travel and tourism in croatia

Plitvice Lakes is the most prominent National Park in Croatia. It is among the most beautiful sights in Europe. This “pearl of continental Croatia” was added to the list of World Natural Heritage by UNESCO due to its diversity. The Lakes are located in the area of southeast Europe, in part of Croatia where we go from northern flat land towards a bit more elevated karsted mountain area. The Lakes are situated where Kordun touches Lika and in the valley Ogulinsko - Plaščanska dolina, on the very spring of the karst river Korana - at 480 to 636 meters above the sea level, on the hillside of Mala Kapela and Pljesivica. The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper (12) and lower (4) cluster formed by runoff from the mountains. The lakes collectively cover an area of about 2 km², with the water exiting from the lowest lake to form the Korana river.
The Plitvice Lakes lie in a basin of karstic rock, mainly dolomite and limestone, which has given rise to their most distinctive feature. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year.
The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colours change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.