Rastoke - a picturesque village in a small canyon with waterfalls up to 12 meters high and water mills - the historical center of the town of Slunj - famous for small beautiful waterfalls and well-preserved water mills.
The first mention of the town of Slunj in written sources dates back to 1689, most of the Slunj houses were built in the late 19th century - early 20th century.
Rastoke began to grow as a miller's district in the 17th century, well located on the main road connecting the southern and northern parts of the region. At its peak, Rastoke had 22 mills.
Rastoke's water mills are often referred to as the "Small Plitvice Lakes".
Rastoke waterfalls are located along the banks of blue-green waters Slunjcica river at its confluence with Korana river, originating in the famous Plitvice Lakes of the park of the same name, which became a national treasure in 1949, and officially a UNESCO monument in 1979.
where there are many forests, mountains, large. Velebit is located 126 km from Rastoke.
In 1962, due to its extraordinary natural beauty and history, Rastoke received the protection of the State Office for Cultural and Historical Heritage of Croatia.
Guests interested in history and wishing to get to know the region in more detail can relax rent an apartment directly on the Rastoke waterfalls.
– a beautiful spectacle worth seeing (among them the waterfalls on the Plitvice Lakes are of the greatest interest).
Plitvice waterfalls
On the territory of the park, where you can move strictly along the paved paths (a walk within the shortest route will take 2 hours, and the longest - 7-8 hours) and wooden bridges (if you wish, you can take a boat on Lake Kozjak or take a train along the road along the lakes; the cost of these entertainments is included in the price of the entrance ticket to the park), there are observation platforms, 16 ponds and a considerable number of waterfalls (new ones appear here every year).
So, first of all, travelers are advised to get to know the most famous and beautiful Sastavci waterfall more closely - its waters fall into the Korana and Plitvica rivers from a 72-meter height. In addition, on the Upper Lakes, visitors will be able to take pictures and admire the waterfalls of Kozyachki, Batinovachki, Galovachki, and on the Lower Lakes - Milka Trnina, Milanovachki and others.
Address: Plitvice Lakes National Park (10 km from the village of Grabovac), website: www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr. The cost of a one-day ticket to the park is 55-180 kunas (depending on the season).
Waterfalls of Krka National Park
There are 7 large waterfall cascades on the territory of the park (the total height difference is more than 240 m). It is worth noting that, unlike Plitvice Lakes, here, in natural pools, visitors are allowed to swim. At the same time, special zones are set aside for swimming and fishing (18 species of fish are found in the river of the same name), outside which it is strictly forbidden to engage in this activity.
Skradinski buk is a waterfall (length - 800 m, width varies between 200-400 m), consisting of more than 15 cascades of different heights (total height difference - 45 m). It is considered one of the most beautiful due to the rich flora and fauna surrounding it. From Skradinski buk you can get by boat to the waterfall, which occupies the 2nd place in popularity: it is called Roski Slap (the height of the main waterfall is more than 22 m) and consists of a series of small cascades, popularly called Necklaces. Of no less interest is the Manoilovac waterfall - it consists of a series of travertine barriers, the total height of which is about 60 m (the main one is more than 30 m).
Not far from the waterfalls, it is recommended to find medieval fortresses to take a few photos against their background, as well as look into the ethnographic museum to look at the model of the country's first hydroelectric power station, designed by Nikola Tesla, and water mills.
Address: located between the cities and Knin, website: www.npkrka.hr. Depending on the season, the entrance ticket to the park is paid at a price of 4-12 euros.
Plitvička Jezera, Plitvice Lakes, Plitvice Lakes (Croatian Plitvička jezera)- located in the central part of the country, in Litsko-Sensky (90.7%) and Karlovac counties (9.3%). The waters of the Korana River, flowing through the limestone, over thousands of years have eroded the barriers of the travertine, forming natural dams, which in turn have created a series of picturesque lakes, waterfalls and caves.
