Luxury Plitvice Lakes National Park Holidays

Nestled in dense forest, Plitvice Lakes are arguably one of the world’s most beautiful natural phenomena and, not surprisingly, boast UNESCO World Natural Heritage status for their stunning scenery, huge varieties of flora and fauna, hidden caves and a total of sixteen travertine-style lakes connected by spectacular waterfalls.

The oldest and largest of eight national parks, Plitvice is incredibly striking and one of the most visited attractions in Croatia. It features sixteen lakes interconnected by stunning waterfalls along an 8km stretch and there’s a tremendous variety of flora and fauna in the grasslands and in the deep beech, fir and spruce forests that surround the lakes. Each season is beautiful with flower filled meadows in the spring, lush greenery in summer, wonderful rich red hues in the autumn and, during the winter months, there’s a magical landscape shrouded with ice and snow.

Upper & Lower Lakes

The confluence of several streams and rivers carving their way through limestone and chalk have, over the millennia, created this fantastic area of lakes, caves and waterfalls by the build-up of travertine barriers and natural dams and, as the weathering process continues, there’s an ever evolving landscape. The lakes are renowned for their beautiful and distinct colour ranges, from azure to green, grey, and dark blue, and are divided into an upper and lower system. The lower four lake area is set in a limestone canyon with impressive 40m cliffs and boasts the park’s tallest waterfall, Veliki Slap, with a drop of 78m. The upper lakes, surrounded by wilder landscapes, contain the two largest, Kozjak, with its constant colour changes, and Proscansko, the highest, deepest and most remote lake of all.

Sightseeing

The park offers nearly 20km of waymarked paths and there are numerous circular hikes, many incorporating wooden footbridges, starting from the north and south entrances, taking from between two to six hours to complete. Cycle trails are also well marked. The whole area is a car free zone and, for ease of access, there are regular shuttle buses, boats and sightseeing trains which link the upper and lower lakes. Swimming is not allowed in the lakes, but rowing boats can be hired from the shores of Lake Kozjak. Don’t miss Supljara Cave for its fantastic views and unique fauna.

Flora & Fauna

There’s much diversity with lynx, wolf, deer, boar, otter, bats and more than 120 bird species, plus the iconic brown bear, and the park is home to an abundant variety of plants with rare and protected species including some interesting carnivorous plants, orchids, and fresh-water algae, and moss which plays an important role in forming the tufa sediments necessary for the creation of this splendid lake phenomenon.