The Most Popular Tourist Attraction in Croatia
By Twisted Sifter on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 filed under ANIMALS, NATURE & SPACE.
Photograph by Jack Brauer
All of the Croatian people I have met through my years have always talked about the natural beauty of their homeland. I always nodded in agreement because it struck me that most people shared the same sentiment, regardless of their origin. This says to me, that natural beauty and splendor are everywhere. Our planet is a wonderful place and there are countless gems like the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, for us to appreciate and preserve.
The Plitvice Lakes National Park was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979. The beauty of the National Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, and set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species
Photograph by Roman Bonnefoy
The National Park covers a total area of 300 square kilometers (116 sq. miles), whilst the lakes join together over a distance of eight kilometers (5 miles).
The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 meters (2,087 ft) to 503 meters (1,650 feet) over a distance of some eight km (5 miles), aligned in a south-north direction. The lakes collectively cover an area of about two square km, with the water exiting from the lowest lake to form the Korana River.
The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colours change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
There’s also quite an altitude difference - the highest point is at 1,280 meters (4,200 ft), the lowest at 380 meters (1,247 ft) - although the total height difference between the lakes themselves is only 135 meters (443 ft). Veliki Slap is the largest waterfall, at 70 meters (230 ft) tall.
Photograph by Henning Schroder
Brief History
The Plitvice Lakes had become a major tourist attraction in the late 19th century. The first hotel was built there in 1896, and as early as 1893 it already had a conservation committee - the predecessor of today’s national park authority. In 1949 the communist government of Yugoslavia nationalized the lakes and made them a national park. The park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 in recognition of its “outstanding natural beauty, and the undisturbed production of travertine (tuff) through chemical and biological action”.
The park soon became one of Yugoslavia’s most popular tourist attractions. However, in March 1991 it became the scene of the Plitvice Lakes incident - the first armed confrontation of the Croatian War of Independence that resulted in fatalities. The park was held by forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina during the conflict and suffered some damage in the process, with hotels and other facilities being used as barracks. At auto-camp Grabovac there were civilian deaths (three children) from a Yugoslav Army shell in September 1991[4]. It was retaken by the Croatian Army in August 1995 during Operation Storm, which ended the Croatian war.
- Source: Wikipedia
.
Photograph by Roybb95
SOURCES
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plitvice_Lakes_National_Park
- http://www.visit-croatia.co.uk/plitvicelakes/
There are unattributed photos in this post as a source could not be found. If you see an image that is yours and would like proper accrediation please contact me. I will gladly provide links to the original source or remove the image in its entirety.
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If you enjoyed this article, the Sifter highly recommends: IGUAZU FALLS: 15 AMAZING PICTURES, 10 INCREDIBLE FACTS
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December 9th, 2009 at 3:04 am[...] popular tourist attraction in Croatia and was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979. via twistedsifter.com and notcot « Branding [...]
Parent Madness
December 9th, 2009 at 1:33 pmIs there no swimming there? I noticed in all the pictures people are walking on boardwalks, but no one is in the water.
World’s Strangest | Beautiful Croatia
December 9th, 2009 at 2:37 pm[...] over to Twisted Sifter and learn more about this awesome [...]
Twisted_Sifter
December 9th, 2009 at 3:53 pmGreetings Parent Madness thanks for dropping by!
I did a little research and this site: http://www.croatiatraveller.com/Heritage_Sites/Pl...
says that you are not allowed to swim in the water. Probably to preserve the wildlife that habitat the beautiful area. T'is a shame because it looks so gorgeous but probably for the better.
Twisted_Sifter
December 9th, 2009 at 3:53 pmGreetings Parent Madness thanks for dropping by!
I did a little research and this site: http://www.croatiatraveller.com/Heritage_Sites/Pl...
says that you are not allowed to swim in the water. Probably to preserve the wildlife that habitat the beautiful area. T'is a shame because it looks so gorgeous but probably for the better.
vla
December 9th, 2009 at 8:24 pmSwimming is not allowed since 1996 to preserve lake waters. (but it was great to swim there
)
Here is link to park rules http://www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/hrv/index.php?o...
