrier shuttle. He arrives at the Central Bus Station, from where buses leave for Plitvice Lakes.
Learn more about how to get to nature reserve, on this page .
Search for flights to the city of Zagreb (the nearest airport to Plitvice Lakes)
Hotels
There are no five-star hotels near the lakes, more often people come here for 1-2 days and look for an inexpensive overnight stay. The Plitvice guest house is considered to be the best one near the lake Kozjak. Standart room it will cost from 425 HRK per day. A more economical option is the Bellevue Hotel (7 km), which operates on a bed and breakfast basis. The price of rooms starts from 325 HRK. In the summer season, it is recommended to book hotels in advance, as the influx of tourists is very high. Prices on the page are for March 2019.
Food
The Licka kuca restaurant at the northern entrance to the park serves national dishes - baza cheese, lamb on a spit, river trout and pancakes with apple jam. A full lunch of baked or stewed lamb with a side dish, seasonal salad and beer will cost 240 HRK. The Poljana restaurant is designed for less demanding tourists; there is a self-service hall, in other words, a dining room where you can have a delicious lunch for 100-150 HRK. The crossings have several bars, buffets and cafes selling fast food for 7-9 HRK.
Picnics are not allowed in the park.
Tourist routes along the Plitvice Lakes
The Matica River, formed by the confluence of the Crna and Bela, immediately falls into the first waterfall of the cascade of 12 Upper Lakes. The depth of Proshchansko reaches 37 m, the length is more than 2 km. It is separated from other reservoirs by the Labodovac threshold with a 20-meter drop. Below in the rocks is the Cave Garden with many grottoes. The cascade is completed by Lake Kozyak, 46 m deep, where water flows through the Sparkling Waterfalls.
The lower lakes lie in a canyon up to 40 m deep. Hiking trails are equipped along the coast and on top of sheer dolomite walls. The rapids separating the lakes form the Great Cascades, the most spectacular waterfalls in the Plitvice region. Behind Novakov Brod, streams from a 25-meter height flow into the pool of Sostavchi and fall into the Great Waterfall from a height of 78 m. The Korana River originates from it.
Episodes of several films about Vineta, the leader of the Apaches and Chingachgook, the Big Serpent, were filmed on the Plitvice Lakes.
You can get to the national park through the Southern and Northern entrances from the side of the Upper and Lower Lakes (there are parking lots). A bus runs through the territory, through large lakes ferries run. On foot, it is allowed to move exclusively along paths, bridges and paths, without going deep into the forest. In the region of the Upper Lakes, not only harmless roe deer and hares are found, but also brown bears, they do not go to the trail, but more often they feel like masters.
Sold at the entrance detailed maps park with marks of places for photography. The proposed routes are marked with letters from A to K according to their difficulty and duration. Since July 2017, tourist groups must be accompanied by a park employee.
With a lack of time the best choice there will be a simple route A on the most beautiful places Lower lakes. It lasts about 2 hours and passes by the Great Falls and then upstream along the canyon. The longest route K stretches for at least 8 hours and includes a complete detour of the entire lake district. It is better to split it into two days, so that fatigue does not interfere with enjoying natural beauties.
Plitvice lakes
Ticket price
From 1.07 to 31.08 ticket price for adults is 250 HRK, for teenagers - 160 HRK; 1.04 to 30.06 and from 1.09 to 31.10 - 100 and 50 HRK; from 1.11 to 31.03 - 60 and 30 HRK respectively. For children under 7 years old, admission is free.
The ticket entitles you to free use of intra-park electric transport. detailed information on