Plitvice Lakes National Park: Hike with me in Croatia’s National Parks {Croatia Travel Guide | Travel Inspiration}
Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera): Hike with me in Croatia’s National Parks!
{Croatia Travel Guide | Travel Inspiration}
Plitvice Lakes National Park is probably the most famous and one of the largest national parks in Croatia. Its exceptional natural beauty and unique geology have earned it the designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also make it an ideal hiking location!
Click the video below to experience what it is like to hike some of the most beautiful trails in Plitvice Lakes National Park Croatia with me!
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This post is part of a series of Croatia Travel Guides and Inspiration!
Check out the 7 Day Itinerary to Hike with me in Croatia’s National Parks here
Hike Risnjak National Park with me here
Explore Northern Velebit National Park with me here
Hike with me in Paklenica National Park here
Visit Krka River National Park with me here
Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera)
Arguably the most popular (and most instagrammed!) national park in Croatia due to its striking natural beauty, Plitvice Lakes National Parkis also the oldest national park in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is nestled in the mountainous Lika region of central Croatia between the mountains of Mala Kapela and Plješivica, half-way between the coastal town of Zadar and the capital city of Zagreb.
Here you can visit a series of 16 main (and several smaller unnamed) turquoise lakes linked together with beautiful waterfalls and travertine pools surrounded by beech and pine forests which are home to extensive wildlife. The lakes are divided into 12 Upper Lakes and 4 Lower Lakes.
The twelve lakes forming the Upper Lakes were formed on impermeable dolomite rock, and are larger, with more indented and gentler shores than the Lower Lakes. These include:
- Prošćansko jezero,
- Ciginovac,
- Okrugljak,
- Batinovac,
- Veliko jezero,
- Malo jezero,
- Vir,
- Galovac,
- Milino jezero,
- Gradinsko jezero,
- Burgeti and
- Kozjak.
The Lower Lakes were formed in permeable limestone substrate, cut into a deep canyon with steep cliffs. These include the lakes:
- Milanovac,
- Gavanovac,
- Kaluđerovac and
- Novakovića Brod,
Two main entrances give access to the park with the North entrance, known as Plitvice lakes entrance 1 just above the lower lakes, and the south entrance, Plitvice lakes entrance 2, found next to the Upper Lakes. A third auxiliary entrance, entrance Flora, is located on lake Kozjak, which is within walking distance from the village of Plitvica selo.
Plitvice Lakes National Park is underlain by karstic dolomite and limestone rock which have given rise to the distinctive lakes and caves of the region. Carbon dioxide enriched water penetrates through fissures in the carbonate rock, dissolving the rock as it flows, creating various formations at the surface and below the surface. Encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year, forming natural dams which separate the lakes. Runoff from the mountains fill the lakes with the water exiting from the lowest lake starting the Korana River. The distinctive green, turquoise, azure, grey and blue hues of the lakes vary constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
Various trails throughout the park offer options for walking on easy to navigate raised boardwalks and hiking along quieter forested walks. The heavily forested areas surrounding the lakes are populated mainly with beech, spruce, and fir trees with a mixture of Alpine and Mediterranean vegetation. The shortest route takes around 2 to 3 hours and the longest up to 8 hours. You can purchase a detailed national park map at the entrances and consult their website and Plitvice park app to help plan your trip.
The park is extremely popular and can become so crowded that it is difficult to freely wander the most visited boardwalk trails through the lakes. To avoid crowds in the summer season, plan your visit early in the morning or in late afternoon and consider venturing off the main trails to the less crowded paths which offer unique viewpoints over the lakes. It is also important to note that buses running to the park from the coastal cities of Split and Zadar are often overcrowded in the summer months and may not reliably make every scheduled stop once they are full. Alternatively, you may consider renting a car and/or staying for a night in one of the nearby villages for early access to the park.
Have you visited Plitvice Lakes National Park?
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