But you can swim in river Korana which is formed from the lakes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korana
anti-anti-ists
December 10th, 2009 at 2:57 amwhaaa??? thats freaking evil! It's like going to a gastronomical event and not be allowed to nibble! Whats the point of going there if u cant experience it?
Twisted_Sifter
December 10th, 2009 at 3:10 amhaha that's a funny analogy anti-anti-ists! i agree it is cruel but if it helps preserve for future generations and wildlife alike i'm for it.
think of it more like a living art gallery!
ps. i still want to swim in it though
<img src="http://scottymiller.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/no-swimming.jpg">
croatia… wow!
December 10th, 2009 at 10:01 am[...] twistedsifter. This entry was posted in outside. Bookmark the permalink. Post a comment or leave a trackback: [...]
The Most Popular Tourist Destination in Croatia « GO Figure Mag | CULTURE SUITE
December 10th, 2009 at 10:42 am[...] Via:Twistedsifter [...]
hannah
December 10th, 2009 at 1:22 pmyou can go to the krka national park which isn't all that far away, smaller but similar waterfalls and turquoise pools but you're allowed to swim in them!
Twisted_Sifter
December 10th, 2009 at 1:27 pmThanks for the information Hannah! i really want to visit Croatia one day soon, it looks so beautiful!
hope you drop by again
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December 11th, 2009 at 12:56 pm[...] And I’d take them on holiday with me here. [...]
DTravelsRound
December 12th, 2009 at 6:51 pmFor more pics of Pltivice, you can go here:
http://dtravelsround.com/about/plitvice-lakes-national-park-croata/
Plitvice Lakes National Park – Croatia - Dr. SeussJuice
December 14th, 2009 at 5:09 pm[...] most popular tourist destination… just look at the beautiful scenery! more over at TwistedSifter. :Croatia, environment, national park, nature, Plitvice Lakes National Park, tourism, [...]
Twisted_Sifter
December 14th, 2009 at 7:28 pmGreat pics D I'm jealous you've been! Can't wait to go myself one day…
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December 21st, 2009 at 5:13 pmAwesome pictures!
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December 23rd, 2009 at 10:42 am[...] If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, let’s connect! If you enjoyed this article, the Sifter highly recommends: The Most Popular Tourist Destination in Croatia [...]
Chad
December 31st, 2009 at 11:05 pm"Masks on, masks on!!!"
Jacek
January 10th, 2010 at 2:09 pmBardzo fajne zdjecia -zapraszam do obejrzenia moich zdj?? z Plitwic - http://www.dtp3.photo-gallery.com.pl/galeria.php?...
Oneida
January 12th, 2010 at 3:11 amWow this place is so beautiful! Almost looks like Pandora in Avatar!
Andrew
January 19th, 2010 at 2:04 pmAwesome pictures!
more about Croatia:
http://opentravel.com/Croatia-Vacations-Guide
Daniel
January 20th, 2010 at 11:05 amMore about beauty of Croatia here:
http://www.croatiatouristcenter.com/
Vedrana
January 20th, 2010 at 3:57 pmI’m from Croatia but I never visited Plitvice. It’s just one of many beutiful nacional parks.
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January 25th, 2010 at 12:45 pmReally cool………..
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January 28th, 2010 at 12:59 amBreath taking shots! Thank you, this will be my next goal in the summer!
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January 30th, 2010 at 10:31 pmThose are some really beautiful pictures you have there…..keep this up! Thanks a lot.
Twisted_Sifter
January 30th, 2010 at 11:11 pmgreat observation! totally agree
thanks for dropping by
Twisted_Sifter
January 30th, 2010 at 11:14 pmyou're most welcome! thanks for dropping by hope you come back again. nice poems on your page.
Justin Wright
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:49 pmThis place looks truly amazing. I've seen a few waterfalls in my travels but nothing like this.
Buljko
March 11th, 2010 at 1:50 pmBeen there on my school trip, but since it was autumn it wasn't so colorful.. but still a wonderful experience.
Strongly recommended for anyone who's on vacation in Croatia!
