What do wolves, Milka chocolate and president Tito have in common? They all left their mark on the shimmering blue lakes and cascading waterfalls of Croatia’s most famous national park— Plitvice Lakes.
No need for a long introduction—you’ve probably already heard of Plitvice (in Croatian: Plitvička jezera, jezera = lakes) if you’ve ever planned a trip to Croatia. But if you haven’t, this little mix of FAQ, curious facts, and insider tips might help you get to know it better—and maybe love it a little more.
- 1) What is & where is Plitvice lakes?
- 2) Is Plitvice worth visiting?
- 3) Lika, the land of wolves & Plitvice as ”the devil’s garden” by the BBC
- 4) Milka waterfalls, opera singer – and chocolate?
- 5) Plitvice Bloody Easter of 1991
- 6) Which color do we use to paint the lakes, a.k.a,. why are Plitvice so blue?
- 7) Waterfalls, lakes & some weird history behind their names
- 8) From owls and trouts to bears and snakes
- 9) Two counties – and counting!
- 10) Tito’s abandoned villa
- 11) Things to do around Plitvice Lakes
- 12) Can I swim in Plitvice & please, leave your flip flops at home
- 13) Children, pets, wheelchair accessibility, toilet, restaurants
- 14) Finding your way around Plitvice lakes and choosing the best route
- 15) What is the best time to visit Plitvice Lakes?
- Last question: Do I need a guide for Plitvice?
1) What is & where is Plitvice lakes?
Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in Croatia’s mountainous region of Lika (pronounced Lee-kah). It’s tricky to pinpoint the “center” of Croatia due to its odd shape, but Plitvice sits roughly between Zagreb and the Adriatic coast.
The park spans elevations from 400 to 1,200 meters, but don’t worry—you won’t be scaling peaks. The main tourist paths are gentle and walkable, though more adventurous trails exist if you’re up for a challenge.
Croatia has 8 national parks. Established in 1949, Plitvice is Croatia’s oldest, largest, and most visited national park. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
2) Is Plitvice worth visiting?
Absolutely. And I’m not saying that because I’m Croatian AND a guide. In all my visits, I’ve never met a single person who thought Plitvice was anything less than stunning. Let’s be real:
The only real regret I hear is: “We should’ve come earlier.”
Thankfully, the park administration has addressed the overcrowding by limiting the number of visitors per time slot. It solved the chaos, but also means: don’t be late. If your ticket says 10:00 AM, you’ve got until 11:00 to enter.
Still, with over a million visitors a year, it’s safe to say: Plitvice is very much worth it.
3) Lika, the land of wolves & Plitvice as ”the devil’s garden” by the BBC
Once you arrive at the Plitvice area, you are in what we call ”the land of the wolves”. This fact was even featured in a BBC documentary about Plitvice Lakes, where Plitvice was referred to as ”the Devil’s garden” (at least in its premodern form) and the ”land of the falling lakes”.
Plitvice belongs to a region officially known as Lika. Not very populated – the climate is harsh and the soil is poor, so it’s still mostly ”just” a perfect place for your activities in nature.
As for the wolves, they hide deeper in the woods, so it’s unlikely you’ll see them near the lakes. They are protected by law in Croatia, as they make up a population of only around 200. But who knows, maybe you just happen to meet our little Krešo.
4) Milka waterfalls, opera singer – and chocolate?
As you wander the trails, you might spot a sign for Milka Trnina’s Waterfalls near the park’s big cave. They’re small, bubbly falls tumbling over rocks, and yes—you can get close.
If the name Milka reminds you of chocolate, here’s the twist: Milka Trnina was a celebrated 19th-century Croatian opera singer. The story goes that Carl Russ-Suchard, the founder of Milka chocolate, was such a fan that he named the brand after her. (The “milk” part didn’t hurt.)
Milka gained wealth performing throughout Europe and America, and gave a lot of money to charity. She also contributed to the Plitvice Lakes Society, which is why they rewarded her with this beautiful tribute.
5) Plitvice Bloody Easter of 1991
Unfortunately, not everything was always picture-perfect in Plitvice.
If you already know a bit of Croatian modern history (or if you don’t, here’s a little guide), you might have heard about the Homeland War in the 1990s. It was a war with Serbia, and during that time, parts of Croatia with a huge Serbian population (at least rebelled Serb forces loyal to the Serbian regime in Belgrade) became self-proclaimed Serbian territory. The area around Plitvice Lakes was one of them.
March of 1991 was when the first armed confrontation resulted in the killed of both sides. On the Croatian side, it was the policeman Josip Jović who was only 22 at the time. We call this tragic incident the ”Plitvice Bloody Easter”.
At the time, 400 tourists had to be evacuated. They were saved, but the ethnic tensions escalated into a war that will last for years. During the war that lasted from 1991 to 1995, some buildings, facilities, hotels, and barracks were destroyed or burned down.
