Plitvice Lakes

I was not going to do a review on this well-known World Heritage Site, however I noticed that the last review was undertaken in 2018, so thought an update would be good. We visited in October 2024 in the shoulder season. All our research indicated that the best option for us due to time and maximising the views of waterfalls, was walk C and to leave from Entrance 1. But more importantly to get there before 9.00am to avoid the crowds. The Park opens at 7.00. We had a hire car and left Zagreb around 6.00am with a short coffee stop at Rastoke village along the way, a small village with waterfalls cascading through the village and parks. A pleasant stop.

Arriving at Entrance 1 around 8.15am, the carpark was still quite busy but easy to find a close carpark after picking up your automated ticket at the parking entrance. A short walk over the main road by a bridge takes you to the main office where we purchased 2 adult tickets for 46 Euro. A separate office next door was selling maps for 3 Euro. You don't need though, unless you want specifically for a memento as you just need to take a photo the map board. The cost is for the entrance for the day, no matter what walk you choose.

Walk C took us to both the upper and lower lakes, which was an easy walk, although if you have mobility issues or use a …

Plitvice Lakes is undeniably beautiful and the National Park is well managed—both things that would usually earn this five stars, but it's just too popular to be as enjoyable as it could have been. The park uses an elaborate system of boardwalks to lead tourists through the lakes and waterfalls all throughout the area, which means everyone is on virtually the same set path through the park. And if you happen to arrive when a few of the huge tour buses do too, then it can be intense.

But on my first visit I didn't realize that there are hiking paths beyond the 2-3 hour one that most people take—if you have a day you can spend as many as 8 hours hiking through the park, and you would find far fewer people on those other routes, as well as a chance at spotting some of the unique wildlife. 

That said, even though more than 10,000 people visit on a high season day, the 16 terraced lakes are magnificently pretty. I've seen a lot of places in Europe, and Plitvice surprised me—yes, a place like this actually exists in Europe! The water changes hues of aqua and green as you progress through the landscape and if it's a sunny day the sparkling colors are just breathtaking.

Although some people whip through the park quickly, there are some surprises if you take it slowly and exhaust the many paths, taking the 4+ hour twists and turns instead, which …

It was 6:40h in the morning in Karlovac and I was boarding the bus to Plitvice NP. I had assumed that primarily locals would be on a bus this early, but I was mistaken. Indeed, plenty of Asian travellers had boarded the bus at 6:00h back in Zagreb. That's when I knew that this was a popular site.

We arrived around 8:00h and exited the bus at Entry 1. Directly behind the entry there is a viewpoint with a nice view of the largest waterfall of the park. Arriving this early had the benefit of mist still covering the lakes and canyon. It looked mystical. I should have brought a dark filter and a tripod for my camera.

There are several hikes in the park. I started with Trail A, but was a bit befuddled when I didn't see the glorious cascades. So I hurried all across park to get to Entry 2 hoping to see them there, but no. Clyde in our whatsapp group eventually resolved the mystery: Water levels in autumn were really low, so the cascades were not as impressive as they could have been.

Due to bad bus schedules and me having to travel back to Pula I only had 2h on site. While this is enough for Trail A, I would have preferred some more hours to see a bit more.

Getting To

Plitvice is Croatia's most popular tourist site. As such I assume that you will be …

So impressed when I visited Plitvice Lakes in spring 2010 that I went back there with my then-girlfriend in summer the following year. Upon my first visit, I said if the US had Grand Canyon, Europe had Plitvice Lakes. But after seeing amazing photos of the park covered in snow in Google Images, I had been seeking a chance to come back here in winter, and the chance finally came this winter.

Upon hearing that the park could be closed due to snow in winter, I decided to stay overnight at the park to increase my chance of entering the park and booked an inn about 2 km south of Entrance 2. I thought I could easily walk for 2 km.

I took an 8:30 bus from Split and after a long but somewhat scenic ride, during which it started snowing as the bus went into mountains, arrived at the park about 13:00. To my surprise, Entrance 2, the only entrance I used in my previous visits, was closed, and the bus kept going north for another 4 km to Entrance 1, meaning I was now 6 km away from my inn.

Entrance 1 was open and was selling tickets until 14:00. The price of ticket was reduced by half because only a half of the park was open.  

I walked on a loop that took me about 90 min. Somebody told me that it only started snowing a few days before in the area, so …

Plitvice Lakes National Park already became a World Heritage Site in 1979. It was among 6 sites from Yugoslavia that were inscribed that year, sites which now lie in 4 different countries (the others were Ohrid, Kotor, Split, Stari Ras and Dubrovnik). Plitvice is one of those ‘golden oldie’ Eastern European tourist destinations, like the Wieliczka Salt Mine or the Postojna Caves. One wonders if there comes a time when nobody will go there anymore. But it still attracts over one million visitors a year. I visited in early November - so what is Plitvice like out of season?

I had stayed overnight in a town nearby, which allowed me to be present at the Lakes at 8.30 a.m. A November trip proved to be rewarding financially right away: no parking fee is required at this time of year, and the cost of an entrance ticket is cut in half to 55 kuna (about 7.30 EUR). This gives unlimited access to the various park entrances for one day, plus free transportation on the ferry across the largest lake and the shuttle buses. Quite good value I think.

