Plitvice Lakes guide 
Natural features and attractions - Which lakes, waterfalls, viewpoints and caves should you see and visit?
Accommodation - Where to stay near the Plitvice Lakes? Right in the national park or somewhere further?
Typical food and drink - What you should try at Plitvice Lakes - štrukli, divljač, travarica or local wine.
Practical tips - When to go to the Plitvice Lakes, how to buy tickets, which route to choose, what to take with you?
Weather - What temperatures and rainfall should you prepare for when visiting the Plitvice Lakes?
Personalities - Who is the most famous person associated with the Plitvice Lakes?
AI Poem - What did artificial intelligence come up with about the Plitvice Lakes and the famous film series about Vinnetou?
The Plitvice Lakes are among the most beautiful natural phenomena in Croatia. They cover an area of more than 300 km² in the central part of the country. Established in 1949, this national park boasts a total of 16 interconnected lakes, divided into Upper and Lower Lakes, each part of which has specific natural features. One of the unique features of the Plitvice Lakes is the natural process of creating travertine, a mineral that creates overflows and barriers between the lakes and constantly changes their shapes. This natural phenomenon is caused by limestone and mosses, which create new terraces, thanks to which the falls are constantly changing.
Among the largest lakes of the park are Kozjak and Prošćansko jezero, popular both for their beauty and for the wonderful views. The highest waterfall in the area, Veliki slap, reaches a height of 78 meters and is one of the most visited attractions. Visitors can walk along the wooden footbridges and paths that lead just above the lakes and streams, offering an exceptional contact with nature.
The park is home to a rich fauna and flora, including rare species such as the brown bear, lynx, wolves and several species of bats. The diverse vegetation varies with altitude, from dense pine and beech forests to floodplain meadows. The entire area has been beautifully adapted for visitors - tourists can move around the park by boat ferries, sightseeing buses or on foot along educational trails.
The park opens its doors to visitors all year round, and each season offers a different experience here – from the lush greenery and spray of water in the summer to the golden autumn leaves and snow-covered forests in the winter. Plitvice Lakes will be great for all nature lovers, photographers and fans of the film Vinnetou.
Natural formations and attractions
Highlights of Plitvice Lakes include several iconic waterfalls, lakes and panoramic viewpoints:
Veliki Slap - The highest waterfall in the park reaches a height of 78 meters. This massive waterfall is located in the Lower Lakes and is one of the biggest attractions of the park.
Kozjak Lake - The largest of the Plitvice Lakes offers peaceful cruises by electric boats that allow you to admire the beauty of the surrounding landscape and connect the Lower and Upper Lakes.
Upper Lakes (Gornja jezera) - A system of smaller lakes in the upper part of the park with travertine barriers and a series of picturesque waterfalls. The most important lakes are Prošćansko jezero, Ciginovac and Galovac.
Lower Lakes (Donja jezera) - They include lakes Milanovac, Gavanovac and Kaluderovac and are characterized by high limestone walls and deep lakes surrounded by rocky cliffs.
Viewpoint Veliki Prštavac - Offers a wonderful view of the Upper Lakes with cascading waterfalls. Not only photographers and lovers of panoramic scenery will enjoy this view.
Trail to the Labyrinth of Caves - This part of the park includes smaller caves that can be explored during the journey between the lakes. It was especially popular with adventure lovers.
Ski lift with a panoramic view - Paths and wooden walkways lead above the lakes and around the waterfalls, offering breathtaking views of the blue surface of the lakes and the surrounding forests.
Accommodations
If you want to enjoy the wonderful natural scenery for several days, you can stay directly in the national park. In the village of Plitvička Jezera and the surrounding area, there are more than 100 different accommodation facilities, from the numerous guesthouses and apartments to several hotels and holiday homes. Those for whom one day is enough for a visit can comfortably travel from Karlovac, Zagreb or Zadar. The Bosnian town of Bihač is also nearby.
In the 4* boarding house Tesla's Gastro House Plitvice you can choose a room or an apartment with its own kitchen. The guesthouse offers breakfast, packed lunches for hikes or a restaurant. In addition, the accommodation offers its guests wellness procedures such as a sauna, a whirlpool and a relaxation room. You can also use the garden, outdoor grill, sun terrace or free private parking here.
