Hungary & Croatia -- Day 7

With great excitement I put on shorts for the first time and a different top; clean, previously unworn, clothes! I then promptly spilled coffee on both. The best laid plans. . . .

We left a little after 9 a.m. for a 3-hour bus ride to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Established in 1949 it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. There are 16 lakes in an area of 110 square miles. Because the lakes occur at varying downward elevations as the water moves toward the River Krona, there are many, many waterfalls – the primary feature of the park. There is, of course, more water in the spring and fall so many of the waterfalls are at this time of year poor imitations of their more impressive selves.

After buying the entrance tickets we walked down over 200 steps to reach the lake

where we took a boat down the lake to the point where we’d begin our walk. The lake is 47 meters deep and very clear. Our guide provided some information about the park during our brief boat ride.

There were many cascades and waterfalls and much lovely scenery as we made our way to the end of our path. No one was exactly sure what type of fish there were in the lakes, but there were many, mostly small but a few were quite large. Best guess was that they are some kind of trout. The population appears large and growing.

At frequent intervals along the path were placed these maps to show the location and relative elevation of the water at that point.

At the conclusion of the scheduled walk, we reached the Great Falls, which at this time of year weren’t so great. . . . We had to stand in line for the opportunity to reach the viewing area.

Then we reached the Great Falls – or perhaps the Many Trickles.

There was then an equally long upward climb to the exit as there had been downward from the entrance, but on a switchback path rather than stairs.

The park was quite lovely but, unfortunately, far too crowded with tourists to allow for much of a real nature experience. The guide indicated that the park had been a prize in the war amongst the parts of the former Yugoslavia. Although it had not been bombed, all the buildings had been destroyed, and most of the animals had left. Efforts at reintroduction are currently underway.

At 5 p.m. the bus left the park to return to the coast, now in Dalmatia, and the city of Sibenik where we are scheduled to spend two nights. Our hotel was not really in the city but a large resort complex on the Adriatic.

There were some problems with rooms that eventually got resolved, and we settled in. Fortunately, the dining room remains open until 9 so we were able to have dinner before heading back to the room to unpack a bit and get to bed.