Plitvice National Park: The Land Before Time

There are so many things I could say about Plitvice Lakes National Park, but none of them do it the justice that this pictures does:

Doesn’t it look like some sort of lost world? I half expected to see a dinosaur lumbering out of the bushes at any moment. In actuality, Plitvice is one of Croatia’s most popular tourist attractions. It’s a sort of wonderland of lakes and waterfalls, big and small.

The lakes are created by runoff from nearby mountains running through travertine rock, a kind of dissolvable limestone. There are 16 lakes total, although it’s difficult to tell where one ends and another begins. The water changes color from pool to pool and based on the sunlight, but all of it was eerily translucent the way only water that is completely untouched can be.

Pathways wind around, over and behind the waterfalls, allowing you to see the lakes from every possible angle. Water runs everywhere in an endless cascade. Even through the steps:

I visited Plitvice with some of my new Australian Party Cruise friends and we spent a full day wandering the trails, above water pathways and caves of the park. In mid-June the park was busy- mostly with local Croatian tourists and buses of Japanese  travelers, but not annoyingly so. There was plenty of space to walk peacefully and enjoy the beauty of the park.

It won’t surprise you to know that Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Somehow, despite being incredibly popular within the Balkans, it’s mostly unknown outside of the region. It’s one of my favorite places I’ve visited and I really can’t recommend it any more highly.

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34 thoughts on “Plitvice National Park: The Land Before Time”

  1. @drew you wanna build a house there lol..as Steph wrote about thats a BIG NO NO.. 🙂 .. I’ve been there a couple of years ago..and I’m planning to visit next year again..if it weren’t for other stuff I’d probably have gone there more than once by now.. I mean if you don’t have the finance to travel there pics are great..but anyone that can afford this..should pack their bags and travel to Croatia..cause even though I would like to explain describe the place..it’s a unique experience that just can’t be described..and if you’re in Croatia I would recommend visiting other National Parks as well…like Krka, Brijuni, Paklenica… I mean neither of them are too far away…considering the size of Croatia

  2. Those photos bring back great memories! I was there just a couple of years ago. Croatia is a gorgeous country – we flew into Zagreb and drove down the coast, stopping where we wanted and each place was more beautiful than the next. I loved the smaller towns most. Trogir was great with a nice balance of small-town vibe while still having plenty to see and do.

  3. Wow… it looks absolutely amazing. I’ve never heard of it before and I am seriously wondering why. Talk about well-kept secret. I’m definitely adding it to my list of places I want to visit! I totally see what you mean about the dinosaurs. Jurassic Park eat your heart out 🙂

    1. A lot of the Balkans is pretty unknown tourism wise. I suspect this won’t be the case for long…

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