Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia

In a valley surrounded by forested mountains, lies the Plitvice Lakes National Park, sixteen lakes of karst origin, which reflect, in a series of cascades and waterfalls, the lush vegetation of one of the most remarkable natural areas in Croatia. Streams and small rivers feed the lakes, whose crystal limpidity between the green and blue, has been registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site since 1979.

Plitvice lakes

Plitvice lakes Park in Croatia

The Bijela Rijeka, Crna Rijeka, and Rjecca flow into the Plitvice’s basin,, as well as underground water from snowmelt and the presence of some springs. The Park of Plitvice is basically divided into two areas: the upper lakes and lower lakes. The first are carved on dolomite rock, the others are located in a limestone valley. The richness of flora and fauna makes the Plitvice Park a preferred Croatian destination with almost one million visitors a year.

The upper Lakes

Proscansko Lake, 630 meters of altitude, is characterized by its dark green waters surrounded by dense forests of conifers and hardwoods. In part fueled by Proscansko, and partly by underground springs, is the adjacent Lake Ciginovac whose main point of attraction is the waterfalls cascading from Proscansko into its waters. 11 meters deep, it is connected to Lake Okrugljak by another beautiful waterfall. This small lake is enhanced by a second waterfall which jumps with a leap of 20 feet onto a tufaceous barrier overlooking an interesting series of grottos and natural caves.

Even smaller is the Batinovac Lake, which is only 5 meters deep. Surrounded by tall beech trees it sets apart for a series of beautiful waterfalls, the largest of which, with a jump of 28 meters, feeds the Galovac Lake. Here too, the spectacle of nature relies on a series of sparkling waterfalls, but the most intimate beauty of Galovac lies in its colours: shades of emerald lap the banks, while more intense colours mark the deeper central area. Chroma, which would become very attractive in autumn, when the leaves add an extra touch of poetry to the landscape.

The eastern side of the lake is justly famous for the so-called Prstavci (Splashes), cascading waterfalls on the underlying level for more than 20 meters. The Veliki Prstavci, the widest waterfall in the lake, marks the northern part. The waters of Galovac feed: The Mile Lake, which barely reaches a maximum depth of one meter, Lake Gradinsko, wonderful for its hue fading from the dark green of its depths up to lighter green and white of the shoal, the Burgeti, a series of shallow lakes separated by travertine dames covered with aquatic vegetation, and Lake Kozjac, with its dolomite oval shape island Stefanjin Otok. The lakes of Malo, Milinovo and Vir are also part of the upper cluster.

Waterfalls in the Park

Waterfalls flowing into the lower basin of the Park

The lower lakes

The largest of the lower lakes is Lake Milanovac, where the water fades from green to azure, because of the intensity of the sunlight, the cloudless sky, or depending on the different viewpoints taken by visitors. Surrounded by high cliffs and caves, it falls into the lake Gavanovac through the Milka Trnina waterfalls, dedicated to a famous Croatian opera singer. The Gavanovac, surrounded by a rocky canyon, joins the Lake Kaluderovac through the ‘Velike Kaskade’ (big waterfall).

The last lake of the Park, Novakovica Brod, has one of the most spectacular views in the waterfalls which, with a jump of over 25 meters, flow into the Sastavci basin. The Plitvica stream and spring waters of the karst river Korana also flow into this valley. This unique water feature ends with the grand entrance of the cave Golubnjaca.

Showing its beauty to visitors, a very important role is played by the numerous grottos that dot the lakes. Decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, some, like the Blue Grotto which is only accessible by water, have become ideal habitat for bats, who find here the right natural environment. Moreover, the choice to not affect the original beauty of these places with artificial structures, sometimes makes it difficult to access the caves. In almost all cases, in order to enjoy the archaic charm of these natural cavities it is necessary to get a flashlight.

Plitvice in Croatia

Landscape of the Croatian national Park

The fauna of the Park

Lots of butterflies and moths live in the area of the National Park. A summary analysis estimated between 400 and 500 species in total. Less ethereal, and no doubt easier to catalog, are the fish species, among which worth mentioning are trout, minnows, catfish, carp and rudd. Among the amphibians: salamanders, newts, frogs and toads are the largest group, while more rare are the few native species of reptiles.

There are over 140 the bird species recorded in the area, of which about half have chosen the Plitvice National Park as a breeding place. Dippers, mountain wagtails and wild ducks are very easy to meet; more shy, and certainly less numerous, are woodpeckers, grouse, owls, tawny owls, herons and loons. Peregrine falcons and golden eagles are rarer. Large mammals are part of the fauna of the park too, such as bears, wolves, lynx, foxes, badgers, dormouse and marmots, but, apart from dawn and dusk, it is very difficult to see them even though for the most attentive visitors’ eye.

By C. Pinotti & A. Fanzini

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