Plitvice Lakes are
one of the most beautiful natural sights
in Europe. In the year 1979 UNESCO has declared
it with all rights as the World's natural
inheritance. National
Park Plitvice Lakes with total surface
area of 266 km2 comprises 16 terrace-formed
lakes, which are mutually connected
with waterfalls and cascades. First
lake lies on 636 meter altitude, while the
last one, 8 km further to the South lies
on 133 meters. Largest depth of the lakes
is 46 meters, and natural phenomenon of
Plitvice is transparency of lake
water, which reaches Photo
gallery 8 meter deep.
The
Lakes are divided into two groups: Upper
Lakes (12) surrounded by a huge forest are larger
and more quiet while the Lower Lakes (4) lie under
70 meter high cliffs, and are surrounded by low
vegetation. Plitvice Lakes were
pronounced a National Park in 1949.
For its beauty they are talked of as one of the
most beautiful natural sights in Europe.
In the year 1979 UNESCO has declared it
with all rights as the World's natural inheritance.
Today Plitvice are the most visited Croatian
tourist destination, and the number of
guests exceeds even town of Dubrovnik. The Lakes
are situated in the area where flat Croatia enters karst
mountain area, and where traffic
directions from the North lower towards
the coastal areas of Croatia. For this
reason Plitvice Lakes are an excellent
place for a rest and stop on the way to sea, good lunch or
even overnight stay. Distance
from Zagreb is 140 km in direction of South. Plitvice
Lakes offer their visitors kilometers of
arranged walking paths which in
most cases means wooden bridges built over lake
surface and serpentine-like connecting one shore
to the other.
Since forest
vegetation in warmer part of the year
is extremely lush due to influence of coastal climate,
and continental geographic position supplies Plitvice
with plenty of snow in the winter,
the National Park is well visited in all seasons
of a year. There
are forest areas within the Park, which, due to
their virgin wood features, were
proclaimed to be special reservates (e.g. Corkova
uvala). There is snow on Plitvice from
November to March, which is favorable for lovers
of cross-country skiing. The Lakes
surfaces freeze in December and January. In
the summer water temperature in the largest
Lakes, Proscansko and Kozjak is
around 24°C, which makes it
suitable for bathing. There are altogether 20 caves
in to rocks near the Lakes the famous of which
are Golubinjača (Pidgeon cave), Mračnjača
(Dark cave), Velika pećina (Great cave) and Šupljara
(Empty cave). You can make a tour with
a tourist train and boat beside walking.
Depending on your choice of visit program (there
are six itineraries offered by the management of
the National Park), you will need 3 to
6 hours for an organized tour. Guests
who wish to stay on Plitvice can find accommodation
in hotels Jezero, Plitvice and Bellevue which
are situated in narrow zone of National Park. The
accommodation can, beside in hotels, also be found
in private houses.
Interesting facts from plant
and animal world
Range of plants varies from Mediterranean
to Carpathian, over Eurasian, and Boreal to Arctic
- Boreal -European - Siberian, and the Park is abundant
with endemic species. The
most represented tree species in the Park
forest is beech tree which covers about 73% of forest
area. Beech tree has a great ecological value and
creates secure and firm forest cover, thus preventing
sliding of ground and erosion. The
second largest represented tree species in the Park
is fir tree with 22%. This coniferous species appears
in a higher area above plain beech forest. Fir tree
together with beech tree creates one of the most
beautiful forests of the area. Specially
beautiful are areas separating forests from meadows,
and forests from lakes. Čorkova uvala on
Plitvice Lakes is the most beautiful Dinaric
virgin forest. It is located on 79,50 ha
surface, and it is exclusively growing under natural
conditions of its living space, without direct man's
influence. In Čorkova uvala you can find real
giants of the forest world such as junipers more
than 50 m high and fir-trees with diameters of 140
cm. Animal species to be found on
Plitvice, are bears and wolves that
most often come out in early dawn or sunset, as well
as foxes, wildcats and badgers.
Lakes are full of trouts, but fishing
is for now forbidden. There are especially many birds:
over 140 types of birds from humming
birds to predators find their shelter from cold or
nest there. As much as 30% of total Croatian fauna
of butterflies inhabit the area
of Plitvice Lakes and its meadows.
Winnetou - hero from Plitvice
Lakes
Plitvice
Lakes are best known for its legendary film
Winnetou based on classic work by Carl
May. Original title of the film from 1960-ies, "Treasure
of Silver Lake" (Der Schatz im Silbersee) is filmed
on Plitvice Lakes starring actors such as Lex
Barker, Herbert Lom and Pierre Brice. Winnetou was
children's idol in the sixties and seventies, and
it is a cult film in German cinematography.
Mercian Travel Centre
Limited
109 Worcester Road
West Hagley
West Midlands DY9 0NG
Tel: +44 (0) 1562 883 795
Fax: +44 (0) 1562 886 944
First
lake lies on 636 meter altitude, while the
last one, 8 km further to the South lies
on 133 meters. Largest depth of the lakes
is 46 meters, and natural phenomenon of
Plitvice is transparency of lake
water, which reaches 
There
are forest areas within the Park, which, due to
their virgin wood features, were
proclaimed to be special reservates (e.g. Corkova
uvala). There is snow on Plitvice from
November to March, which is favorable for lovers
of cross-country skiing. The Lakes
surfaces freeze in December and January. In
the summer water temperature in the largest
Lakes, Proscansko and Kozjak is
around 24°C, which makes it
suitable for bathing. There are altogether 20 caves
in to rocks near the Lakes the famous of which
are Golubinjača (Pidgeon cave), Mračnjača
(Dark cave), Velika pećina (Great cave) and Šupljara
(Empty cave). You can make a tour with
a tourist train and boat beside walking.
Depending on your choice of visit program (there
are six itineraries offered by the management of
the National Park), you will need 3 to
6 hours for an organized tour. Guests
who wish to stay on Plitvice can find accommodation
in hotels Jezero, Plitvice and Bellevue which
are situated in narrow zone of National Park. The
accommodation can, beside in hotels, also be found
in private houses. 
The
most represented tree species in the Park
forest is beech tree which covers about 73% of forest
area. Beech tree has a great ecological value and
creates secure and firm forest cover, thus preventing
sliding of ground and erosion. 
 "Plitvice")
