Friday, December 22, 2017: Plitvice National Park to Zagreb

There has been fresh snow of several inches in this area within the last week.  Some of it is still clinging to the trees, the ground is covered, but the roads are clear. 

We still have a few miles to the Park, through a very poor economic area.  We do not know what this was like before the war, but it has not rebounded very rapidly.  Only one entrance is open at the park, and parking was limited due to snow in the parking lots.  However, there are very few visitors at this time of the year, and due to the snow and ice, about half of the park walkways are closed. 

Plitvice National Park is known for its lakes and water falls. There are many water falls, both upper and lower.  The big falls is eye catching with several smaller falls below it.  When we entered the park the information lady told us that the lower pathways were closed because of the ice and snow.  As we walked into the park we naturally took a trail that headed toward the big falls. We stayed on the most cleared path which lead us to the lower trail.  None of the paths were closed, so we kept walking, even though the boardwalks between the lower lakes were frosty.  Cherie and Cal continued walking the boardwalk toward the big falls.  The last portion of the boardwalk was quite icy and required caution, but they made it.  The view from the bottom of the falls was amazing.  The formations of the falls are interesting.  Water cascades over dams of limestone formations. 

Big Waterfalls in the Lower portion of the Park

Smaller Falls along the icy boardwalk we did not walk

From where Rachel waited, another boardwalk continued around and over lakes to the destination of a boat ramp.  The condition of the boardwalk appeared to be extremely icy at places, with no handrails.  We decided to return to the higher trail that was better, but it was still snow covered in many places.  Many of the other visitors in the park that morning, were from S Korea and did not appear adept at walking on the snow.  We made it to the boat dock with enough time to have a cup of tea at the kiosk before the boat arrived.  The boat ride took us past numerous other lower falls.  The scene was very enjoyable.

The Boat in the Distance

The Snowy Trail

Some of the many Small Waterfalls along the boat ride

When we got off the boat we took a shuttle half of the way back to the parking lot and walked the remainder of the way to the car. Thank goodness, we were dressed warmly.  When the sun was shining it was very pleasant, but when it was cloud covered, you needed all the warmth you had.  We were walking in the park for at least 3 hours – it was cold enough the snow and ice were not melting.   

When we arrived at the car we were soon on our way toward Zagreb.  Along the highway we went through an area where we saw a few buildings that appeared to still have some war evidence, but it was a small area.  It has been 25 years since the war, and they are trying to rebuild, so life is back to normal.  

We made a stop in the town of Slinj.  The old town area is near the main highway, and you hear waterfalls as you drove by.  Then you realize they have provided a pull-out area for viewing.  This is an extremely interesting place. The houses, restaurants, and shops appeared to be built along or over the river, so that there were water falls around and under the houses and shops, dropping into the ravine below.  There were numerous water falls on the edge of the town as the water went over the low cliff also into the ravine nearby.  The sun was not in a good position when we were there - in our face, which made photographing difficult, but it was amazing.

Waterfalls in Slinj

The Beautiful and Pristine Croatian Countryside

Our next destination is the apartment in Zagreb.  The GPS took us right there – no guessing regarding one-way streets! It was surprisingly easy to find the apartment that is in the center of Zagreb. After unloading the car, Cherie and Cal took the car to a nearby parking garage where we have left the car while we are in Zagreb.     

Traditional Zagreb Meat and Cheese Platter

Our Zagreb Group