The road wound its way out of one valley into another and after an hour or so we reached the Plitvička area. First we took a detour to Rastoke, a village where the Slunjčica River flows dramatically into the Korana River. I’d read it was home to a number of old water mills and worth a visit to see the waterfalls. Having navigated the less than clear map which suggested we needed a ticket to make a circuit of the village using a new bridge, we bought our ticket and walked down into Rastoke.
We stopped at this restaurant for a cold drink and to take some pictures and was glad we hadn’t been hungry when I saw the menu … I may have eaten all sorts of meat, but I’m not sure I could eat bear, especially after having just m
It became apparent that most of the old mills had been converted into private homes and holiday accommodation and although one was still active, it wasn’t possible to see inside. We managed a few snaps …
… but decided it hadn’t really been worth the detour – some you win and some you lose!
Back to Plitvička and the Mirić Inn where we are staying for three nights.
Not only do we have this lovely room with all mod cons, but we are just across the road from Angelo’s Bistro, with a pizzeria nearby.
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia, famous for its numerous turquoise-coloured lakes separated by tufa barriers and its series of waterfalls. The length of the water line is 9km and the drop 133m and the volume of water 30 million cubic metres.
There are two main areas, the upper and lower lakes with around 22km of trails as well as a shuttle and a boat to enable visitors of all abilities to enjoy the park.
On the first day we took the shuttle bus to the top of the Upper Lakes and followed the trail down …
… with Veliki Prštavac being by far the most impressive waterfall …
… and yes readers, we were there!
A little R&R back at the guesthouse was well deserved and I read that in 1991, the civil war actually began here when rebel Serbs took control of the park headquarters and installed barracks. The Croatian army retook the park in 1995 and facilities were restored.
Once the day had cooled, we returned. Our ticket allowed a trip across Kozjak Lake each day, so we took the electric boat across the largest and deepest lake …
… then caught the shuttle bus back to the car, and ended the day with pizza!
Next morning, we entered at the Lower lakes and were greeted with this view lit up with the morning sun.
The trail wound down and across the lake …
… to Veliki Slap, which at 78m is the tallest waterfall in Croatia …
… where everyone want a snap!
These chestnut wood boardwalks have become something of a motif of the park …
… linking the cascades …
… and I spotted a dice snake in one of the pools.
At Kozjak Lake once more, we took the boat one way and then walked the trail back …
… and ended with a climb to a higher path to take in a few viewpoints from the top …
Here we are, back at the beginning around 4 hours later, just as the sky started rumbling and the first drops of rain fell … perfect timing!
We were pleased to have started around 9.00 both mornings, not only to miss the crowds as day trippers generally arrive at lunchtime, but also as we were able to walk in the cool of the morning and avoid a huge thunderstorm! There certainly were busy sections, but it was also possible to just enjoy walking with such lovely views.
Chris used the thunderstorm to tweak his snaps and was pleased with the Olympus in built ND filters …
We had a lovely meal in Angelo‘s on the first night – a welcome schnapps and appetiser followed by grilled platters, then strudel and ice cream.
We returned on the last night and got chatting to Alison and Mark from Sydney (who live just down the road from where my sister used to live) and have just come from England visiting Windsor (just down the road from where we live) … small world! Chances are we’ll meet again as we are all off to Zadar next!
Off Travelling Together 