Plitvice Lakes - Stroll along Croatia's Liquid Gemstones

Location: Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
Distance: 8.8 miles (2 loops)
Trip Length: 2 days: Day 1: Upper Lakes, Day 2: Lower Lakes

Croatia’s natural splendors go beyond its dazzling coastline. Plitvice Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with gemstone lakes of unmatched color and clarity. Plitvice Lakes contains 16 terraced lakes between Mala Kapela Mountain and Pljesevica Mountain, as well as impressive waterfalls and caves. The lake system consists of 12 upper and 4 lower lakes. From the confluence of the Black River and the White River, the Korana River feeds the Plitvice Lakes.

A Brief History of the Lakes

Fragile limestone rocks deposit silt into the water that shape this karst terrain. Dissolved calcium carbonate accumulates and over time, hardens, and becomes travertine. The rising travertine resulted in barriers and dams in the river that formed the lakes.

The active travertine barriers are between 6,000 and 7,000 years old. Older formations go back 90,000 to 130,000 years ago. These formations have strange and scintillating shapes that hide vaulted caves.

Walking Routes

There are eight total walking routes designed to manage the flow of foot traffic across the park. There are four routes starting from Entrance 1 and four from Entrance 2. I recommend spending two days at the park so that you have enough time to explore. Both routes start from Entrance 2, which are within walking distance from a couple of hotels. On Day 1, explore the Upper Lakes using Route E. On Day 2, explore the Lower Lakes using Route F.

Gornja Jezera – Upper Lakes (Route E)

Distance: 5.3 miles (loop)
Elevation Gain: 631 feet

Route E follows a counter-clockwise loop around the Upper Lakes. Over 5.3 miles, the elevation drops from 2,086 ft. to 1,814 ft.

Plitvice Lakes

From the southern entrance (Entrance 2), it’s a short hop on a ferry to a tiny island. The trail leads you through the waterfalls, clear water, and terraces of Gornja Jezera (Upper Lakes). Occasionally, there are wooden boardwalks that pass through landless sections.

The Upper Lakes region contains many little and shallow cascading lakes. The rocks in the Upper Lakes are mainly dolomite. This is a type of sedimentary rock composed of calcium magnesium carbonate.

The most beautiful waterfalls are Veliki Prštavac and Mali Prštavac.

Galovac Lake and Milino Lake feed Galovački Buk’s 52-foot cascade, a wide terrace with tiny ribbons of water.

Donja Jezera – Lower Lakes (Route F)

Distance: 3.5 miles (loop)
Elevation Gain: 380 feet

From Entrance 2, explore the Lower Lakes region. Start with two ferry rides across Kozjak Lake followed by a 3.5-mile walk along Route F. The region is filled with limestone karst formations.

The Lower Lakes were revealed after the collapse of the subterranean chambers that the water had been flowing through. Some of the caves still remain. Along the way is Supljara Cave, which requires a climb all the way to the top of the slope. Spelunk each of the caves and observe the various limestone formations.

The water is crystal clear. You can see all the algae and underwater plants. The lakes are teeming with fish. The water has breathtaking blue, green, and turquoise tones.

Veliki Slap

The “Great Waterfall” is a magnificent 255-foot waterfall with multiple cascades streaming from the top. Climb a really steep path across from the falls to gain a better view.

Sastavci

The crown jewels of the park are the Sastavci: Novokovica Brod, Kaluderovac, Gavanovac, and Milanovac. These are spectacular lakes of such deep, rich blue-green and turquoise color. You repeatedly climb up and down the gorge and cross the boardwalk that splits the lakes. This provides better perspectives of the magnificent scenery.

There are hundreds of people negotiating the walkways in all directions. Sometimes going against the flow takes some literal tightrope walking in order not to fall in the lakes.

The water here has many roles to fill. Some of it filters gently through the mossy travertine barriers. While some of it ferociously flings off steep cliffs, and some of it calmly gurgles down into sinkholes.