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Forty kilometres south of Slunj, the Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni park plitvička jezera) is the country’s most popular single natural attraction, and with some justification. The 8km string of sixteen lakes, hemmed in by densely forested hills, presents some of the most eye-catching scenery in mainland Croatia, with water rushing down from the upper lakes via a sequence of waterfalls and cataracts. This unique landscape was created by the movement of travertine, calcium-rich material picked up by the river and then deposited downstream – a process which, when repeated over the course of several millennia, produced a terraced sequence of barriers behind which lakes formed. Nowadays these lakes – a bewitching turquoise when seen from a distance – teem with fish and watersnakes, while herons frequent the shores of the quieter, northern part of the system, and deer, bears, wolves and wild boar throng the wooded heights above.
A visit to the park is a highly organized affair, with well-laid-out paths, and regular shuttle buses and boats ferrying visitors to major points of interest. It is also very busy, especially in summer – visitors who want to savour genuine wilderness should take their time and explore some of the lesser-trodden trails on the park’s fringes. The park can be entered from two points on the main Zagreb–Split road: Entrance 1 (Ulaz jedan) is at the northern (lower) end of the lake system, while Entrance 2 (Ulaz dva) is 2.5km further south.
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customize ⤍Sailing Croatia
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customize ⤍Southern Pearls
This ten-day trip will take you around three adjacent countries, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Your tour starts in Split, Croatia, moving south (hence the name "Southern Pearls") over the island of Hvar and Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina to end up in Montenegro.
customize ⤍Gourmet Tour
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customize ⤍Top image: Plitvice National Park, Coratia. © mpaniti/Shutterstock
written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 26.04.2021
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