Croatian waterfalls. Plitvice Lakes - a Croatian fairy tale. Largest Lower Lakes

Wedding is one of the most romantic, majestic and touching rites. Recently, more and more couples do not want to limit the union of their hearts by marriage only with the help of the official, portly registry office aunt. Happy marriages are made in heaven, with God's help. But the usual ceremony in church does not always suit lovers. To exchange rings, some dive to the seabed with scuba gear, others take a priest with them to North Pole, the third - go to Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.

These are not some unsightly pathetic puddles: Plitvice National Park - 16 beautiful lakes connected by 92 waterfalls. This miracle of nature, which arose about 4 thousand years ago, is located between Zagreb and Dalmatia, not far from the highway. So don’t be surprised if you see wedding processions with ribbons and dolls in these places. Brides in white fluffy dresses against the backdrop of virgin forests and emerald lakes look unusual, but more spiritual than those near buildings with a “Registrar Office” sign. Again, you won’t have to stand in a long line - at least one waterfall will be free. Everything is not so scary: in fact, there are no crowds trampling the grass and diluting the crystal clear water with champagne. Lovers prefer to hold a ceremony at the foot of the largest of the local waterfalls. By the way, if your beloved cannot make up his mind and propose, take him to Plitvice, where your chosen one will probably no longer be tormented by vague doubts.

But even if all issues related to family happiness have already been resolved, there are many other reasons to go to Croatia. Love for nature is also a worthy reason. National parks and there are hundreds of nature reserves in Croatia. In terms of history and cultural heritage there are no spaces here either. In Dubrovnik, from the Middle Ages, a fortress, a Franciscan monastery, a princely house, the Sponza Palace and a bunch more have survived in their original form interesting monuments. Once in Split, even the most “extraordinary” beachgoers find time to wander through the halls of the Diocletian Palace (IV century). Ancient cities that harmoniously fit into the picturesque Croatian lands, churches, temples and all sorts of museums are in abundance.

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When it’s summer outside and the sun is baking as hard as it can, and the refreshing blue of the sea is nearby, it’s not easy to find the strength to look at the ethnographic and archaeological exhibits. But at the Malacological Museum in Makarska there is no end to visitors. There are always a lot of hunters to admire the collection of shells.

And it was the Croats who were the first to come up with the idea of ​​tying a tie around the neck. Simple stone carver Marin with local island A slave founded the first republic in Europe, San Marino, in the 4th century. And the world famous traveler Marco Polo was born in these parts. Both the automatic pencil and the parachute were invented in Croatia... But for tourists who inevitably flock here, all this is perhaps not as interesting as, for example, the fact that the name of the Dalmatian dog breed comes from the Croatian coast of Dalmatia. And not as attractive as the thousands of small islands scattered along the mainland, like black spots on the snow-white skin of a Dalmatian.

Krka (Croatia) - exact location, interesting places, inhabitants, routes.

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Krka National Park is home to seven beautiful cascades of waterfalls, two ancient monasteries, amazingly picturesque landscapes and a feeling of unity with nature that cannot be expressed in words. Located in Northern Dalmatia, near Šibenik, Krka is considered best place for an educational excursion that will end with a refreshing swim in the clear waters of the park’s river of the same name.

This national park- unique, its ecosystem, formed in the valley of the Krka River, is considered one of the richest and most beautiful in all of Croatia. Various natural world, unusual karst landscapes, a deep river carrying its waters through limestone rocks, waterfalls are just part of the riches of this park.

Among the outstanding representatives of Krk's fauna, it is worth mentioning more than 200 species of birds, including rare golden eagles, as well as Adriatic salmon and Visovac trout.

Like the famous Plitvice Lakes, Krka National Park has laid out comfortable wooden paths and bridges for its visitors, thanks to which you can move freely around the park without harming fragile nature. But what’s especially nice is that tourists can swim in Krka; there are specially designated areas on the river for this.

Krka National Park is home to seven beautiful cascades of waterfalls, two ancient monasteries, amazingly picturesque landscapes and a feeling of unity with nature that cannot be expressed in words.

But, of course, the main attraction of the national park is the waterfalls. The most impressive, tall and large is the cascade of 17 waterfalls Skradinski Buk, which falls from a height of 45 meters. In addition to this, the park has waterfalls Bilusic Buk (22 meters), Brljan (15 meters), Manoilovac (32 meters with a total drop of 60 meters), Rosnjak (8 meters), Miljačka Slap (24 meters) and Roški Slap (the main waterfall - 22.5 meters).

It would be unforgivable not to visit the two monasteries located in the park. The first is the Franciscan monastery of Visovac, which is located on island of the same name in the middle of the Krka River. The monastery was founded in the 14th century, in 1445 it passed to the Franciscans and they expanded and rebuilt it. The second monastery is an Orthodox Serbian one, which was also founded in the 14th century. In the course of history, it was destroyed more than once, in the 17th century it was almost completely wiped off the face of the earth by the Turks, the last time the monastery complex was not lucky enough to fall under the hot hand of the “Yugoslav” war. Fortunately, in 2001 the monastery was completely restored. Last but not least attraction national park Krka - Ethnographic Museum near the Skradinski buk waterfall. Here you can see water mills and an eccentric “washing machine” that runs on the energy of a waterfall.

Many people go to Plitvice Lakes during their holidays in Croatia, but not everyone knows that there is another similar one in Croatia natural miracle— Krka National Park, which is located closer to popular resorts, how famous lakes, and in beauty it is in no way inferior to the latter.

The place was named after the river of the same name. In the park you can find 7 waterfalls, as well as the Ethnographic Museum, the Franciscan Monastery on the island of Visovac and the Serbian Orthodox medieval monastery of Krka.

Opening hours of Krka Park in Croatia

There are several entrances to the park:

Entrances Lozovac and Skradinski buk - from 8.00 to 18.00

Roški slap – from 09:00 to 17:00

Burnum and Kistanje - 10:00 to 17:00

How to get to Krka Park?

Krka is located in Croatia in central Dalmatia between the cities of Sibenik and Knin. We drove to Krka by car from the free highway that runs along the sea. Along the way we stopped in Sibenik and a couple of other towns on the coast.

If your goal is to save time, you can take the Split-Zagreb highway and exit after the sign for Sibenik. Autobahns in Croatia are toll roads; a similar section of the journey will cost around 12-15 €.

If you are driving along the free highway along the sea, then after Šibenik, look for signs to KRKA (on a brown background). They meet there very often, it’s difficult to get lost. So, following the signs, we reached the Lozovac entrance around 15.30. Parked the car next to hundreds of others Vehicle and went to the park.

You can also get to Krka by public transport. First, get to the city of Sibenik, and there find a bus to the Lozovac station. Some advise going to the town of Skradin and entering the park from there, but if your goal is the island of Visovac, then you will still have to go to the ticket office at the entrance to Lozovac to get tickets.

Also, any resort sells excursions to Krka, but they have a significant drawback - time at the waterfalls is limited, you won’t be able to see the entire park.


Park map

Krka National Park

From the Lozovac entrance to the river, lakes and waterfalls you need to go down about 1 km. You can take a bus or walk down the mountain. By bus - for a fee ( 110 kn both ways).

Walking seems to be free. We went on foot and were at the bottom in about 20 minutes. Looking ahead, I will say that the way back up the mountain is much more difficult and takes 40 minutes.

We returned to the parking lot by bus. It was raining, I was freezing, so I only had enough strength to run to the bus. If the driver had checked the tickets, I would have bought them, but no one checked the tickets.


The road to the park (it’s a very long walk on asphalt, it’s better to follow the path)
View of the river from the trail

Once you go down to the park, there will be another ticket office where you can buy boat tickets to the island of Visovac and Roš Falls. The boat ride takes about 4 hours and costs 130 kn per person.

At the entrance you can take a program from detailed description and a map of the park, including in Russian. Because of the rain, we only walked along the eco-trail on special wooden bridges, but everyone really praised the trip to the island of Visovac to the monastery.

You can swim in the Skradinski Buk waterfall. There are always a lot of people in this part of the park, since those who come on an excursion are taken exactly here.

View of Skradinsky Buk from observation platforms:


Plitvice Lakes (Plitvicka Jezera, Plitvička jezera) is one of the most significant natural attractions of Croatia. On the territory of the national park, which covers an area of ​​29.5 hectares, there are picturesque waterfalls, caves, ponds, lakes and beech-fir forests, where you can meet roe deer, wildcats and observe rare species of birds. In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was included in the List World Heritage UNESCO.

The lakes and waterfalls of the reserve attract tourists from all over the world. Water streams form 16 large karst lakes with water of rich turquoise color, communicating with each other thanks to a cascade arrangement. Foamy waterfalls, lost in forests and thickets, create unique landscapes natural park. In the high mountain valley, new waterfalls appear every year: the limestone rocks surrounding the Plitvice Lakes supply the reservoirs with calcite, the crystals of which turn plants, leaves and branches that fall into the water into solid deposits. Hiking trails through the protected area they are laid along the most relief and colorful landscapes: a walk on wooden decks, rides on ferries and pleasure boats and a trip on a panoramic bus take from two to eight hours.










Cost of visit

There are two types of tickets for visiting Plitvice Lakes - for one or two days. During the period from April 1 to October 31, the entrance fee is 110 HRK (~$16.5) for adults, 80 HRK (~$12.0) for students, 55 HRK (~$8.2) for children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years old .

If you visit the park during the winter months, entrance fees will be cheaper. During the period from November 1 to March 31, their cost is 800 HRK (~$120.0) for adults, 60 HRK (~$9.0) for students, 40 HRK (~$6.0) for children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years old .

Two-day tickets cost 180 HRK (~$27.0) for adults and 90 HRK (~$13.5) for children from April 1 to October 31. During the rest of the year, their cost will be 130 HRK (~$19.5) and 60 HRK (~$9.0), respectively.

For children up to seven years old free entry. Bank cards are accepted for payment. Students are required to have supporting documentation.

The park is open daily; in the summer months - from 7:00 to 20:00, in spring and autumn - from 8:00 to 18:00. In winter, Plitvice Lakes can be visited from 8:00 to 16:00. Be careful: input ST2 is only open in high season, from April 1 to October 31.

Entrance fees include transportation services that can be used within the park. In particular, a boat crossing across the lake (the duration of the boat trip is 20 minutes), as well as a panoramic shuttle bus.

A four-hour guided tour of the national park will cost 700 HRK (~$105.0) per group. You can book a tour in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish and Croatian. There are also short tours accompanied by biologists and geologists; they are conducted in English. Excursions should be booked in advance, at least two weeks before the excursion.

The national park has two entrances - upper and lower (ST1 and ST2), but be careful: most are interesting routes starts from the second entry. Both have parking lots where you can leave your car for several hours. Parking is paid, 7 HRK (~$1.1) per hour per car; Motorcycles and scooters can be left free of charge. Parking hours during high season are from 7:00 to 22:00.

Inside the park there are quite long distances between the waterfalls, so if you have limited time, it is better to plan the route in advance. It is not necessary to compile it yourself: at the entrance you can take a map of different trails, designated by the letters of the Latin alphabet - A, B, C, G1, G2, E, F, H and K. Each tour is designed for a certain amount of time - from two to six to eight hours. There are special employees on duty in the park, from whom you can ask for advice and directions to the waterfalls. You can find out more about routes along the Plitvice Lakes on the official website en.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr.

During the summer months, especially July and August, in the Plitvice Lakes National Park great amount tourists. To avoid crowds, it is better to choose quieter months to visit the reserve - May, June, September or October. Or arrive early in the morning, but in this case you should prefer accommodation near the lakes, in small private hotels or apartments. It is better to book your overnight stay in advance, especially if you are traveling during the summer months. There are some benefits for hotel guests at the park, including unlimited use of one-day entrance tickets: they can be used during the entire stay at the hotel, renewing at the reception desk.

Swimming in Plitvice Lakes, as well as making fires and having picnics in the national park is prohibited.

How to get there

Plitvice Lakes are located 105 kilometers southwest and 10 kilometers south of the village of Grabovac. The travel time to the national park from the coastal areas is on average three to four hours, depending on the distance of the particular resort. If you are traveling with a rented car, it is worth using the expressways (most of them have a toll to enter). On the roads leading from the coast to the lakes, there are enough sections with high-mountain serpentines and sharp turns. Finding the right direction is not difficult; there are enough signs on the roads in the direction of the national park.

Location

Plitvice Lakes are located on the territory of the national park of the same name, in the Lika-Senj and Karlovac counties, in the central part.

- a beautiful sight that is worth seeing (among them the most interesting are the waterfalls on the Plitvice Lakes).

Plitvice Falls

On the territory of the park, where you can move strictly along paved paths (a walk along the shortest route will take 2 hours, and the longest – 7-8 hours) and wooden bridges(if you wish, you can take a boat ride on Lake Kozyak or a train ride along the road along the lakes; the cost of these entertainments is included in the price of the entrance ticket to the park), there are observation decks, 16 reservoirs and a considerable number of waterfalls (new ones appear here every year).

Thus, travelers are first recommended to get to know the most famous and beautiful waterfall Sastavči – its waters fall into the Korana and Plitvica rivers from a height of 72 meters. In addition, on the Upper Lakes, visitors will be able to capture photographs and admire the waterfalls Kozjački, Batinovački, Galovacki, and on the Lower Lakes – Milka Trnin, Milanovacki and others.

Address: Plitvice Lakes National Park (10 km from the village of Grabovac), website: www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr. The cost of a one-day ticket to the park is 55-180 kuna (depending on the season).

Waterfalls of Krka National Park

There are 7 large waterfall cascades in the park (the total height difference is more than 240 m). It is worth noting that, unlike the Plitvice Lakes, here, in natural pools, visitors are allowed to swim. At the same time, for swimming and fishing(the river of the same name is home to 18 species of fish) there are special zones outside of which it is strictly prohibited to engage in this activity.

Skradinski buk - waterfall (length - 800 m, width ranges from 200-400 m), consisting of more than 15 cascades different heights(total height difference – 45 m). It is considered one of the most beautiful thanks to the rich flora and fauna that surrounds it. From Skradinski buk you can take a boat to the waterfall, which ranks 2nd in popularity: it is called Roški Slap (the height of the main waterfall is more than 22 m) and consists of a series of small cascades, popularly called Necklaces. Of no less interest is the Manoilovac waterfall - it consists of a series of travertine barriers, the total height of which is about 60 m (the main one is more than 30 m).

It is recommended to find nearby waterfalls medieval fortresses to take a few photos against their background, and also look into ethnographical museum to look at the model of the country's first hydroelectric power station, designed by Nikola Tesla, and water mills.

Address: located between the cities and Knin, website: www.npkrka.hr. Depending on the season admission ticket entry to the park costs 4-12 euros.

 

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