Plitvice Waterfalls

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Lika-Senj County / Karlovac County, Croatia

About Plitvice Waterfalls

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As opposed to being any singular attraction, the Plitvice Waterfalls (pronounced “PLIT-vits-uh”) are really a large network of karstic lakes and waterfalls.

Just imagine walking besides and even right over lakes full of fish while displaying a color and clarity that rivals China’s Jiuzhaigou.

Plitvice_562_06012010 - Plitvice Waterfalls as seen from the 'money shot' spot overlooking Sastavci Waterfall with the Sulpjara Cave in the distance
Plitvice Waterfalls as seen from the ‘money shot’ spot overlooking Sastavci Waterfall with the Sulpjara Cave in the distance

It’s not all that unfamiliar to see a sequence that goes like waterfalls-lake-waterfalls-lake, etc. etc.

It’s probably one of the more memorable waterfall attractions in the world as Julie and I were pleasantly surprised at how large some of these waterfalls turned out to be once we finally saw them in person.

Apparently, these waterfalls were tourist attractions even since the late 19th century.

We learned this from a plaque alongside the Galvanovac Lake (one of the many lakes here) that stated that Plitvice was named after a world famous Croatian opera singer at the time.

Plitvice_043_05312010 - The Veliki Slap Waterfall in high flow, which was perhaps the tallest of the Plitvice Waterfalls
The Veliki Slap Waterfall in high flow, which was perhaps the tallest of the Plitvice Waterfalls

So, this is hardly a new attraction though it seems to only be coming into its own as a world class tourist attraction recently.

Basic Summary of the Plitvice Waterfalls

To get a handle on the enormity of the Plitvice Jezera (meaning Plitvice Lakes and is pronounced “PLIT-vits-uh Yez-er-uh”), you can divide the complex into the Upper Lakes and the Lower Lakes separated by a long lake called Jezero Kozjak.

Each section is quite easily walkable in a half-day if you choose do each part as its own loop.

However, we found that there were numerous criss-crossing junctions and sub-loops so there were many different ways to experience the Plitvice Waterfalls while making your visit uniquely your own.

Plitvice_294_06012010 - Looking up at one of the larger Plitvice Waterfalls that we encountered in the Upper Lakes section of the Plitvice Lakes National Park
Looking up at one of the larger Plitvice Waterfalls that we encountered in the Upper Lakes section of the Plitvice Lakes National Park

Indeed, rushing through this place is something we don’t recommend, and you’d really want to take your time to thoroughly enjoy the many ways you can experience this network of waterfalls.

The Lower Lakes of the Plitvice Waterfalls

Plitvice-lower-lakes-map.gif - Map of Plitvice Lakes with the Lower Lakes circled

In my mind, the Plitvice Waterfalls in the Lower Lakes were bigger and more “organized” (for lack of a better word).

The terrain here was more of a rugged gorge as the gorge walls closed in on the network of waterfalls and lakes.

So that meant there was limited access between the lower boardwalks (by the lakes and waterfalls) and the upper walkways (on the tops of the gorge banks).

Plitvice_511_06012010 - The Sulpjara Cave and the Velike Kaskade Waterfall, which was one of countless Plitvice Waterfalls in the Lower Lakes section
The Sulpjara Cave and the Velike Kaskade Waterfall, which was one of countless Plitvice Waterfalls in the Lower Lakes section

Such accesses were generally a long series of steps to overcome the steepness of the gorge walls.

Among the waterfall highlights of the Lower Lakes section of the Plitvice Waterfalls, I found the 70m Veliki Slap and the 20-25m drop of the Sastavci Waterfall to be the most compelling.

Since these waterfalls essentially converged close by to each other, we think that it was around these waterfalls that the Plitvice Waterfalls were at their most photogenic.

Plitvice_492_06012010 - Looking down over the uppermost of the Plitvice Waterfalls draining into the Lower Lakes area from the long Jezero Kozjak Lake
Looking down over the uppermost of the Plitvice Waterfalls draining into the Lower Lakes area from the long Jezero Kozjak Lake

Heck, I even deemed one of the overlooks as the “Money Shot”, which you can see if you agree by looking at the photograph at the top of this page.