The region was liberated by the Croatian army in 1995, and the area was cleared of mines. The killed policeman has been posthumously promoted to the rank of major, and his memorial site is now there.
6) Which color do we use to paint the lakes, a.k.a,. why are Plitvice so blue?
Someone once asked if we paint Plitvice Lakes. I took it as a compliment. But the real reason for the emerald green and azure blue colors of the lake is completely natural.
But the real reason for the dazzling colors—emerald green, deep turquoise, icy blue—is entirely natural. It’s a magical mix of travertine rock, moss, algae, microorganisms, and the angle of sunlight reflecting off the water.
Also, the color of the lakes keeps changing from season to season, together with the organisms and mineral content of the water.
Fun fact: Did you know that the actual lakes (surface waters) make up less than 1% of the National Park? Everything else is woods and meadows.
7) Waterfalls, lakes & some weird history behind their names
There are 16 lakes in Plitvice. They are on different ”floors”, most of them connected with waterfalls. There are 12 upper lakes and 4 lower lakes, linked by over 90 waterfalls.
The biggest waterfall in Plitvice is also the biggest waterfall in Croatia, and it’s imaginatively called – the Great Waterfall. It’s 78 meters tall. Here you can see what it usually looks like, but sometimes after the heavy rain, it goes completely wild, like it did in 2019.
Bizarre stories tell us some of the lakes got their name after the person who drowned in them. Ciganovac lake got its name after a Gypsy who fell in while fishing, Galovac lake after a bandit chief Gal who defeated the Turks and was shot down in this lake, Kozjak lake after the goats who ran aways from wolves and fell through the thick ice…
Of course, these are just not-so-urban legends from a long time ago and a warning to respect the power of nature and the paths of the park. Walk carefully and don’t try getting a lake named after you or your superb new iPhone, they are already taken 😀
As for the Plitvice Lakes, the name comes from the Croatian word for shallow (plitak). Nature formed shallow basins that have been filled with water. Just a reminder – those basins aren’t that shallow anymore.
8) From owls and trouts to bears and snakes
The first thing that usually comes to the visitor’s mind is bears, snakes, and wolves. It’s highly unlikely you’ll see huge mammals like wolves, lynx, or a bear.
Snakes can be seen in the summer, and I’ve seen them swimming in the water a couple of times.
The video was taken by the visitor who kindly allowed sharing this. The most common snake is the poisonous viper snake.
Although a viper has a small, evil-looking face and that horn on the head, keep in mind – if you are afraid of snakes – that it only uses the poison for the hunt (small animals) and is quite peaceful. Even if attacked, it will only use its poison as its last weapon. If you see a viper, just walk by and don’t try to touch it or, even worse, kill it. It’s forbidden by Croatian laws.
Animals that you’ll definitely see are trout, lizards, birds like woodpeckers and hawks, butterflies, possibly a hedgehog, fox, rabbit, or a marten.
One thing I learned from a local living in Plitvice is a fun fact about beloved owls: Although called wise, in reality, your dear Hedwig is… well, just not that bright. The reason is – it doesn’t have to be. The owl is one of the greatest wood hunters and has no natural enemies (although they kind of hate squirrels and hiss at them to prevent them from settling in their tunnels). Being that powerful, an owl just didn’t have the need for any intellectual extras – in a man’s world, it would be your regular school bully. In India, for example, owls are a symbol of foolishness! Still, those big eyes, smirky face, and nightlife in solitude make it cute and wise-looking, which is where its reputation probably comes from. It’s all about how you present yourself, man.
9) Two counties – and counting!
Although Croatia is a small country (less than 1% of the USA and ¼ of the UK), that didn’t stop us from having … :drumrolls: … 21 county!
Plitvice itself stretches through two counties. Most of the park (91%) is in the Lika-Senj County, while the rest is in the Karlovac county.
If you are coming to Plitvice from Zagreb, you’ll pass through four counties. Not that you’ll notice—but our paperwork will.
10) Tito’s abandoned villa
Ex-Yugoslav president, Marshal Tito, knew how to enjoy finer things in life. During his presidency, he had mansions all over Yugoslavia at his disposal. They were mostly used for accepting and entertaining guests such as other presidents, kings, and queens, famous actors and singers, etc.
One of them was called Vila Izvor (izvor means well, spring), and it is placed here, near the lakes. He obviously enjoyed the lakes, but he also had respect for ”the land of the wolves” because his wife, Jovanka, was born in this area, too.
The villa was built by the prisoners from WWII and was made of stone imported from the north of Croatia. It had a cinema, conference rooms, apartments for guests, offices, and even secret underground tunnels. Some of the special officers around were German Shepherds, too.
