Croatia's Picturesque Plitvice Lakes National Park
Croatia's Plitvice Lakes
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Americans worry about the potential dangers of traveling in a country that was in the headlines for its bloody war just a decade or so ago. But as soon as they arrive, they're surprised by how peaceful and stable Croatia feels. The country's primary tourist region — the coast — was barely touched by the war (except for the town of Dubrovnik, which has been painstakingly restored).
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Cost and Hours: The price to enter the park varies by season (April–Oct — 110 kn, and Nov-March — 70 kn; ticket good for entire stay, including park entry, boat, shuttle bus, and parking). Park hours are also changeable (generally from 7:00 in summer, 8:00 in spring and fall, and 9:00 in winter; closes at dusk). Night owls should note that the park never "closes"; these hours are for the ticket booths and the boat and shuttle bus system. You can just stroll right into the park at any time, provided that you aren't using the boat or bus. For fewer tour-group crowds, visit early or late in the day.
Updated for 2008
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While Croatia is known for its recent war of independence from Yugoslavia, few Americans are aware of its natural beauty. One of the country's most spectacular spots is an inland forest, laced with waterfalls and studded with turquoise lakes.
Plitvice (PLEET-veet-seh) Lakes National Park, a two-hour drive south of the capital city of Zagreb, is among Europe's best back-to-nature experiences. Imagine Niagara Falls diced and sprinkled over a heavily forested Grand Canyon. This lush valley has 16 terraced lakes strung together by waterfalls and miles of pleasant plank walks. Over time, the water has simultaneously carved out and, with the help of mineral deposits, built up this fluid landscape. Countless cascades and strangely clear and colorful water make this park a misty natural wonderland.
Plitvice became Croatia's first national park in 1949. On Easter Sunday in 1991, the first shots of Croatia's war with Yugoslavia were fired right here. In fact, the war's first casualty was a park policeman, Josip Jovic. The Serbs occupied Plitvice until 1995, and many of the Croatians you'll meet here were evacuated and lived near the coastline as refugees. Today the war is a fading memory and the park is again a popular tourist destination, with nearly a million visitors each year (though relatively few are from the US). To stay at any of the park's lodges (with doubles ranging from $80 to $130), reserve through the park office (www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr).
Put on your best walking shoes: Plitvice's system of trails and boardwalks makes it possible for visitors to get up close to the park's beauty. In some places, the paths literally lead right up the middle of a waterfall. Strolling the boardwalks, you'll get great views of the travertine formations that make up Plitvice's many waterfalls.
You can climb through the slippery Supljara Cave, an unassuming cavern with a cinematic claim to fame. In the 1960s, several German and Italian spaghetti westerns were filmed at Plitvice and in other parts of Croatia (which, to European eyes, has terrain similar to the American West). The most famous, Der Schatz im Silbersee (The Treasure in Silver Lake) was filmed here at Plitvice, and the treasure was hidden in this cave. The movie is still a favorite in Germany — complete with Deutsch-speaking "Native Americans" — and the park is a stop on the popular theme tours that bring German tourists to movie locations in Croatia.
A 20-minute boat ride along the park's biggest lake, Lake Kozjak, connects Lower and Upper Lakes. Save time for this trip, as the lower half of the Upper Lakes is the most striking area in the park.
After a full day of wandering through the mist, duck into the Licka Kuca restaurant, across the pedestrian overpass from Entrance 1, for some tasty grilled trout. While most of the park's restaurants are good but dull, this place, with a huge, open-air wood-fired grill, has a wonderfully dark, smoky atmosphere that feels as rustic and idyllic as the park itself.