From 17th till 25th of April is Worlds National Park Week. There are 8 national parks in Croatia; Plitvice Lakes, Krka, Brijuni, Risnjak, Velebit, Mljet, Kornati and Paklenica. Let’s check which one you like the most?
A World National Park Week April 17th-20th
The most famous and oldest national park in Croatia is Plitvice Lakes. Plitvice is a real tourist magnet. Their beauty enchants at any time of the year. All nature lovers or photographers describe Plitvice as magical, exceptional, unique, changeable, and much more. But there are the facts; Plitvice Lakes is the largest and oldest national park in Croatia and was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.
Plitvice Lakes are located in Lika County. Not far from Plitvice, the great mind of the 20th century was born. One of the greatest inventors in the world, Nikola Tesla, was born in Smiljan. Plitvice Lakes can thank him for preventing Plitvice Lakes from being exploited in electricity production. Thank you, Nikola Tesla.
The national park Plitvice Lakes consists of sixteen crystal clear cyan-colored water lakes with numerous small rivers and streams. Waterfalls connect Plitvice Lakes. The park is divided into Upper and Lower lakes, surrounded by a dense forest full of wild and protected animals.
Where River Krka kisses the Adriatic Sea?
Krka National Park is just as beautiful as Plitvice, but again it’s unique and different. Recently, the upper course of the River Krka has been mentioned a lot, where the remains of the Roman Empire are fascinating, such as the Roman military camp Burnum and Poljane Eco campus. Visiting Skradin, where River Krka kisses the Adriatic Sea is a memorable experience.
Apart from the brackish water, there is the famous Visovac island. Let Krka be on your must-see list if you are in Zadar, Split, or the nearest Šibenik.
The famous Ogyggia island
But let’s set off on the sea to Mljet – a true wonder of nature, the island with two salty lakes, which were once separate, but now there are connected. The beautiful, magical Mljet was a refuge, as Homer writes, for the great Odysseus captured here by the nymph Calypso (the daughter of the Titan Atlas) who saved his life.
The name of the island, as Homer writes, was Ogygija. It’s our Croatian Mljet. Mljet was mentioned in the fourth century BC in Greek writings, and numerous finds of Greek amphorae and sunken ships along the Mljet coast testify that Greek sailors stayed on the Mljet coast along the way. But, apart from the legend that is certainly interesting – Mljet National Park is something – blue-green, wooded, with beautiful Mediterranean vegetation, smells, and tastes.
Mljet is nature in the true sense of that word.
Croatia has other marine national parks besides Mljet, so are the Kornati. The Kornati islands are an archipelago that stretches along the middle of the Adriatic and is a natural paradise for boaters. The Kornati are mostly uninhabited, but maybe that’s why God created them.
In the northern part of the Adriatic, Brijuni stands. Again, an archipelago, though smaller in size, but really special. Here Josip Broz Tito spent his summer vacation. He was choosing the beautiful Brijuni for his summer residence, where he received some of the greatest people of his time, from politicians to the famous stars of Holywood. There he gathered exotic animals, which he received as a gift, and made an exciting zoo. However, Brijuni is much older than EX YOU. In fact, it dates back to antiquity because the Adriatic Sea was a very busy marital way during ancient times.
In Brijuni, in addition to the beautiful archipelago, nature, and vegetation, you can see archeological excavations of various cultural and historical periods, from prehistory, through classical antiquity, late antiquity, and Byzantine period to the Venetian era.
The Croatian mainland has three more national parks, forested and mountainous. Let’s start from the North with Risnjak. National park Risnjak is not far from Kvarner Bay, at the edge of Istria. It’s all about forests and mountain passages, small lakes, and its typical ”cat” after which it got its name, Ris. The lynx (ris in Croatian) is a real trademark of the Risnjak National Park.
RE-CHARGE by NATURE.
Velebit, as if the continuation of Risnjak, although totally different. The bareness of its mountain peaks is significantly different from the wooded Risnjak. Velebit’s winds blow very strongly far away towards the Adriatic Sea and blow away everything in front of them, including the vegetation trying to survive on this mighty mountain.
Although part of Velebit, but further south, Paklenica is a national park that attracts many adventurers. Paklenica keeps the records of the interventions of the mountain rescue service.
Tourists often underestimate this magnificent beauty full of cuts, stone, wild cliffs, and mountain straits when they go to conquer it. It is an excellent decision, great activity but not in flip-flops or sandals, and not without someone experienced and skilled. The view from Paklenica in all directions is worth every effort.
Let’s mark this World National Park Week in the right way – by visiting national parks.
It’s time for RE-CHARGE by NATURE.
