Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia – Your Questions Answered
Everything you need to know before visiting the waterfalls of Plitvice
On Easter weekend of 2018, Lukas and I did a road trip from Berlin to Croatia – Petrova Gora and Plitvice being the main draws of Croatia for us. I’d seen stunning, vibrant photos of cascading waterfalls and rail-less boardwalks winding across emerald green lakes, and I needed to see it for myself. But I wondered, would it be overpriced and packed with tourists? Would the water actually be that blue or would it be just a small area that was so nice? I’d been fooled by amazing internet pictures before and Plitvice looked like it might just be too good to be true. So I dedicate this article to everything you might be wondering about how Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park actually is and how you can get the best out of it.
Read Ahead:
- ‘Plitvice’ – How to Pronounce it?
- Why are Plitvice lakes so blue?
- Is Plitvice overrated?
- Which route to take?
- How many days to budget?
- Best Plitvice accommodation?
‘Plitvice’ – How to Pronounce it?
Ok, before you say this word out loud to anyone, let’s make sure you’re pronouncing it right. So, ‘Plitviče,’ how to say it properly?
Pronounce it ‘plit-VEE-tsuh’
Why are Plitvice lakes so blue?
Actually, the color of the water at Plitvice ranges from emerald green to sapphire to grey depending on many factors such as the season, the light and of course, the levels of different minerals in the water. The water is always crystal clear though.
Plitvice is an extremely delicate ecosystem and to prevent the growth of organic materials in the water, swimming has been banned in the park since 2006. If you want to swim in turquoise water below some waterfalls in Croatia, head over to Krka instead!
There’s nothing that warms my heart more than older couples in love.
Tell me you’ve seen the movie ‘Up’…
Is Plitvice Overrated?
It’s easy to get sold on an entire trip just because of a few beautiful pictures from pinterest, only to get there and realize that there’s not much more. So is this the case with Plitvice? Are the Plitvice lakes worth visiting?
Plitvice Lakes National Park is 100% worth visiting and even solely worth an entire trip to Croatia for. They’ve really done a good job of making the lakes accessible to humans without ruining the feeling of being in nature. It’s no wonder the park is also a UNESCO World Heritage site – it’s absolutely breathtaking. Actually, it’s one of those places that’s difficult to take a picture of that does it justice.
But does this mean it’s also packed with tourists?
The park can be busy in the summer when the trees are fully green, so counter this by showing up early. Otherwise, Plitvice is worth seeing at anytime of the year and it won’t even be very busy. We went in the spring on Easter weekend, and the park wasn’t super busy.
Which Route to Take?
Plitvice Lakes National Park is just under 300 km2 and while it’s best known for it’s scenic cascading lake waterfalls, the lakes actually only cover about 1% of the park’s total area. There are 16 lakes total which are divided into the 12 upper lakes and the 4 lower lakes. In the lower lakes you will find the big waterfall ‘Veliki Slap’ and the famous no-rail boardwalks that wind through the deep waterfall filled canyon. The upper lakes are made of a harder stone making them larger with gentler shores.
I recommend starting at ‘Entrance 1’, located at the northern end of the park and work your way along the boardwalks in the canyon up to the final lower lake, ‘Jazero Kozjak’ – walking up the waterfalls will give you a better view than walking down them. The lower lakes took us about 6 hours with me stopping very frequently to take photos. At Lake Jazero Kozjak, you have the option to take the ferry to entrance 2, where you can then continue on to the upper lakes or take the shuttle bus back to entrance 1 where you probably parked the car. The signs are all very easy to follow and if you are only coming for the lakes, it’s not necessary to plan routes, etc.
The lower lakes are the must-see in Plitvice Lakes National Park and make for the best starting point!
How Many Days to Budget?
To just see the lower falls is very satisfying and can be done in half a day. If you are ambitious and want to see all of the waterfalls, you could do it in one day but really, it would be more comfortable to do it in 2 days – and that’s just the lakes.
If you are interested in spending some time with nature and getting away from all the people, consider staying even longer to really explore the park. There are a bunch of extremely scenic villages nearby like Rastoke, where we stayed, that would be lovely to spend a week in and would afford you the time to make several trips back to the park. That’s what I call a perfect, relaxing yet active vacation.
Best Plitvice Accomodation?
We stayed in the village of Rastoke which is only about 15 km from ‘Entrance 1’ of the Plitvice Lakes National Park and though I booked our room there out of convenience, it was unexpectedly just about as stunning as Plitvice! We booked a room in a guest house overlooking the village and I must say, it’s really what completed the Croatia/Plitvice experience. Rastoke is a historic mill town with tiny canals and waterfalls running all through it and though it’s not on the scale of Plitvice, it’s a sight to be seen in it’s own right – I couldn’t help but mention it!