Plitvice Lakes- a cascade of karst lakes and waterfalls on the Korana River, in the middle part of Croatia, on the border with Bosnia. A unique work of nature, the largest Croatian national park located in the north-west of the Dinaric highlands, in the eastern Lika.
A cascade of 16 picturesque karst lakes in the upper reaches of the Korana River, interconnected by 92 waterfalls. Each lake passes into the next, forming foamy rumbling lakes. Over thousands of years of existence, the flows of these lakes have dissolved the limestone rock and filled the valley.
History
Name "Plitvice Lakes" was first recorded by Dominik Vukasovich, a priest from Otočac, in 1777. On April 8, 1949, Plitvice Lakes received the status of a national park, and since 1979 Plitvice Lakes has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Register.
Until 1958, the park was inaccessible to tourists; only clearings were laid in it. In 1958, Josip Movchan, the director of the park, began the construction of footpaths, and today, in addition to a wide network of decks, there are routes for diesel and environmentally friendly electric road trains, ferries and electric pleasure boats. It is strictly forbidden to swim in the lakes of the park, and in the park as a whole - to have picnics, make fires, walk dogs without a leash. Such a strict order is due to the preservation of natural balance, which for many years has been carefully guarded by local ecologists.
In the spring of 1991, the territory of the park became the site of the events called Plitvice Bloody Easter, the first armed clash of the war in Croatia, which led to casualties. During the Yugoslav wars Plitvice lakes more than once became the scene of battles. To date, the park itself has been completely cleared of mines, and the tourist infrastructure has been restored and is being intensively developed, but mines are still sometimes found in the vicinity of the park.
Description
Territory of the national park "Plitvice Lakes" is 29,482 hectares (19,479 hectares according to UNESCO), includes 16 large and several smaller karst cascading lakes, 140 waterfalls, 20 caves and a unique beech and coniferous forest that has been preserved since ancient times and has the ability to self-regenerate. Bears, wolves, many species of rare birds and other animals live on its territory.
The total difference between the level of the upper and lower lakes is 133 meters. The uppermost lake of the cascade is fed by two small rivers called Crna and Biela ("Black" and "White"). - one of the few places on our planet where new waterfalls appear every year, which is associated with the limestone origin of the local mountains. Leaves and branches from nearby trees that have fallen into the water are quickly covered with calcephils (the so-called "chalk plants"), which, when dying, turn to stone and form solid deposits that block rivers. Water, gradually washing away such "dams", forms new waterfalls.
The park is located in a mountainous area, the highest point is Mount Mala Kapela (1280 m).
Lakes and waterfalls
The lakes of the park (16 large and many small reservoirs) are divided into two groups: Upper and Lower. The total area of lakes is 217 hectares. They are fed by five rivers: Korana, Crna, Bijela, Plitvica and Riecica. There are about 30 waterfalls; due to the erosion of the rock and the formation of new sediments, lakes and waterfalls gradually change their configuration. Most lakes are named after the people who drowned in them. In 2008, it was still allowed to swim in Lake Kozjak, but a large number of drowned people led to a complete ban on swimming.
The largest Upper Lakes:
Proshchansko lake, Proshce (Proščansko jezero, Prošće), 68 ha, depth 37 m, length 2.5 km;
Ciginovac (Ciginovac), 7.5 ha;
Round (Okrugljak), 4.1 ha;
Batinovac (Batinovac), 1.5 ha;
Vir (Vir), 0.6 ha;
Veliki Jovinovac, or Big Lake (Veliko jezero), 2 ha;
Mali Jovinovac, or Small Lake (Malo jezero), 2 ha;
Galovac, 12.5 ha;
Milino lake (Milino jezero);
Gradinsko lake (Gradinsko jezero), 8.1 ha;
Veliki Burget, 0.6 ha;
Kozjak, 81.5 ha, depth 46 m, length over 3 km;
Major Lower Lakes:
Milanovac, 3.2 ha;
Gavanovac, 0.7 ha;
Kaludjerovac (Kaluđerovac), 2.1 ha;
Novakovića-brod, 0.4 ha.
