Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. It was founded in 1949 and lies in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1979 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its outstanding series of tufa lakes, caves and connected waterfalls. The lakes are arranged in cascades and are renowned for their colours, from azure to green, grey or blue, which change constantly with the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water. About nine tenths of the park are in Lika-Senj County and the rest in Karlovac County.

Visiting Plitvice

The park has several entrances, and since 2019 summer visitor numbers have been limited per day and per entrance, so arrive early. A one-day ticket includes the electric boat across Kozjak, and the queue can be long at midday. The shoulder months (April, May, September, October) and the hours from about 7 to 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. avoid the tour buses, and a full day is better than half. Swimming has been strictly forbidden since 2006. Snow falls from November to March, and the lakes are usually frozen in December and January. Brown bears, wolves and lynx live here but keep away from the busy paths.