Photos

Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera)

This is one of the most beautiful places in the whole of Croatia. Lake of turquoise color with the surrounding rock and sparkling white walls create a unique composition. Plitvice Lakes lie in the eastern part of the mountains of Mala Kapela, in fact their contact with the border (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Pljesevica mountains, which together are part of the Dinaric Alps. Plitvice Lakes National Park contains sixteen karst lakes connected by waterfalls and cascades along with dolomite lime environment (canyons, caves and forested mountains).

After purchasing tickets and supply a map of the park (although the one printed on the ticket, more than enough), we can go on a tour. And we have the complete freedom: we can use paths for pedestrians, move park train (on wheels, running on asphalt roads) as well as small-boats sail on the largest lake - all without restrictions (in the entry price).

Lakes, located cascade are separated by dikes arising from deposited limestone (called travertine dams) that piling pile up water lake. After some time the weir is sufficiently high, the pressure of the stacked lake water turns out to be larger than its strength. The interrupt occurs and the whole process starts again. I was led along this dike wooden bridges that allow you to pass from one side canyon to the other, giving you the opportunity to see up close water rapids and establish their settlements limestone with moss growing on them (which grow in specific green cascades).

The water in the lakes is crystal clear and the white bottom (embedded limestone and magnesium) reflects light, so that the lakes are extremely transparent. This allows for observation of fish living in it. Here are the most common minnow pipelining that whole shoals move along the banks and bridges throughout the park, accompanying visitors (and counting probably feeding).

Bypass all the lakes it may take up to eight hours. Given that the Plitvice Lakes are usually break on the road to the Adriatic, the minimalist version can be visited within two hours (most interest places). The optimal solution seems to be taking over the park about five hours, which will see almost everything, and not be too tiring.

The Plitvice Lakes is also related to recent history of Croatia. It is here, in connection with demands for independence, Serbian Krajina, in Easter 1991, the first shots. Serbian soldiers of the army of Republika Srpska Krajina, supported by the Yugoslav People's Army, attacked a police station, a police officer Josip Jovic became the first Croatian victims of this extremely bloody in the former Yugoslavia beginning of the 90 th, XX century. After four years, the Croatian army bounced park (putting an end to separatist movements of local Serbs) and permanently incorporated this area into the Republic of Croatia. Fortunately, nature hardly suffered during the war and now we can enjoy it in its full glory.

This is a scan from negative.