Main waterfalls on the Upper Lakes - Batinovachki (Batinovački), Galovachki (Galovački), Kozyachki (Kozjački); on the Lower - Milanovački, Milke Trnine, Velike Kaskade.
The most beautiful and well-known is the Sastavci waterfall, overthrowing the water of the Korana and Plitvica rivers from a height of 72 meters.
caves
The park is also interesting from the point of view of speleology - there are 20 caves on its territory, and those under the waterfalls are of particular interest. The most famous are: Shuplyara (Šupljara, “cave without floor and ceiling”, “cave-hole”), Golubnjača, Crna pećina.
Flora and fauna
The park is located at an altitude of 400 to 1200 meters above sea level (¾ of the territory is mountains), so mountain nature prevails here. Mostly beech, spruce, pine grow here, and in the town of Čorkova uvala (Čorkova uvala - Chorkova Hollow), in the northwestern part of the park, a beech-spruce virgin forest grows with unique woody specimens. There are 1267 species of plants growing in the park, of which 75 are endemic, as well as 55 different types of orchids.
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is inhabited by wolves, bears, forest cats, and roe deer. Also, 161 species of birds have been recorded in this area, 70 of which nest here permanently. In addition, 321 species of butterflies and 21 species of bats have been found in the area of the park.
One of the most popular attractions in Croatia is the Krka National Park.. At the moment, there is the largest cascade of natural waterfalls in Europe, and, importantly, swimming is allowed there, which cannot be said about other national parks in the Balkans.
Krka covers an area of more than 100 square kilometers, it is located in the Central Dalmatia region, surrounded by the cities of Sibenik and Knin. Krka has an elongated shape, it is connected with the river of the same name. The river is located on the territory of more than 72 kilometers and is the twenty-second longest in Croatia. The main attraction of the park is seven waterfalls arranged in a cascade, the height difference of which in total is more than 240 meters. In addition, the islands that are in the center of the river deserve attention.
The most famous waterfall in the park is called Skradinski Buk, it is 400 meters long and 100 meters wide. It consists of 17 waterfalls of different heights. The levels vary in height up to almost 50 meters. The second most popular waterfall is Roški Slap, tourists can get to it by boat from Skradinski Buk. Opposite Skradinski Buk, a system of pools of natural origin has been created, so tourists can swim in them and enjoy a wonderful view of the waterfall.
It is not allowed to fish, hunt, scare or chase animals in the park. Also, you can’t walk dogs, drive into the park on your own vehicle, make fires and swim outside the permitted areas. There are severe penalties for violating these rules.
In addition to the waterfalls, you can admire a huge number of animals in the park, they are represented by 860 different species, including 18 species of fish and more than 220 species of birds.
The work of the park and the cost of excursions
The park is open from 10 am to 6 pm. But those who wish can see the Skradinski Buk waterfall for four hours more, it is available for visitors from 8 am to 8 pm. The price of a ticket to the park depends on the season, on average it is 4-11 euros for adults and 3-9 euros for children. If you purchase a ticket for several visits at once, you can save money, for example, visiting the park five times for an adult will cost 35 euros during the peak season, and 26 euros for a child.
The ticket price includes visiting the main attractions, a trip to the islands of Roski Slap and Visovac, a walk to Skradinski Buk and an archaeological tour. If you visit the park in summer, you can do the whole route by boat. Tourists can hire a guide. For two hours of excursion you will be charged 80 euros, and then for each additional hour, 27 euros will be added to this amount.
In addition, tourists can book a boat tour of the park, which lasts three hours and costs 13 euros per person.
historical objects
In addition to natural attractions, in the park you can also see historical sites that are symbols of Croatia. On the island of Visovac, in the middle of the river, there is a Franciscan monastery founded by the Augustinians in the 14th century. Not far from it is an Orthodox monastery of the 14th century. In the 17th century, it was completely destroyed by the Turks, but almost completely restored. Now this monastery is the center of the Orthodox diocese of Dalmatia, in connection with which a large number of pilgrims come to the island.
