From Zagreb I had a ~2 hour drive to the Plitviče Lakes National Park. The drive was easy, but once I turned off the freeway and was driving through the country, I encountered multiple snakes sidewinding across the road!
I was super excited to be spending such a beautiful day hiking through the 16-terraced lakes of this reserve. My plan had been to arrive and be hiking by 11am, grab a bite at one of the park's snack stands, and be done by the time the park closed at 6pm.
I chose to hike route C from Entrance 1, which would allow me to explore both the lower and upper lakes. The lower section was very crowded in places, I can't imagine how it was before they started limiting the number of visitors.
The weather changed just as I was completing the bottom 4 lakes, which helped to clear out some people. Luckily I had an umbrella in my backpack as it really started to pour! I waited for the boat that would take me up to the continuation of the C trail on the upper lakes, and before too long the sun was back out.
There is 2-way traffic on most of the paths, which are usually butted up against a lake or a waterfall, so it was frustrating to have people stopping to take selfies, or just walking 2 or 3 across. But once I got to the upper lakes the number of people dropped significantly and I found myself completely on my own many times. It was amazing!
You are just surrounded by water! Lakes, streams, waterfalls, springs... and it is crystal clear. Absolutely gorgeous! Even the forest is an amazing color of green. I just loved this hike.
I finished C Trail in two hours 45 minutes, ending at the bus pick up. It was another 15 min hike to Entrance 1 after the drop-off at Entrance 2. I was tired and ready for a shower and a cool beverage! It had been a spectacular day even with the hiccup that morning with the ticketing.
All Plitviče photos here.
Other posts from this trip:
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