Plitvice Lakes National Park

The Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatian: Plitvička jezera; Plitvice; pronounced [plîtʋitse]) is the best known of Croatian national parks.

Description

It is located in the Lika region, a place where lakes, waterfalls and springs of spectacular beauty alternate. This region was declared a national park in 1949, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, with an extension in 2000.

The park has an area of close to 30,000 hectares, 22,000 of them covered with forests. The area that can be visited is located in the center of the park; There are 8 km² of valley populated by forests, where hydrography has shaped a landscape made up of 16 lakes at different altitudes, connected by 92 waterfalls and cascades. The vegetation is made up of 90% beech. The visit is done on foot through paths and wooden bridges. The largest lakes are crossed by silent boats. This park also arouses great interest among tourists due to celebrations that take place there, such as weddings at the foot of the falls. This place was a candidate to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world in 2011.

Plitvice Lakes National Park offers seven different tourist routes to explore the lake system.

Flora and fauna

The Plitvice Lakes National Park is heavily forested, consisting mainly of beech, fir and pine, and has a mix of alpine and Mediterranean vegetation. It has a great variety of plant communities, due to its range of microclimates, different soils and different altitude levels.

The area is also home to a huge variety of animal species. Fauna hard to find elsewhere can be found here, such as the European brown bear, wolf, eagle, owl, lynx, wildcat and capercaillie, along with many more common species. At least 126 species of birds have been recorded in the park, of which 70 have been proven to breed in the park.