A few years ago, the park development program was adopted and approved, the priority direction of the program was the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, scientific research and the involvement of management. There are no hotels or guest houses on the territory of the park where visitors can stay.
Where to stay for tourists
There are several hotels near Krka where tourists can book a room. For example, the Skradinski Buk Hotel, this four-star hotel is located right in front of the park. The cost of a double room varies according to the season, on average it will cost 80 euros. In Lozovac, not far from the park, there is another hotel - the three-star Vrata Krke, where you can find cheaper rooms. In addition to these two hotels, there are several more that offer accommodation to tourists visiting Krka Park.
The national park is open all year, but the summer period is considered the peak season, because that's when tourists can enjoy swimming in the waterfalls. Russian travel agencies offer tours to Krka for tourists, but you can also book an excursion to the park at local travel agencies. If you order a tour to the national park from Split, it will cost you 80 euros, this price includes transport, swimming in a waterfall, a boat trip and a trip to the island of Visovac. You will drive from Split to the park in an hour and a half, so lunch is not included in the price.
From Trogir to Krka you will get both cheaper and faster, and you can also see Sibenik on the way, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are agencies that will help you organize such a trip for about 55 euros per person (you may have already noticed that the prices for services in Croatia are higher than in other countries of the Balkan Peninsula). The tour will last 9 hours and during this time the main sights of Krka will be shown to the tourists, then they will drive to Sibenik and see the Cathedral of St. James. Travel time from Trogir to Krka takes about an hour.
One of the main attractions of Croatia is the Plitvice Islands park. Despite the fact that it is forbidden to swim and fish in this park, a large number of tourists visit this place every year.
The park is located in the center of Croatia, the nearest town to the park is Slunj. Scientists say that the age of the lakes located in the park is four thousand years, however, only four centuries ago these places were given a detailed description.
The main attraction of the park are dams, naturally formed from limestone, lakes, caves, waterfalls. Water seeping through the rocks forms channels and streams, by the way, all the reservoirs of the Plitvice Lakes are emerald-blue in color, the reason for this is specific algae and an increased content of calcium carbonate in the water.
The name of these lakes appeared at the end of the 18th century, as the clergyman Dominik Vukasovich called the lakes. Until the middle of the last century, the national park was inaccessible to tourists - there were absolutely no footpaths, but now much has changed. Now, in addition to walking paths, there are roads along which electric trains pass, you can walk along the reservoirs on boats and ferries, but they are all powered by electricity, in connection with this, the virgin nature does not suffer.
The park is located on an area of 20 thousand hectares, the exact number of waterfalls and lakes is not known to anyone, since from time to time new reservoirs and water bodies appear here. But it is known that the waterfall cascade consists of 20 caves, about 150 waterfalls and 16 large lakes. The total area of reservoirs is more than 200 hectares, all reservoirs are divided into Upper and Lower. The largest of the Upper Lakes are Prošče, Ciginovac and Okruglyak. As for the Lower Lakes, Milanovac, Gavanovac and Kaludjerovac stand out among them.
The Sastavtsi waterfall, which falls from a height of 72 meters, is considered the most impressive waterfall in the park.
In addition to the fact that the park has a huge number of lakes, waterfalls and caves, there are also virgin beech and pine forests. There are wild cats, wolves, bears, roe deer and about 120 species of birds. Nobody removes the leaves that have fallen into the reservoirs, this is done in order to maintain the natural balance.
Swimming is not allowed in the park, as well as picnics, walking pets and making fires. Hunting, fishing, collecting plants in the park are also prohibited. Violators of the rules are subject to a fine of up to 2,000 euros.
Information for those wishing to visit Plitvice Lakes
The park attracts visitors at any time of the year. Due to its location, the park always has humid sea air. In November, snow falls, by January the lakes freeze. Even on the warmest days, the temperature in the park is about 3-5 degrees lower than on the coast.
