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Plitvičke Jezera /
Plitvice Lakes
Think of the world’s
great waterfall
locations and
to that list add Plitvičke Jezera. It’s a “must
see” on any
trip to Croatia.
Whether you hike the
trails beside the
falls along with droves of other tourists or trek eastward
in the direction of the Bosnian border — probably encountering very few
other hikers along
the way — the trip involves a fair amount of walking. Some of it is
done on
moderately steep paths, other parts quite easy going.
As you see on the map
below, there are two parking
areas. One of them, P2, is adjacent to the place
where a boat takes visitors to the south end of the main hiking trail.
The other, P1, is at the far end. After hiking down
the side of the canyon from P1 and walking along the water, the boat is
met which takes visitors to the other parking area.
Either
way, a shuttle bus takes you back to the parking lot where you
started. The dotted in the map shows a much longer
hiking trail around a lake, a great walk if you have the time and
stamina for it.
If you hike eastward
into the mountains from the P1
parking area, do take note of the trail markings
on trees: a white spot surrounded by a red ring.
Signs advise visitors to stick to the trails. The
first shots in the war of the early nineties were fired here. Although
that’s well in the past,
there is still the possibility of stumbling upon an overlooked land
mine or other hazard. The trails
themselves are safe if you stay on them,
and they make for an enjoyable
hike. One of them leads to a mountain
peak with sweeping panoramic views.
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Plitvice
Lakes
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