A few days ago we told you about the beginning of our stay in Croatia, specifically in Zagreb. Today we are going to talk about the next destination we enjoy in the country: the Plitvice Lakes National Park. We will leave Split and Dubrovnik for the next tickets. You can Visit Plitvice Lakes National Park.
About the Lake
The Plitvice Lakes, located in the Lika region, are for us a mandatory stop in Croatia. It was what we liked the most and enjoyed the most. So if you are reading us, mark the lakes as a priority! It would be a shame to go to the country and not see this incredible place declared a World Heritage Site.
- The lakes are, as its name suggests, a succession of 16 lakes (divided into lower and upper lakes) that descend about 130 meters of altitude, between 503 and 636 meters, in the middle of a spectacular environment with springs, streams and waterfalls (there are more than 90). All this surrounded by lush forests.
- The fact that the hand of man has not intervened in the area beyond some details (in fact it is prohibited to fish, bathe, etc.) and the wild colors of the park, its turquoise, blue and green waters surrounded by so much vegetation ( firs, beech, pine …) make it unique for the visitor, but also for the wolves, bears and deer that live there. In fact, one of the first tips is to bring binoculars (something that surely many will see old-fashioned) and (if possible) a camera with a good zoom that allows you to see what your eyes do not see without help. Hopefully you will see even more wonderful things. And if not, it is easy to come across many birds, from ducks to eagles.
To give you an idea, the park has 30,000 hectares, 22,000 of them covered with forests, but the area that we can visit ‘only’ occupies about eight square kilometers.
How to go to Plitvice lakes from Zagreb
To go to the Plitvice Lakes, we took a bus from Zagreb, which is the closest major city (although buses leave from Zadar and Split as well). If you make a tour of Croatia from north to south in fact it is very likely that you come from Zagreb.
Every day, especially in summer, many buses leave at different times from the capital to the lakes. We preferred to leave Zagreb first thing (around 7 in the morning) because we were only going to spend a day and a night there and we wanted to take advantage of it.
The last Words
Can you see the Plitvice lakes in one day? Yes, it was the time we were there, but there are many who even recommend being there for two days. If you have time and are lovers of nature, in fact we highly recommend it because we want more and to go more slowly.
It will also serve to disconnect if you have been without stopping for several days. It is also true that there are people who go by bus or car from Zagreb and return to the city in the same day and people who only spend an afternoon. A matter of time and taste.