Saturday, December 1, 2007
Visit Croatia - Plitvice Lakes
The Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's most popular tourist attraction, was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979. Located roughly halfway between capital city Zagreb and Zadar on the coast, the lakes are definitely a must-see. (As confirmed by the many emails we've received!) The beauty of the National Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, and set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species. The National Park covers a total area of 300 square kilometres, whilst the lakes join together over a distance of eight kilometres. There's also quite an altitude difference - the highest point is at 1,280m, the lowest at 380m - although the total height difference between the lakes themselves is only 135m. (Veliki Slap, the largest waterfall, is 70m tall.) Plitvice Lakes - Veliki Slap - The Park is open daily all year round, with longer opening hours during summer (usually 8am to 7pm). There's an entrance fee, which acts as a contribution to the Park's upkeep and protection: for adults it's 55 Kunas in November - April; 85 Kunas in May & June and September & October; 100 Kunas in July & August. Children aged 7 to 18 have cheaper tickets, whilst children under the age of seven have free entrance. Groups of 15 or more people can get discounted tickets. 3-hour guided tours in English, German or Italian can also be pre-booked at 20 Euros per hour.
What is there to do?
There are numerous trails on which to walk and hike, and there are also boat and shuttle bus services in order to see the Park it all its glory.
Accommodation in Plitvice
It is possible to stay within the Park at one of its three hotels (which are all clustered quite closely together by Entrance 2) or at its campsite (which contains bungalows or space for 500 camping units) which is located about 7km outside of the northern entrance of the Park. There is another hotel, the Hotel Grabovac, that is also located 12km north of the Park. It's also possible to find private accommodation in a number of the towns and villages (such as Slunj) on the way to the Park.
