Plitvice Lakes National Park: Croatia’s Natural Wonder

Plitvice Lakes National Park, affectionately known as Plitvice (pronounced [plîtʋitse]), stands as one of Southeast Europe’s oldest and Croatia’s largest national parks. Established in 1949 and later recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, it occupies a grand 300 square kilometers in central Croatia’s mountainous terrain, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The park’s location along a vital north-south road makes it a natural bridge between the Croatian interior and the Adriatic coast. Over 8200 meters, the park’s famous lakes connect in a stunning cascade of natural beauty.

Attracting over 1.1 million visitors annually, Plitvice Lakes is a geological masterpiece. Its landscape, primarily composed of limestone and dolomite, has been sculpted over millennia. The region’s relief was formed through various geological processes within the expansive Dinaric ranges, involving mountain formations like Velebit, Velika and Mala Kapela, and Lička Plješevica. The Pleistocene era played a crucial role, with water seeping into the rock base, gradually carving out today’s relief. This ongoing interaction between water and limestone has crafted the area’s unique landscape, with emerging travertine barriers creating natural dams that continue to rise. The lakes themselves shimmer in shades of emerald green and turquoise, a testament to the area’s natural beauty.