Plitvice Lakes National Park is definately the must-see when you are in Croatia. The country is quite big, so depending on where you stay it might take up to 7 or 8 hours by car to get there, for example from the Dubrovnic area. This might spoil the fun and let you postpone the visit for another time. But we were lucky enough to put up camp in the Krk area, so it was only a two hour ride.
The national park is famous for its lakes arranged in cascades, and currently 16 lakes can be seen from the surface. What fascinated me the most was the fact that the barriers between the lakes are built of travertine, and this obviously means that the lakes are changing their size and appearance constantly.
Luckily we enjoyed a temperature drop when we were in Croatia, otherwise I don´t know if we would have survived the temperatures. The evening we arrived it was so boiling hot that I was not sure if I could resist the heat or if I would just give up and stay in the air condition during the vaccation.
Anyway, when you arrive at Plitivice Lakes National Park the "US national park"- attitude catches you immediately. You can get a nice snack there (which is what we did) and ask for the proper route for you - which was "Route A" for us, because we could not spend more than a few hours there.
They speak good English everywhere at Plitvice which is not the usual in Croatia. Usually, whereever you go, most people pretend not to have heard any English, German, Spanish, French or Italian word before - so believe me, that was a relief! Everywhere else it is Croatian or Russian or else....
They got a lovely logo and a very wise motto.
When you walk down the mountain you get a first glimpse of all the wonders that are going to wait for you.
They have a lovely waterfall (don´t expect something like Lauterbrunnen or the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, it is different, but still nice). And you walk a lot over the "most blue? bluest?" water you can imagine.
The only thing I must admit: There were lots and lots of people there. But of course: It was main season, and everybody used the temperature drop for a little adventure. If I am in Croatia ever again, I think I might go there again - just to enjoy the beauty of the nature a little more quiet. But still it was a great trip, and we loved it lots.
