While the Croatian coast is becoming a popular tourist attraction, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, located inland between Zadar and Zagreb, is to me the most magically beautiful place on the planet. Deservedly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979, the lakes, waterfalls, forest, hiking trails and boat rides in the park are what defined the word breathtaking. No stay in Croatia is complete without at least a day spent rambling through the thousands of shades of green.
Even during the socialist era, the park was incredibly well set up and cared for. Today, walking and hiking trails circumnavigate the 16 lakes in innumerable configurations of shorter or longer walks. Buses and boats operate between various points for those who want to see it all but have less energy or less time. Entrance tickets are valid for either one or two days and include parking and use of the buses and boats.
My amazed exploration of the Plitvice Lakes lasted a full two days, most with wide-mouthed incredulity at the endless variations on turquoise and green that the lakes and forest presented me with. Much of the pathway is made up of wooden boardwalks stretching over marshes and lake edges. As I visited in a summer peak period, coachloads of tourists were arriving constantly, but both starting out very early and staying on into the evening gave me the chance to soak up the power of nature without the camera-clicking - except, of course, for my own camera, which snapped a record number of pictures.
While accommodation can be found in towns nearby, my recommendation is to stick with the nature theme and enjoy a local campsite. My preferred method was to pitch a tent amongst the green at Campsite Korana, a short drive away - they also have simple bungalows for those without the canvas. But whatever the accommodation, it will pale into insignificance when your eyes first rest upon the skyscraper waterfalls and the unimaginable colours of the Plitvice Lakes.
