Safe Return Doubtful

After a lazy morning enjoying the company of the bears at Kuterevo I headed an hour or so further east through wonderful heavily forested country around 500 metres asl. Despite the warm Adriatic coast being so close, temperatures here drop as low as -25C in the winter, with plenty of snow.

Plitvice Lakes National Park runs differently to other National Parks in the Balkans, more like an American National Park, with a charge to enter, and visitors closely monitored, and a strictly enforced list of regulations. This is by necessity though. The main attraction of the park by far, are the 16 linked lakes, though it comprises of only 1% of the area of the park. This is an extremely delicate eco-system, which in another country, for example the more remote parks in Norway, would discourage visitors and make it necessary to apply for special permits to enter.

Instead Croatia decided to monetarise it. There are 22 kilometres of boardwalk over forest vegetation and wetlands, an electric train (actually a bus) that ferry people between the Lower and Upper lake systems, and electric boats across the main lake. There were 1.3 million visitors in the last year, with a daily adult charge of 40 euros.

Today was busy, though I arrived quite early, aware that the Chile rugby match started at 3 pm. Many of the Asian tour groups take in only the Lower section and their walking is kept to a minimum, it can be as short as 3 kilometres.

There are 8 different options for exploring the lakes on foot. I opted for a 16 kilometre one, which used the boat to return to the start.

I am staying at a farm a few kilometres away that offers a scenic pitch, but no other services, for 20 euros a night. The campsites are more like 50 euros a night. I arrived here yesterday afternoon and wandered a couple of kilometres down the road for a pleasant beer in the village.

The owners of the farm I’m at pointed out a parking place for the lakes at a sort of side entrance, which meant avoiding the 15 euro parking fee. That worked well.

They also pointed out that Sunday, the start of October, was the beginning of a week of offers for locals. It coincides with school mid-term break, and the park was expected to be especially busy. That helped me decide on making my visit today.

Once in the Upper lake section things were much more tranquil, with probably a fifth as many visitors.

Plitvice is the oldest National Park in Croatia, formed in 1949. In 1979 it was added as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

I enjoyed the morning a lot, but it would be really special to visit on a winter weekday when very few other people are around.

I will be here until Monday morning, when I am heading into Bosnia. I am hoping to spend 5 or 6 weeks in the mountains West Balkan countries, those not in Schengen, and I am aware that the autumn merging into winter may hurry me south earlier. We shall see..