Dweller
March 16th, 2010 at 3:30 amI am looking for a park that had a bit of conflict a little while back between Croatia and one of the neighboring countries. I think it was a shooting for some reason in the late 80's early 90's. Is this the park I am looking for? I heard it was extremely beautiful.
Buljko
March 18th, 2010 at 12:59 pm@Dweller
Yeah thats it, couple of serbs were swimming naked in the lake and then couple of croats came and took their clothes. So the war broke out.
Amazing Pictures, 10 Incredible Facts - Lazydesis
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:15 am[...] permalink Amazing Pictures, 10 Incredible Facts Whenever I come across images of places like Iguazu Falls, my urge to drop everything and travel this beautiful planet overwhelms my senses. There is so much to experience in this world, it?s a little saddening to know how many people never get to explore the world beyond their immediate surroundings. Thankfully there?s pictures and the power of human imagination to take us to places we may never see in real life Iguazu Falls aka Iguassu Falls or Igua?u Falls, are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paran? and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The waterfall system consists of 275 falls along 2.7 kilometers (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. The first European to find the falls was the Spanish Conquistador ?lvar N??ez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541, after whom one of the falls in the Argentine side is named. The falls were rediscovered by Boselli at the end of the nineteenth century, and one of the Argentine falls is named after him. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 meters (269 ft) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 ft). The Devil?s Throat (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish or Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese), a U-shaped, 82-meter-high (269 ft) , 150-meter-wide and 700-meter-long (490 by 2,300 feet) cataract, is the most impressive of all, marking the border between Argentina and Brazil. Two thirds of the falls are within Argentine territory. About 900 meters (0.56 miles) of the 2.7-kilometer length (1.67 miles) does not have water flowing over it. The edge of the basalt cap recedes only 3 mm (0.1 in) per year. The water of the lower Iguazu collects in a canyon that drains into the Paran? River at Argentina, shortly downstream from the Itaipu dam. Iguazu currently has the greatest average annual flow of any waterfall in the world. The water falling over Iguazu in peak flow has a surface area of about 40 Ha (1.3 million ft?) whilst Victoria in peak flow has a surface area of over 55 ha (1.8 million ft?). By comparison, Niagara has a surface area of under 18.3 ha (600,000 ft?). Taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide, Iguazu Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left a large crack in the earth. During the rainy season of November - March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic m) per second. The best times to see Iguazu Falls are in the spring and fall. Summer is intensely tropically hot and humid, and in winter the water level is considerably lower. The area is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On her first sight of the tremendous falls, Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed: ?Poor Niagara!? CROATIA [...]
I have found more places to visit « practising physicist; periodically pondering personal plight
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:48 pm[...] Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia The beauty of the National Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of [...]
digitalkat1
May 25th, 2010 at 1:42 pmim planing to go thee this year, thanks for the encouragement
patricia
May 29th, 2010 at 10:30 amWhat an expected discovery! Just beautiful! If I had not seen these pictures, I'm afraid I would have gone on thinking with a great bias as ti what might be found in this land of such compelling and unique Beauty.
thanks,
Lori
June 24th, 2010 at 1:00 pmWow - that's the reaction I had reading this post and of course enjoying the photos. Great post
It seems that this park is a part of Paradise 
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia, a Spectacle of Beauty and Vitality | Tourism On The Edge
June 27th, 2010 at 5:39 pm[...] and pictures via 1, 2,3, 4,5 [...]
dearhead
July 25th, 2010 at 4:05 amThat is a beautiful place! i plan on takeing my girlfriend there, which she is from, she is as beautifull as the falls
coder99
July 28th, 2010 at 9:32 amvery nice picture
polestarinc
July 28th, 2010 at 9:33 ami love this place,very good
Soendoro Soetanto
July 28th, 2010 at 2:44 pmWOW. SO Beautiful.
Soendoro Soetanto
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August 21st, 2010 at 5:31 amhttp://www.watchesky.com
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August 23rd, 2010 at 8:22 pmThese are wonderful! Thank you for finding and sharing
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August 29th, 2010 at 2:58 pmThe Most Popular Tourist Attraction in Croatia…
A collection of stunning images and facts about the Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia’s most popular tourist attraction. An UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979…