Plitviče Lakes National Park is a 295-sq.-km forest reserve located in Croatia close to Bihac, a little north west Bosnian border town. It is famous for a chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls, that extend into a limestone canyon.
I visited this beautiful place for the first time on a road trip with friends in the summer of 2008. As we were on a mission to see as much as possible in a short time, we agreed we would spend an hour there before driving on along the coastline towards the south.
As soon as we saw the actual lakes, our plan went out the window and we ended up spending SIX hours there instead!
One of the more famous pictures of Plitvice Lakes
There are half-day (3- 4 hours) and full-day itineraries (5-6 hours) available. All routes are circular, most of the time you will walk (Be aware you will have to do a lot of climbing as there is a difference of 133 m between the first and last lake) and the route will take you back to the starting point.
I loved this place so much that I took my dad there the following summer!
Entrance fee varies depending on the time of the year:
8 USD in the winter up to 27 USD during peak period of July and August in the summer.
The entrance tickets include a panoramic train and electric boat rides.
The electric boat linking the upper 12 and lower 4 lakes
The lower lakes are the site of Veliki Slap, a 78m-high waterfall.
As you walk along the marked paths, you will cross little bridges and waterfalls and if you’re anything like me, will wish you can catch those fish and grill them. 😉
Some rules to adhere while there:
You can also rent a boat and go rowing on one of the upper lakes. We had a lot of fun doing that.
We really took our time walking around the national park and taking too many pictures.
If you wonder how the lakes were born, what makes this river and lakes so beautiful and why swimming is prohibited, read below.
There are many restaurants and cafes there but we opted to eat some pastry we bought from a stall just outside the entrance as well as some fruit we had with us.
I cannot wait to visit this incredibly beautiful place for a third time with my husband and kids!
Have you been here before? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Check out the road trip across the Balkans which we did that took us here the second time around!
