National Park Plitvice – Beauty doesn’t need to be modern

Plitvica is one of the biggest and most popular rivers in all of northern Croatia. It is about 65 kilometers long and covers about 272 square kilometers of area. From the waterfalls to lakes and cheese tasting experiences in the region, there is a lot to conquer for the common man. Regardless of all these beauties, one thing that stands out the most is the National Park of Plitvice.

Fascinating facts about Plitvice National Park

It sometimes looks like a sea of emeralds

One of the most prominent things that you will notice about the Plitvice national park is that its lakes look like a massive chunk of emerald melted down into water form. Apparently, the color is produced by the water itself that pours down from the mountains that are covered in limestone rocks, moss and algae. If you are visiting the region, do check out the absolutely phenomenal lakes, as they make for the ultimate Instagrammable pictures.

Size

The Plitvice national park is the largest national park in the region and gets about a million visitors each year. There must be a reason to all of this, and yes there is. The beautiful scenery as well as the countless waterfalls that are in this region make the national park absolutely phenomenal experience.

The water changes colors

If you are on a multiple-day tour to the national park, something that we do recommend through a private charter, you will notice that the water does change colors every now and then. The color of waters can go from emerald to turquoise and even the occasional grey. It is a work of nature, as the water is miraculously changing colors only because of the different quantity of minerals in the water. For example, if calcium carbonate is in a higher quantity, you will find the water turning turquoise or blue. If more limestones rocks are absorbed by the water, the lakes will turn emerald.

The Legend of the Black Queen ‘Prosnja’

The locals have a legend that the Black Queen or ‘Prosnja’ is the magical queen that is the reason why the lakes of the region exist. Apparently, according to them, the region once faced a massive draught that could end life in the region, but the locals called about the magic queen to help them and she did.

The Legend of the Cave Monk ‘Kaluder’

This region has more legends than the entirety of a few Bollywood movies. The legend of the cave monk is simple: apparently, there was a wise monk who lived in one of the caves of the region, possibly either Suljara or Golubnjaca. People would go around and ask the monk for various forms of advice on multiple forums. Though his name wasn’t really revealed, he is usually known as The Monk or ‘Kaluder’. There is even a lake nearby named after him: ‘Kaluderovo Jezero’.

Locations you absolutely don’t want to miss

Here are some of the best locations that you shouldn’t miss for the world, even if you are low on time:

Veliki Slap – your first destination

Whether you are here from a luxury cruising boat or via a car, the first destination that you should be visiting in the Veliki Slap. The location is not only the most beautiful location we could find but the majestic waterfalls that pour over 78 meters of height are something that you can’t help but adore.
You can climb the location through the stairs and see the top of the waterfall too!

Lakes of Plitvice

Here are some of the lakes of Plitvice that you definitely don’t want to miss, no matter what:

• Lake Milino Jezero – one of the rather eccentric lakes that follow the color-changing scheme, you should definitely consider investing in Lake Milino. It makes for the best Instagrammable pictures.
• Lake Kozjak – lake Kozjak is one of those lakes that you will find adorable no matter where you are looking at it from. You should definitely consider this location if you find the time.
• Plitvicka Jezera – It is a nice place that you visit on pretty cheap. There are stairs that you can use to climb the location and even features clean toilets!
• Ciginovac – the second-highest lake in the region, if you are visiting the national park, you definitely have to get to this location. Of course, if you didn’t like Veliki Slap, you might not like this either.
• The upper lakes – the entire duration of the trip to the upper lakes depends on how much time you spend at each lake, though it will take no more than 3 hours at a normal pace. You should definitely consider hiring a professional tour guide to get you through this location.

Caves of Plitvice

Other than the lakes, countless caves are spread across the national park. One of the most interesting things about these caves is the fact that it still harbors some species that cannot survive in any other environment. In fact, archaeologists have even found bones of some species that had already gone extinct hundreds of years before.
Though we won’t be mentioning any individual cave because there is a great load of them, you should consider visiting at least the Barac Caves. If you find the time, do consider visiting all of them.

Are you hungry by now?

If you are feeling hungry on your trip and want to try some of the exquisite food of the region, here are some of the recommendations that we personally have tested:

• Restoran Degenija – Restoran Degenija or Degenija for short is one of the best Italian-based restaurants in the region. It has a light-hearted menu and you will also find yourself wanting to revisit the location because of its friendly and quick customer service.
• Bistro & Caffe Plum – Bistro & Caffe Plum is one of the rather popular tavern-like locations in the location. Yes, it is more popular for its cocktails, but you can still find some great dishes to go alongside these cocktails. Plus, even if you have kids, they provide family-friendly space.
• House Katarina – House Katarina may not be as popular as the previous offerings, but their platters are something out of this world. Words can’t describe how amazing they are, but you will absolutely adore their texture.
• Licka Kuca – Licka Kuca is the most popular restaurant in Plitvicka Jezera and has great dining options all time round. Though it closes early and has longer waits than the other options on this list, you will still find it to be a pretty good option all around.

Final Thoughts:

There is so much to do in National Park Plitvice that we cannot recommend everything. If you think that you are enticed about spending your next cruising holidays in the lake, do consider hiring our special 7-day services.

Our complete package will give you an exquisite luxury cruising experience on a small cruise ship all across the Mediterranean region. You will definitely not regret your decision.