Plitvice lakes are found on the list of the top ten most beautiful lakes in the world, according to Budget Travel magazine which believes that the 16 blue-green lakes, linked by hundreds of waterfalls with dense vegetation could serve as the location for shooting the next part of the Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic Park.

Budget recommends Plitvice Lakes to adventurers but also to tourists who want to enjoy the beautiful and unusual landscape. It is best to start the tour of the lower lakes and then move upwards, and one must see the highest waterfall in the region, the breathtaking 78 meter Veliki Slap. Besides these water creations, visitors of the park can sometimes see some of the wildlife that lives in this region.

Besides the Plitvice lakes, other lakes on the list include the US Crater Lake, the Canadian Peyto Lake, Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Loch Lomond in Scotland, Garda in Italy, Annecy in France, Lake Nakuru in Kenya, Matheson in New Zealand and Lake Bled in the neighboring Slovenia.

Plitvice Lakes consists of 16 lakes separated by travertine barriers and represents a particular geological and hydrogeological karst phenomenon. It was declared a national park in 1949 and since 1979 it has been on the UNESCO list of world’s natural and cultural heritage.

According to a legend, the Plitvice lakes were formed after a major drought, when people, animals and plants were longing for water. The Black Queen appeared in the valley, took pity on the people and the dry land and sent hard rain that fell until the water levels had grown high enough to create the world famous lakes.


The Tourist Board of the Lika-Senj County
www.lickosenjska.com

Budget travel
www.budgettravel.com

Plitvice Lakes National Park
www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr