Day 16 - May 21, 2014 - Plitvice National Park

We were up early on on the trail by 9am. At the trail head we met the ranger who according to our desk clerk would tell us the best way to spend 3 days. Upon telling the Information Ranger we would be here for 2-1/2 full days he said, "No, that much too long. See everything good in 90 minutes. But if you want you could go down that way, but that way is actually closed because trail is 2 feet underwater. So maybe you don't go that way."

I just thanked him for the "advice" and we headed out to explore the park. The area had just received record rains this spring, so even the locals were coming out to the park to see the waterfalls. The 90 minute viewing seems to be what most bus tours get, however, that is just a small portion of the park. We spent the entire day on the upper lakes exploring all the trails. The trails are a complete labyrinth. Most visitors were walking along the trails with a confused look on the face which then turns to disbelief as they round a corner to see the next barrage of waterfalls. 

The lake is comprised of 16 terraced lakes with countless waterfalls. So as long as you keep weaving your way up, you know you are going the right way. Lake Plitvice is truly an incredible place. If you are into geology, this is the place to be. According to geologists, Plitvice is a "perfect storm" of unique geological, climatic and biological features found in very few places on earth aside from just being spectacularly beautiful. The water is perfectly clear because it calcifies everything it touches thereby preventing the creation of mud, so the bottom of the lakes are entirely stone. Because of the magnesium carbonate in the water, the water changes color with the direction of the sun. Everywhere you look, there are trout of all different sizes swimming lazily along. The entire park is protected, so there is no swimming or fishing.

Walking through the park, it's hard to believe that this is where the Croatian/Bosnian/Yugolsavian war began on Easter Sunday 1991. The Serbs held Plitvice until 1995 and most Croatians were evacuated from the area. During those 5 years, the park saw no tourists and was allowed to grow wild allowing the ecosystem to recover. The park did not start actively receiving tourists again until 2001.

We basically immersed ourselves in the park. Around 5:00 we caught the boat and went 30 minutes down the lake to do a little recon of the lower lakes for the next day. From above, we could see the trails and a cave system, plus the park's biggest waterfall was somewhere down in the canyon.

It had been an excellent day! I ended it with having trout for dinner. It was delicious!