I’VE NEVER BEEN ENGULFED
in so much natural beauty in
one single place as I was at
Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Located in central Croatia, this
protected area spreads over
nearly 300 square kilometres
and is dotted with several lakes
and waterfalls and populated
with diverse fl ora and fauna.
When I visited the national
park, it was dii cult for me to
believe that the whole place
was a natural phenomenon
and not crafted by man. I
read later that its making
took 12,000 to 15,000 years
of three rivers’ water fl owing
through the region rich in
limestone and chalk. Their
hydro-geological properties
led to travertine barriers,
which created lakes that perch
on multiple decks. The water
fl owing down the hills from
these lakes creates several
small and big waterfalls across
the national park. This is
probably the most stunning
sight I saw on my long Europe
trip this year. It wouldn’t be
over the top to describe this
place as paradise on earth.GETTING THERE
Once you enter Zagreb, the
capital of Croatia, it’s easy
to get a bus to Plitvice. If you
happen to be travelling from
the south, there are several
connecting buses from Split.
Though it is prudent to book
a bus ticket in advance during
peak season, one can always
find a seat on the go, on one
of these comfortable buses. It
took me about two-and-a-half
hours to reach the nationalpark. The journey itself was
uneventful, but it served
glimpses of the vast forest
reserves that Croatia boasts.
My advice would be to take the
earliest bus and head straight
to the national park, or arrive
late in the evening, spend the
night in one of the several bed
& breakfast accommodations,
and be the fi rst one to get into
the park the next morning.ACCOMMODATION
There are luxe hotels, both
within the park and outside,
but I booked an Airbnb, which
was a 20-minute walk from
entrance no. 2. There are two
entrances to the park, and this
one is almost always crowd-
free while entrance no. 1
usually involves a long queue.THE NATIONAL PARK
The route through entrance
no. 2 includes a beautiful walk
through the woods. Although
I had reached the national park
by 7 am, I wasn’t the only early
bird. I bought the entry ticket,
and after a short walk down thestairs, reached the fi rst lake,
Kozjak, and was welcomed by
a stunning sight. A boat then
took me across to the main
park, where I had to choose
among 11 trails, labelled A to K.
I chose the E trail, which was
supposed to be of moderate
dii culty and would take me to
the ‘upper lakes’. However,
I switched to the more tasking
H trail once I reached the upper
lakes, to explore a bit more, and
ended up gasping for breath.
The hui ng and pui ng
aside, the national park took
me completely by surprise with
its beauty. I was not prepared
to witness what I saw on the
trails. The ample greenery
brought a sense of calm,
and the music of the water
gushing underneath my feet
was blissful. I was grateful
to have come early, because
the crowd was still thin and
I could be one with nature.
The smaller waterfalls were
beautiful, but as I climbed,
the lakes and cascades
became bigger and even more
stunning. At one point, I sat
at the feet of an enormous
waterfall and meditated for
a good 20 minutes without
any interruptions. This was
probably the calmest I have
felt in all my life. On a certainbank of an upper lake, I sat and
marvelled at the crystal-clear
water, where numerous fi sh,
big and small, of different hues,
flitted by, with underwater fl ora
and algae lending the water
intriguing hues. I hugged the
trees and spoke to them in
whispers. The whole experience
reminded me of botany classes
in college. When it was time to
return, I trudged down slowly,
taking in every sight, sound,
and aroma, wishing the walk
would never end.TRAVEL WITHINI sat at the feet of an enormous waterfall
and meditated for a good 20 minutes
without any interruptions. This was probably
the calmest I have ever felt in my life.FROM TOP: SERGIY TROFIMOV PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTYIMAGES; NICOLO SERTORIO/GETTYIMAGES; COURT
ESY OF HOTEL PLITVICE.
OPPOSITE: FROM TOP: COURTESY OF RAGHU DIXIT; JAMES RONAN / EYEEM/GETTYIMAGESBoating is a popular
activity on Lake Plitvice.The national park features
both budget and luxe
accommodation options.The main city
square of Zagreb.travelandleisureindia.in