May 20, 2026
Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its outstanding and picturesque series of tufa lakes, caves, and connected waterfalls.
It wasn’t until I sat down to review the photographs that I realized how few I had actually taken. I was so in awe of the beauty, and frankly, it was so big it was a tad overwhelming, so I know this doesn’t give an accurate picture of the place’s incredible beauty.
The formation of this area is rather scientifically amazing. However, to put it simply, Plitvice Lakes National Park features 16 terraced lakes connected by over 90 waterfalls, all formed by a natural process of travertine deposition.
Unlike most waterfalls, which are products of erosion, Plitvice’s falls are growing. Dissolved calcium carbonate in the water precipitates onto moss, algae, and fallen logs, gradually building up travertine barriers that dam the water and create new cascades.
The Plitvice lake system sits in a dolomite and limestone valley in the Dinaric Alps. Water entering the system is rich in dissolved calcium carbonate from the surrounding karst geology. As this water flows over moss and algae, CO2 is released and the calcium carbonate precipitates out, forming travertine barriers.
These travertine barriers grow by approximately 1 centimeter per year, constantly reshaping the landscape. Old barriers sometimes collapse, redirecting water and creating new falls while older ones dry up. The entire system is a living, changing geological process that makes Plitvice unique among the world’s waterfall sites.
The Plitvice Lakes are surrounded by various mountains. The western side of the national park area is enclosed by the Mala Kapela mountain, while the eastern side is enclosed by the Lička Plješivica mountain, which also represents the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Plitvice Lakes National Park is situated in the Plitvice plateau, which is surrounded by three mountains that are part of the Dinaric Alps: Lička Plješivica mountain, Mala Kapela mountain, and Medveđak.
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Just about the time I was wondering if their were fish in these waters this fellow floated by.
A boat for those of us who thought a 5-hour hike was enough
You walk past these little waterfalls, but do not get the sense of their arrangement until you are on the hills above
Yes, the water is that color
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