44. Plitvice National Park

After the several ancient Venetian towns of the last few days, with narrow streets and impressive churches, we have temporarily seen enough of those, for a while. So we decide to move inland and aim for the Plitvice National Park, marketed as ‘Croatia’s top natural attraction and the absolute highlight of the Adriatic hinterland’. It is. A series of sixteen lakes drop down a total of 133 meters, from one into the next, through waterfalls and cascades, over a distance of eight kilometres. In itself already a fabulous natural phenomenon, but in mid-October further enhanced by the autumn colours of the forests at the various lake sides.

Now we are not the only once that came to visit this place, which is obviously well prepared for visitors. Apparently, about a million per year come to the park; I hate to think how it looks here in July and August, as even on a late October Sunday it is crowded along the board walks and the paths that form the various well-marked routes. The electric boats that ferry people from one side of the lake to another and the ‘panoramic train’ that connects various points are packed with passengers. But even though we were not alone, it was well worth the effort coming here, and enjoying the spectacular scenery.

Some pictures to prove it.

and then, the last of Croatia