Photo: Dnik · CC BY-SA 3.0
Vransko Jezero (Lake Vrana) in northern Dalmatia is the largest lake in Croatia. It lies in a karst valley between Zadar and Šibenik, close to the towns of Pakoštane, Pirovac, Tisno, Benkovac and Stankovci, and it is protected as a nature park. The park is above all an ornithological reserve, one of the rare wetlands where birds can still live in an almost untouched habitat.
How it formed
Vransko Jezero lies in a karst valley that has filled with water, and it is a rare example of a cryptodepression: its surface is barely above sea level, but the lake bed lies below it. The lake straddles the border of Zadar and Šibenik-Knin counties.
History
Traces of human presence around the lake go back to about 2000 BC. In the past the lake was known as Vedro blato.
Nature
The dominant feature of the nature park is its ornithological reserve. The lake and the wetlands around it form an almost untouched habitat for birds, with high biodiversity and great scientific and ecological value. The lake is also rich in fish and attracts anglers.
A birdwatcher's lake
The lake has 256 recorded bird species, and 102 of them nest in the park. It is the only nesting area in Mediterranean Croatia for the purple heron, great white egret, little egret and pygmy cormorant. In winter more than 100,000 waterbirds spend the season here, so winter and the migration periods are both good for watching. The ornithological reserve in the reedbeds has been a Ramsar site since 2013.
Gallery
Photo: Dnik · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ttuden · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Wilma van Hoeven · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Falk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Visit
Swimming
Restricted
Fishing
Restricted
Boating
Restricted
Camping
Restricted
Tips
As a nature park the area has rules of its own, so check them before you go. The nearest places are Pakoštane, Pirovac and Tisno, and the park office is in Biograd na Moru.
Cycling and walking
A trail of about 40 km, open to cyclists and walkers, circles the lake with observation points along the way, and one stretch runs through shade in a pine forest beside the water. Camp Crkvine has pines and freshwater springs, a welcome source of shade and refreshment.
Fishing and tickets
Fishing is allowed on the lake and its shores for most of the year, but the rules are set by the park, so read its page for anglers first. Tickets can be bought online through the park's web shop, and audio guides are available in Croatian, English and German.
Places & trails
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Nearby lakes
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Sources & data
- Rubinić (2014): Vodni režim Vranskog jezera u Dalmaciji i klimatski utjecaji, Građevinski fakultet, Sveučilište u Rijeci (doctoral thesis), 2014
- Park prirode Vransko jezero: Karakteristike jezera, JU Park prirode Vransko jezero
- Hrvatska enciklopedija: Vransko jezero (Pakoštane), Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža
- Pravilnik o zaštiti i očuvanju Parka prirode »Vransko jezero« (NN 140/2024), Narodne novine, 2024
- Wikidata: Vransko Lake (Q1625342), Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikipedia: Lake Vrana (Dalmatia), Wikimedia Foundation
- About the park, Vransko Jezero Nature Park