Another 4* guesthouse B&B Plitvice Holiday Lodge is less than 4 km from the entrance gate to the Plitvice Lakes. Guests can use the garden, sun terrace with outdoor furniture, outdoor grill or free private parking. The local restaurant, which also serves breakfast, offers traditional Croatian dishes.
Slightly cheaper accommodation is offered by the beautiful guesthouse B&B Villa Dolina Plitvice, which is located 13 km from the entrance to the lakes. At the 24/7 reception, they will be happy to give you advice or store your luggage. You can relax in the garden, on the sunny terrace or in the common room. You can organize a picnic by the outdoor fireplace, for example. The guesthouse also has a restaurant and a grill.
Typical food and drink
Janjetina ispod peke - Lamb roasted under a bell called "peke", which is a traditional way of preparing meat on an open fire. The meat remains juicy and full of flavor.
Lički krumpir - Potatoes from the Lika region, which are known for their quality and fullness of taste. They are often served as a side dish, baked or boiled.
Štrukli - Baked or boiled pasta stuffed with cheese, typical of the entire region of northern Croatia.
Divljač - Game meat, such as venison, wild boar or deer meat, belongs to common dishes and is prepared in various ways, for example in red wine.
With your meal, you can have local schnapps, such as Travarica, and taste local cheeses, such as the famous Liški cheese, which comes from this mountainous region and is characterized by a mild, salty taste.
Practical advice for the trip
Depending on the route you choose, you can spend 3-8 hours exploring the park. The longest route (around 18 km) offers views of the Upper and Lower Lakes and all the main attractions, while the shorter routes are focused on specific parts of the park.
We can recommend visiting the lakes in spring and autumn, when you can enjoy the beautifully colorful nature and avoid the crowds. In the summer, the park is the busiest, and it is better to buy tickets in advance online. In winter, the lakes freeze and offer a different atmosphere, but some parts may be closed.
Tickets vary by season and age. Buying online ensures you enter at the time of your choice and saves you waiting.
The park is dominated by natural terrain with wooden bridges and paths. Therefore, comfortable, sturdy shoes and waterproof clothing are recommended, especially when visiting waterfalls or in rainy weather.
There are a limited number of stands in the park, so pack a snack and plenty of water. You are not allowed to have a picnic in the park outside of the designated areas. Take care to maintain cleanliness.
The Plitvice Lakes have several important rules: do not enter the water, do not smoke outside the designated areas and always take your trash with you.
Within the park, you can take advantage of free panoramic buses and boat transfers on longer routes, allowing you to explore more sites more easily.
Weather
The Plitvice Lakes has a mild continental climate with cooler winters and warm summers.
Temperatures hover around 20-30°C in summer, with mornings being cooler. In June and September you can enjoy pleasant warmth and fewer tourists here.
In winter, temperatures sometimes drop below freezing and the lake area is covered in snow, offering wonderful winter scenery.
During the spring and autumn months, changeable weather prevails with more frequent precipitation. But this is compensated by the beautiful, colorful and varied nature.
Famous personalities
Vinnetou - Certainly the most famous character associated with the Plitvice Lakes is represented by the film's Indian chief Vinnetou. The natural scenery of the Plitvice Lakes became an ideal setting for the depiction of the American Wild West. That is why many scenes from the film based on Karl May's book "Treasure on the Silver Lake" were filmed here.
A poem about Plitvice Lakes and Vinnetou written by artificial intelligence
Plitvice lakes in a forest dream,
where silence sings the song of days
and in deep waters in blue calm,
a slumbering legend that comes to life in a float.
There, on the banks where Vinnetou stood,
with Old Shatterhand an eternal promise made,
friendship that continued over the mountains,
as water flows, strong as rock on.
With a rifle and a brave soul,
flew through the untamed landscape,
rivers and forests that breathe time
they are a memory of the stories that unite us.
Plitvice has a secret in its heart,
where Vinnetou still knows his home,
there the water and the rocks whisper on,
about the times when their story lived and played.