Home / Destinations / Plitvice Lakes
National park · UNESCO since 1979Sixteen lakes descending 133 metres through a forested limestone valley, separated by travertine barriers that mosses and algae are still building, roughly a centimetre each year. It is the oldest national park in south-east Europe — and the most misvisited.
The lakes sit on dolomite and limestone. Water passing through the rock picks up dissolved calcium carbonate; where the flow slows and plants, mosses and bacteria grow, that carbonate precipitates out and cements itself around the vegetation. Over centuries the deposits form travertine dams, which impound the water behind them into lakes, which then spill over into the next. The whole landscape is alive and still growing, which is precisely why you must stay on the boardwalks — a footstep on a barrier destroys structures that took decades to build.
The colours — jade, emerald, grey-green, occasionally near-black — depend on mineral content, depth, angle of light and the quantity of organic material suspended in the water. They shift not just by season but by hour. Overcast conditions, contrary to expectation, often photograph better than harsh noon sun.
The park publishes lettered routes from Entrance 1 and numbered routes from Entrance 2. These are the three that matter.
Lower and Upper Lakes, the big waterfall, the electric boat and the panoramic shuttle. Roughly 8 km, 4–6 hours.
Lower Lakes and Veliki Slap only. Steep descent, stairs, then back up. About 3.5 km and 2–3 hours.
Upper Lakes first, in the opposite direction to the coach groups. About 9 km over 4–6 hours.
Spring brings maximum water volume and green intensity; October gives beech and hornbeam colour with far fewer people; winter can be spectacular when the falls partly freeze, though parts of the trail network close.
| Entrances | Entrance 1 sits at the Lower Lakes and the big waterfall. Entrance 2 is closer to the Upper Lakes and the hotels. There is also the quieter Flora entrance in high season. |
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| Tickets | Prices vary sharply by season and time of day. In peak summer a full-day adult ticket runs to roughly €40, dropping to around €10–23 in winter and shoulder months. Children, students and afternoon-entry tickets are discounted. Buy on the official park website. |
| Included | Entry covers the electric boat across Lake Kozjak and the panoramic shuttle buses. No extra fee at the pier. |
| Getting there | Zagreb 2h by car via the A1 to Karlovac then the D1. Zadar 1h30. Split about 3h. Intercity buses stop on the main road at both entrances; check with the driver. |
| Parking | Paid car parks at both entrances, charged per hour. Arrive early or you will be sent to an overflow lot. |
| Rules | No swimming, no drones, no dogs off lead, no leaving the boardwalks, no cycling on the lake trails. Fines are issued. |
| What to bring | Grippy shoes — the boardwalks have no handrails and become slick in rain. Water, sun protection, a light waterproof, and cash for the snack kiosks. |
| Accessibility | The Upper Lakes section from Entrance 2 is the most manageable for limited mobility; the Lower Lakes involve long flights of uneven steps. |
Official park website and ticket booking: np-plitvicka-jezera.hr. Always confirm current pricing and opening hours there before travelling.
Plitvice is larger, more dramatic and needs a full day; Krka is easier, closer to the coast and can be done in half a day. If you have the time and only choose one, choose Plitvice. If you are based in Split or Šibenik with a single free morning, choose Krka.
No. Swimming has been prohibited throughout Plitvice for decades in order to protect the travertine and water chemistry. Krka permitted swimming near Skradinski Buk historically but has also restricted it — check current rules before packing a towel.
From Zagreb, yes — two hours each way is manageable if you leave by 06:00. From Split it is a long day at roughly three hours in each direction, and you will arrive at the worst possible time. Better to stay overnight nearby or visit while driving between the coast and the capital.
The wider park area is home to brown bears, wolves and lynx, but they avoid the busy lake trails entirely. You will see far more birds, trout and the occasional grass snake than anything with claws.