The park has two main entrances. I first drove to Entrance 2 (which lies somewhat halfway the Upper and Lower Lakes). This parking lot turned out to be closed, so I returned to Entrance 1. While in summer queues of an hour or more are not unheard of, the only other visitors this morning fitted in the one bus and some …

This is my first review on this website so it seemed logical to start with my first (knowingly) visit of a WHS. I still rank it as one of the best I have ever been. It's a site with a real "Wow-factor". At least it was for me. Since than I've been looking for more.

We made the trip in september 2010 from a holidayresort in the town of Pula. It’s about a 2 hour drive from there to Plitvice. A tour still vivid in our memory because of the route TomTom told us to drive. Along the tourist coastline the roads are perfectly fine but we found out that the same couldn't be said about the small paths leading through lovely burt down, war-torn villages a bit further in land. It was 15 years after the war but it seemed there was still a lot of repairwork to do. It made us quiet for a while but that soon changed when we were in the park.

Plitvice with its wonderful lakes and waterfalls is fantastic! I remember how surprised we were to see such an unspoiled piece of nature. We would have expected this on a far, far away island in the deep ocean but not in (our) industrialized Europe. Being raised in the city we had a very limited worldview I quess.

We were brought up the hill by a shuttle bus and as soon as we were dropped off we started admiring the landscape in awe. Crystal …

I visited this great natural WHS in April 2014. I spent 3 days here and it was worth it to have more time to visit at leisure. The entrance to the national park costs 14.50e (if you stay at one of the hotels inside the park this entrance fee will be valid for all your stay) allowing you to use the boat trips from one side to the other of the largest lake or else use the electic vehicles that take you from one entrance to the other. I didn't use the latter since I had ample time and decided to hike instead. The trails are really pretty and allow you to observe the abundant flora and fauna of the park. There are ladders that are placed on puddles so that you can easily walk the trail without wetting your shoes. However, good hiking shoes would be advisable. I visited both the upper lakes and the lower lakes and both are extraordinary. However, if I had to choose one, I'd go for the lower lakes with the big waterfall (Veliki Slap) and the "walk on water trails". The highlights of my visit were the panoramic views from above the Sulpjara Cave and just opposite the big waterfall with all the rainbows. Plitvice Lakes National Park is definitely one of the best natural WHS I visited in Europe.

The Plitvice Lakes National Park in the Dinaric Mountains is the largest and best known national park in Croatia. In total, the park comprises about 300 square kilometres, mostly primeval beech and fir forest, and is the refuge of bears, wolves and lynx. However, we've not seen any of these shy animals, except for the bear in the park logo. Like most tourists, we visited the area around the lakes, which is only a small part of the entire park. This landscape is called the "land of the falling lakes". At a length of 8 km, two larger and fourteen smaller lakes are lined up like pearls on a string. The lakes are connected by cascades and waterfalls and separated by natural barriers of travertine. It is a breathtakingly beautiful landscape: the water is crystal clear and shimmers blue and turquoise, beeches grow close to the shore, and everywhere is lush greenery.

We started our tour at the southern park entrance, which lies midway between the upper and lower lakes. First, we hiked north along the eastern shore of the largest lake (Kozjak jezero). The area of the four lower lakes are in a canyon-like landscape, our guide book described it as the most beautiful part of the park. The trail leads uphill along the ridge of the canyon to the big waterfall (Veliki slap) with a height of 78 metres. We had wonderful views of the lower lakes (photo) and the northern part of the park. Then we walked …

These lakes in central Croatia are justly famous for their natural beauty and wildlife. A classic karst landscape, the lakes are separated by dams and waterfalls. You can walk among the lakes on relatively narrow and slippery wooden trails. The area is really beautiful, unfortunately, when I visited there, it was cold and pouring (and it was mid-June). So maybe I'll get the chance to visit the lakes again in better weather sometime in the future.

My first trip to Croatia, and my friend Domenic took me to Plitvicka. We spend the night in his van in Slunj, where I got a bit of a preview of the area.

My knowledge about the park was zero when I arrived and I was in for a big surprise.

People say "it is the most beuatiful area in the whole of Kroatia", and afterwards I admit had to agree, eventhough I did not see the rest of the country.

Now I look out to seeing the movie of Winnetoe and the treasure of the Silver lake, just to get a bit back of that one wonderful day I spent there; saturday 10 June 2006, a great day, thanks a lot; Dado, Maja and Bagi!

About late May of 2003

I arrived by bicyle, bus and train to the park with the help of a pretty moslem woman and her french speaking Swiss girlfriend. We met while sitting at an isolated woodside intersection, while waiting for the local bus. The park is deeply shaded and wild in appearance. Most board walk trails are not signed in english. It takes a good 5 to 8 hours to view/travel the main riparian paths. there is a short boat trip involved. Walking is easy and cool. The region is a very safe one for travelers. Hotels are full service and expenses are low to moderate.