The national park is located in Northern Dalmatia and is well removed from the famous Croatian resorts. To get here from Dubrovnik, you will spend five hours, there is no comfortable public transport, in this regard, tourists come to the park most often as part of tourist groups.
The park is open every day, but in winter it closes at 4 pm, and in summer you can walk there until 8 pm.
In summer, a ticket to the park costs 15 euros, in winter - 10, but there are various benefits and discounts. The ticket price includes a walk along the panoramic road by train and two boat trips on the lake.
In winter, a ski base begins to operate in the national park, but there are no good slopes there. The trails do not exceed 300 meters, but despite this, a lot of tourists gather there, they are attracted not so much by the conditions for winter sports, but by the beauty of the surrounding landscapes.
In summer, tourists love the trekking route to Mount Medvezhak, its peak is at an altitude of almost 900 meters. From there you have an amazing view of the lakes. If you want to take this route, you should be careful, because the brown bear actually lives in the area.
There are several hotels not far from the park. In addition to them, tourists can stay in apartments or mini-hotels.
The Croatian government continues to work to attract even more tourist flow to the park. In Russia, travel companies do not offer our compatriots special tours to the Plitvice Lakes, but such tours are organized on the coast. For about 60 euros you can go on a day tour to the park. This amount includes ticket, transfer and lunch.
Wedding is one of the most romantic, majestic and touching rituals. Recently, more and more couples do not want to limit the connection of their hearts to the bonds of marriage only with the help of an official portly registry office aunt. Happy marriages are made in heaven, with God's help. But the usual ceremony in the church does not always suit lovers. To exchange rings, some scuba dive to the seabed, others take a priest to the North Pole with them, others go to Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.
These are not some unsightly pathetic puddles: Plitvice National Park - 16 beautiful lakes connected by 92 waterfalls. This miracle of nature, which arose about 4 thousand years ago, is located between Zagreb and Dalmatia, not far from the highway. So do not be surprised if you meet wedding processions with ribbons and dolls in these places. Brides in white puffy dresses against the backdrop of virgin forests and emerald lakes look unusual, but more spiritual than the buildings with the “Registry Office” sign. Again, you won’t have to stand in a long queue - at least one waterfall will be free. Everything is not so scary: in fact, there are no crowds trampling grass and diluting crystal clear water with champagne. Lovers prefer to arrange a solemn ceremony at the foot of the largest of the local waterfalls. By the way, if your lover can’t make up his mind and make an offer, take him to Plitvice, where your chosen one will surely cease to be tormented by vague doubts.
But even if all issues related to family happiness have already been resolved, there are many other reasons to go to Croatia. Love for nature is also a worthy reason. There are hundreds of national parks and reserves in Croatia. There are no gaps in terms of historical and cultural heritage either. In Dubrovnik, a fortress, a Franciscan monastery, a princely house, Sponza Palace and a bunch of other interesting monuments have survived in their original form since the Middle Ages. Once in Split, even the most "heavy" beachgoers find time to wander through the halls of the Diocletian Palace (4th century). Ancient cities that harmoniously fit into the picturesque Croatian lands, churches, temples and all sorts of different museums are in abundance.
When summer is in the yard and the sun bakes with all its might, and the refreshing blue of the sea is nearby, it is not easy to find the strength to look at ethnographic and archaeological exhibits. But in the Malacological Museum in Makarska there is no end to visitors. There are always a lot of hunters to admire the collection of shells.
And it was the Croats who first came up with the idea of tying a tie around the neck. A simple stone carver Marin from the local island of Rab in the 4th century founded the first republic in Europe - San Marino. And the world-famous traveler Marco Polo comes from these parts. Both the automatic pencil and the parachute were invented in Croatia... But for tourists, with the inevitable persistence of striving here, perhaps all this is not as interesting as, for example, the fact that the name of the Dalmatian dog breed came from the Croatian coast of Dalmatia. And not as attractive as thousands of chamber islands scattered along the mainland, like black spots on the snow-white skin of the dolmatian.
