– picturesque and in own way the unique country in the Balkans, gains the increasing popularity today as the lively place for tourism. To admire natural beauty of this country annually there come many thousands of people, and Croatia is well-known for the resorts and interesting sights worldwide. In comparison with other countries, it began to be in demand among compatriots rather recently, however during this time many managed to be convinced of advantages of rest in Croatia, and even more people plan to spend ever there the vacation.
One of the most remarkable places, definitely worthy visits, so-called Plitvice Lakes having the status of national park are. They settle down in the central part of the country, and, if desired, they can be reached easily from almost any point.
The history of these lakes contains several millennia. They were formed for a long time, at the expense of underground waters of the river of the Quran which bed lie near national park. Filtering through calcareous breed, water created in it tanks travertines and also fancy cascades of unusual caves, grottoes and falls.
In spite of the fact that age of lakes – more, than respectable, they began to act as a sight relatively recently. In general, their first mentions under this name appear in chronicles since the end of the XVIII century – though, undoubtedly, they were known to people long before this period. As national park they began to appear soon after World War II – in 1949 – however in those days access to tourists was closed here, and the park remained in fact empty.
Infrastructure for visitors began to be adjusted by forces of certain enthusiasts. So, for example, in the 1958th the director of the park acting for that time began to equip walking paths around lakes – in order that the people coming here had an opportunity fully to survey all beauty of this place. Since then the park became opened, and tourists regularly come here. In 70-hkh years of the XX century Plitvice Lakes were entered in the list of UNESCO as the world heritage of mankind.
Today Plitvice Lakes National Park is nearly thirty thousand hectares of grounds in the territory of which the virgin, primitive nature of the Balkans remained. Here the set of rare plants and trees grows, beechen and coniferous forests – just as it grow and was here thousands years ago – many the most various wild animals live. In the territory of Plitvice Lakes, wolves, bears, different types of rare birds and other fauna are found.
However the main highlight of the park should be considered nevertheless landscapes unique, unique in many respects which surround all this magnificence. In total there are sixteen large lakes and several size less, but also, there are falls and amazing beauty of a cave.
Making walk across the territory of the park, it is possible to imagine life and life of ancient people under natural conditions of dwelling. Most likely, similar pictures also surrounded far ancestors of the modern person – primitive people who are well remembered by these karst lakes. Violent local flora kind of transfers each visitor to millennia ago, in the most ancient times when on the ground mammoths roamed.
Important difference of this place is as well the fact that the landscape here constantly changes. So, as a result of natural processes, new falls which were not before are annually formed here. Besides, composition of local water – special. Getting to a stream or to the river the piece of a tree or a stone quickly becomes covered by a layer of kaltsefil – small plants, in something similar to corals – which then die off and leave a firm raid on a surface. Thus, various objects, having appeared in water, turn into stone and form natural barriers to a current in view of what the form of courses of local streams can change considerably. Such feeling, as if the park lives life, absolutely independent of the person, and this process is developed literally in the eyes.
The area on which the park, rather uneven and mountainous is located. There is also the highest peak – the mountain Is small Kapela whose height is nearly one thousand three hundred meters.
All lakes which are present at the park are divided into two main groups – Lakes Top and Lakes Lower. They are fed with waters of five rivers, and places form falls here. It is important to notice that bathing in reservoirs is strictly forbidden as once accidents were observed here. The interesting fact connected with it is that many of lakes are called by name ever the drowned people in them. Therefore that on the card the lake with your name did not appear, it is better not to come into water.
Plitvice Lakes, undoubtedly, are of great interest in terms of speleology, in the territory of the park there are many ancient caves. Some of them are located directly behind falls, and from an entrance to such cave it is possible to observe the foaming and falling water flows. Show it, really, unforgettably!
Air throughout the park easy, sea. It is caused by the fact that here borders of two climatic zones – continental and seaside meet, and here together with wind damp air from the sea regularly gets. In winter months of the lake freeze, and from November to March the snow lies here.
As it is possible to notice, in the territory of Plitvice Lakes it is possible to meet much interesting. It both fauna, and vegetation, and actually lakes, and caves, attractive to inspection. Not without reason the park received the status of the world heritage – similar places on the planet remained very little. Here at all presence of a civilization is not felt, and it is quite possible to distract of everyday life and to plunge into the world of wildlife. And it is available to everyone who is going to visit the hospitable country of Croatia in the near future.