Our day at Plitviče Lakes National Park in Croatia was one of my favourite and most treasured days. I felt like I was in a dream the whole time and looking back over my photos now literally gives me butterflies in my tummy and makes my heart ache. I can not believe this place is real; it looks like something out of a fairy tale or one of the Disney films I watched as a child.
Sometimes I can not believe how beautiful this planet is. In a world that is bitter sweet; such beauty yet such suffering – on a day like this one, Mother Nature works her magic and represents our planet to us in the best way possible. She shows us that the planet we all inhabit is spectacular and precious and reminds us that we are all responsible for protecting and preserving it. The National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site so is therefore carefully maintained and protected as it has been recognised as, basically a natural wonder. If only each and every one of us looked after our whole planet in this same way; we would have a much healthier world but that’s a discussion for another day.
Sometimes, you just need to stop and look at what nature has given us, clear your mind and just marvel. That’s what I did on this day and it felt so good. I was completely lost in the moment, nothing else mattered other than this incredible beauty I was lucky enough to be a part of in the short time that I was a part of the history of Plitviče -one of its eager visitors, a tourist, an aspiring traveller, a lover of nature.
Plitviče is not as big as many other national parks around the world but it doesn’t have to be. Its myriad of bounteous lakes, lagoons and waterfalls make it the largest national park in Croatia. It is a place that the rare European brown bear and other species such as bats, owls, eagles and wolves call home although this is in the wider area of the park so we don’t get to see them. I found that this added wonderfully to the mystery of the place; knowing these creatures are there but not seeing them. They must have a very happy home here.
There are lots of fish living in the crystal waters and it mesmerises to watch them swimming and gliding. We also encountered a bit of drama among the local frogs; a female had her young on her back whilst the male was protecting them from the advances of another male who kept edging towards them, all the while lots of shrieking going on and the unwanted male eventually gave in and went on his way. It was like a scene from one of the local pubs around where I live.
There were a lot of sunken trees in the lakes that created whimsical and curious shapes; this added to the enchantment for me as it was just a very visually pleasing sight, it added more depth and intrigue to the lakes and was great to photograph. I love how clear and smooth the water looks – I could never get bored of that sight.
The waterfalls themselves are fantastic, fervently tumbling down the rocks and thrashing down into the lakes with an alacrity that is admirable to watch; again, nature totally kicking ass. There are multiple waterfalls, some small and some large – the largest being 78 metres high; all breathtaking.
Wooden panelled walkways meander around the entire park providing a rustic way for visitors to make their way around the park. It is important to wear your most comfortable footwear if you visit. I made the mistake of wearing a pair of wedges (don’t know what I was thinking there) but I was forward thinking enough to have brought a pair of flip flops in my bag so I changed into those but even they were not the best choice. I was comfortable enough in them but would definitely recommend wearing some sort of hiking boots or trainers.
Kudos to my travel partner who took this fantastic image of a dragon fly.
We had beautiful weather all day, perfect for seeing and photographing the lakes but we were told by a lovely Croatian restaurant manager during our evening meal the day before that Plitviče is absolutely stunning in the winter when there is snowfall; he said that the lakes are all draped in snow and ice. I would absolutely adore to see them this way and am keen to arrange another trip during the winter.
There was a delightful moment when at one of the lower, turquoise lakes, some plants were releasing their fluffy seeds into the air and over the lake making it look like it had snow falling on to it. It was truly magical and added significantly to the feeling of being in a fairytale.
I hope to return to Plitviče one day. It is somewhere everybody should visit as it just helps you to stop in your tracks for a while and just enjoy our planet and I find it puts things into perspective. The cost of entry for such a magnificent place is very reasonable, we paid about £15pp but this does vary slightly depending on the time of year. Though there are lots of visitors, it never feels overcrowded as there are different walking options to choose from once there and you have lots of moments where you almost feel you could be the only one there.
I fell in love, I know you will too.
