Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia : beyond the beautiful natural scenery

The first sight of the Plitvice Lakes National Park was beautiful and peaceful.  Layers of water moisture from early morning rain partially covered up the forests around the lakes.  When we walked along the wooden path on the lake shore, we felt that we were inside a picturesque paradise.

The Plitvice Lakes National Park covers about 300 square meters of natural forests, waterfalls and 16 lakes.  The park sits on the limestone area and forms the unique karst landscape. 

(Sign board at the entrance to the national park)

The 12 upper lakes are bigger in size and the 4 lower lakes are more picturesque.  The river Plitvica flows into the water system and creates the lake water fall (Veliki Slap).  Dissolved calcium carbonate turns water into milky white and forms the tufa sedimentation in the lower lakes.  With abundant water around, flora and fauna grow densely around the lakes and hill slopes.  There are many trouts in the lakes with ducks swimming around. 

(The lake water fall, Veliki Slap)

(Plants growing in the waterfall)

(Trouts swimming in the lake)

(Calcium carbonate precipitation on the surfaces of fallen tree trucks turned them into marble white)

The Plitvice Lakes National Park was recognized as a world heritage by the UNESCO early in 1949.  Each year, it attracts hundreds of thousand visitors to see its natural beauty.  It is now one of the major tourist destinations in Croatia and Eastern Europe.  Tourism business is important to the local economy.

If you look at the map, you will find the Plitvice Lakes are in vicinity to Bosnia-Herzegovina.  They are separated by few steep mountains.  

Before arriving the national park, we came through several villages along the road.  Many village houses were covered with bullet holes.  Few empty houses were lying idle among the villages.  Suddenly, this reminded us the bitter Balkan wars in the Ottoman - Hapsburg history and modern time.  The last crash just took place twenty years ago.  Local Serbs attempted to clean out their fellow Croats.  Ethnic fighting had brought great hardship to the local communities and made damages to the national park.  The national park was able to recover its glory just ten years ago.