Did you know that during WWII, Tito had a German Shepherd called Lux, who followed him in every battle? A German fighting Germans! Lux even saved Tito’s life in the battle of Sutjeska in 1943 when it threw itself on him to protect him from the German bomb. Unfortunately, Lux didn’t survive the attack, but Tito did, and the love for German Shepherds remained.
Villa got destroyed in the Yugoslav Wars of the ’90s, and most of the furniture was stolen from inside. Since then, ithas deteriorated a lot, as you can see.
The photo was shared with the permission of the author. For more pictures, look here and here.
11) Things to do around Plitvice Lakes
There are other things too if you’re planning to spend more time in Lika / around Plitvice Lakes. Some additional activities include:
- a luxury accommodation Fenomen Plitvice, where you can enjoy outdoor activities like trekking, Nordic walking, personalized trips, planting, shooting bow and arrow, yoga, etc.
- Camping Plitvice
- Barać caves
- Una river rafting
- Visiting the small village Rastoke near Plitvice lakes – it’s called ”Little Plitvice” for a reason, you can enjoy old wooden houses with mills and waterfalls, have lunch and let your kids play around
- Adrenalin park Plitvice
- swimming in the Korana river
- riding horses in the ranch like this or this
- tour the ranch, feed the deer and enjoy their company on a Ranch Deer Valley
- Tito’s villa, as mentioned, is for those into obscure sights
- if that’s not enough, you can visit the abandoned Željava airbase near the Croatian-Bosnian border (on your own responsibility, keep in mind there are still mines left there and you have to be careful not to wander around too far)
12) Can I swim in Plitvice & please, leave your flip flops at home
Good for nature, bad for you – you can’t swim in Plitvice and you’ll get fined if you try to.
As for clothing, I would recommend sporty and layered clothes. The park is at a higher altitude, and it’s always a bit fresher there than in Zagreb or on the coast, depending on where you’re coming from.
Throw on some sneakers and save your flip flops or heels for the beach or cocktail night, because it can get slippery, and the uneven wooden planks have cracks in between.
13) Children, pets, wheelchair accessibility, toilet, restaurants
CHILDREN: Should you bring your kids to Plitvice? Definitely. Just put them in some comfy clothes and keep an eye on them, especially if it’s crowded, because wooden paths over the lake don’t have any handrails. If you have a toddler, I would recommend carrying them in a baby carrier instead of a stroller – it will be a mess trying to push them over wooden planks.
PETS: They are allowed. You can bring your dog, but only on a leash. A cat too – if you dare 😀
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY: Unfortunately, Plitvice is not wheelchair-friendly. Some things are possible – like seeing a few lakes and the Grand waterfall from the viewpoint at entrance number 1, or taking a bit rocky, but doable, path to the panoramic train. You can find more details on this blog.
TOILET & RESTAURANTS: Toilets can be found at both entrances and two ports (P1 and P2), so before and after entering and while in the park. There is a restaurant within the park, at P1 (it’s a port and a meadow where people usually take a break). But! It’s mostly overpriced fast food that’s ”not good, not terrible”. I’d say it’s better to prepare some sandwiches or stop for lunch in one of the restaurants outside the park.
14) Finding your way around Plitvice lakes and choosing the best route
On the official site of Plitvice, you can see there are 8 different paths you can take, sorted by length. The shortest path takes 2-3 hours, and the longest one 6-8 hours.
Usually, my groups take path B (lower lakes + Big waterfall + boat). It’s easy enough for everyone, and you get to see most of the attractions. It takes around 3-4 hours with a slow walk, taking pictures, and a break.
If you have time, I would recommend taking a step further and taking a path C or K, depending on your hiking aspirations and time. It combines both Lower and Upper lakes, a boat ride, Grand waterfall, and a ride with the panoramic train if you wish.
(Both a panoramic train and a boat ride are included in the price of your ticket)
15) What is the best time to visit Plitvice Lakes?
Plitvice gets crowded during the summer, and August is the peak season. So, to make sure the weather is still nice and that there aren’t hundreds of people, I would recommend coming in spring (March, April) or autumn (September, October).
Still, you can’t go wrong with any other season, because each one carries a different look of the lakes. If you visit Plitvice in winter, you’ll experience a white and blue fairytale with its frozen waterfalls and barely any people inside the park – it’s all yours! I took these winter pictures in February when everything was still under snow, and the weather was fresh and sunny.
As for the time of the day, I would recommend coming as early as possible, before 9 or 10 am. It will leave you enough time to explore the lakes (it gets crowded around 11 am). During winter, this is even more important because the park is open only during daylight.
Last question: Do I need a guide for Plitvice?
Plitvice Lakes is easy to handle by yourself, you just have to follow the signs.
Yet, if you want to know more – not only about Plitvice but also about this part of Croatia – I would always recommend getting a guide and having a local buddy around who will always know some extra details that you can’t find in books or online guides, will help you with your stay and add an extra value to your trip.
For further research, here is the link to the official website of Plitvice Lakes.
