PLITVICE WATERFALLS

As opposed to being any singular attraction, the Plitvice Waterfalls 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. 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.

In fact, these waterfalls were apparently tourist attractions even since the last 19th century. We learned this from a plaque alongside the Galvanovac that stated that Plitvice was named after a world famous Croatian opera singer at the time. So, this is hardly a new attraction though it seems to only be coming into its own as a world class tourist attraction recently.

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 the long lake called Jezero Kozjak. Each section is quite easily walkable in a half-day if you choose do it each part as its own loop. However, there are numerous criss-crossing and sub-loops that you can walk to get even more out of your visit (plus take a lot more time). And rushing through this place is something we don't recommend.