Moreover, the Lower Lakes also included the Sulpjara Cave as well as the wide and attractive Velike Kaskade.

By the way, if you’re curious about the exact whereabouts of the “Money Shot”, you’ll want to take any of the trails that go to the brink of the Veliki Slap Waterfall, and then continue further downstream.

There will be a designated lookout yielding that desired view, which not only features the Sastavci Waterfall but also the Sulpjara Cave in the distance.

The Upper Lakes of the Plitvice Waterfalls

Plitvice-upper-lakes-map.gif - Map of Plitvice Lakes with the Upper Lakes circled

Conversely, the Upper Lakes were more spread out than its Lower Lakes counterpart.

That meant, the lakes and waterfalls seemed to be wider though the falls themselves were shorter.

It also felt that there were more boardwalks to cover this wider area.

As a result, there were several options available to us to figure out how best we could get the most of our visit.

Plitvice_413_06012010 - The Plitvice Waterfalls found in the Upper Lakes tended to possess a more subtle and graceful beauty as they tended to be smaller and more spread out than in the Lower Lakes
The Plitvice Waterfalls found in the Upper Lakes tended to possess a more subtle and graceful beauty as they tended to be smaller and more spread out than in the Lower Lakes

The waterfalls towards the top of the Upper Lakes area were mostly of the smaller percolating variety.

However, towards the lower end of the Upper Lakes area, we noticed more significant travertine-like waterfalls that might be as tall as 20m or more.

There was even trails where you could bypass most of the upper waterfalls in the Upper Lakes and “cut to the chase” of the lower section, so to speak.

Plitvice_379_06012010 - The Upper Lakes tended to have a more extensive network of walkways as well as more attractive lakes as well as more waterfalls than the Lower Lakes
The Upper Lakes tended to have a more extensive network of walkways as well as more attractive lakes as well as more waterfalls than the Lower Lakes

Indeed, the lower end of the Upper Lakes area was where the concentration of the waterfall highlights of this section were, but it was also prone to being very busy since a lot of tour groups also crowded the area.

Logistical Considerations of the Plitvice Waterfalls

Since the authorities intelligently made most of the park vehicle free, we had to rely on the public transport options (included in the price of admission).

These included a pair of shuttles, where one went to the Lower Lakes at stops ST2 to ST1 while another went to the Upper Lakes at stops ST2 to ST4.

Plitvice_449_06012010 - The The Jezero Kozjak Lake, which separated the Upper and Lower Plitvice Lakes, but the boat shuttle also traversed the lake between the P2 and P3 docking areas
The The Jezero Kozjak Lake, which separated the Upper and Lower Plitvice Lakes, but the boat shuttle also traversed the lake between the P2 and P3 docking areas

There were also a pair of boats where one shuttled between the docking areas P1 and P2 while another shuttled across Jezero Kozjak (Kozjak Lake) from P2 to P3.

If you just want to walk without the aid of the public transport, the signs indicated that the full loop of the park takes about 8 hours, I recalled.

And I’m pretty sure that didn’t include photo stops or other distractions, which would conspire to tack on additional time to those 8 hours.

Plitvice_184_05312010 - Looking towards the boat shuttle cruising on the Jezero Kozjak Lake just above the uppermost of the Plitvice Waterfalls situated in the Lower Lakes section
Looking towards the boat shuttle cruising on the Jezero Kozjak Lake just above the uppermost of the Plitvice Waterfalls situated in the Lower Lakes section

Nevertheless, we managed to experience the Plitvice Waterfalls by breaking up this longer hike and spreading out our self-guided tour over about two full days.

There are a pair of dedicated car parks labeled “entrance” or “ulaz” (see directions below for how we got there on our own).

There’s one near the Lower Lakes and another near the Upper Lakes so you have plenty of options given the public transport connectivity.

Authorities

The Plitvice Waterfalls reside in the Plitvice Lakes National Park near Plitvicka Jezera in Lika-Senj County, Croatia. It is administered by the Plitvice Lakes National Park governing authority. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: plitvice, national park, karlovac, lika-senj, croatia, waterfall, dalmatia



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.