Plitivice National Park, Croatia, Sunday June 22nd

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We were up and racing and couldn’t understand why the man in the bus ticket office offered us the 7.30 bus when it was after 8 o’clock. A check of my watch showed that it was just 7.30. The time on the mobile phone alarm had not been put forward an hour when we arrived in Bosnia so there we were, with more than an hour to kill until the 8.40 departure time. I toured the bus station, where there was an amusing display of the competition entries for a cartoon showing the problems of using cars. They had been sent in from all over the world and it seemed that parking was an issue everywhere.

It was after ten when we arrived at the Plitivice Lakes (pronounced ‘Plittivitsa’) National Park, having driven through beautiful forest for a little while. The bus let us off near the second entrance, where we crossed the road and followed a little path over a bridge to cross the road again and down to the main entrance. This would have to be the most organised National Park ever. We bought our tickets – quite expensive and including the boat and bus transport in some sections. This was not optional, although I think that you could opt to pay and not use it. There were many tours you could choose from, depending on the length of time you had available, all for the same price. We had six hours so we chose tour H. A bus took us to the starting point, which then gave us an hour and a half or so walk before a boat would take us over a lake to another one hour walk, at the end of which a bus would take us back to the entrance. While we waited for the bus to go, we watched the crowd go through the filter and come out as A,B,C etc, waiting for their appropriate buses.

The bus dropped us off and we read the information boards before departing on the walk. Rainwater collects carbon dioxide as it passes through the ground. The ions of carbonic acid dissolve the rocks and produced calcium carbonate. Microscopic algae and bacteria living on moss produce mucous which catches the crystals of calcite and from the calcite sediment and the fossils of the algae and moss, a porous stone called travertine is formed. The constant flow of water over the travertine continues to build it up, resulting in the formation of basins which can be small, or as big as lakes. They develop a level lip over which the water falls in cascades to the next basin or lake. Travertine is only formed where there is no pollution, with organic matter slowing it down and even a person having a swim having an effect. Consequently there were many rules of the ‘do not’ variety and a boardwalk over many areas, making sure that people were not in immediate contact with the water. The walking paths were all marked with the tour letters so it was very well thought out and clear.

We walked through wetlands, by rushing streams, beside small travertine systems and waterfalls and through forests. We saw so much beauty and marvelled that the views around every turn were always equal to or better than the ones before. It is no wonder that this National Park, of which we saw only a tiny fraction since it is 295 square kilometres in area, is on the UNESCO list of protected natural and cultural heritage sites. There are sixteen interconnected lakes, each dropping down in altitude with expanses of waterfalls between. The water is a strange azure green colour but is completely clear to look through. We could see the sludge of creamy powder over the plants and fallen branches in the water and on every stone on the bottom. Ducks paddled around and there were throngs of fish that looked like European Carp to us. We couldn’t see much else in the water, but we did spot a bottom dwelling small fish that used its fins to pull itself along. The water is very clear and would be very good for drinking.

There is a large area for lunching. It was shady and packed with people like us, who had sat down and stayed for a while. Along the walking trails there are benches, always with a rubbish bin beside them, and we saw a rubbish collector doing the rounds to make sure that none became full.

We spotted some lizards and birds but it was always the water and the myriad ways it moved that took our attention. At one point we climbed up to investigate a cave system and were able to view the lakes and board walks from above. It was quite warm and the walk was just the right length for our time. If we ever went again I think it would be great to go for a couple of days or more, and not to have the bus time looming over us. We met a German man on the bus stop who had had two visits, with this one lasting two days and he still felt that there was more to see.

Rather than rave on about this area, I think that the photos will be far more eloquent for readers to understand why this is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been in.

At the end of the day, we returned to an email message from our brother-in-law, Alan, to say that he could meet us in Ljubljana and that he would be there for a few days. We were now looking up ways to get there. We also worked out how to spend the next day; our last in Zagreb.