Croatian
National parks – Plitvice
lakes,
Brijuni, Island of Mljet, Kornati Islands, Paklenica,
Risnjak, North Velebit, river Krka, usw. – praise themselves
nappy-satisfactory spontaneity nature varieties. We offer
also (nearly) a civilization-free the holidays-possibility – in
single lonely fisherman-house in the middle of in island-world,
without telephone, television and city noise.
PLITVICKA
JEZERA (PLITVICE LAKES), are the most known Croatian
national park and are registered in the UNESCO Register of the
World Natural
Heritage. Sixteen little lakes interconnected with waterfalls
created by deposition of travertine, a special kind of limestone,
constitute the main attraction of this unique park. The park
includes the spring of the Korana River in the area surrounded
by dense forests of beech, fir and spruce, partly in the form
of primeval virgin forest. Apart from the lakes and forests,
the park is ornamented with several caves, springs, flower meadows,
and is inhabited by brown bear, among other animal species. The
popularity of this park is also in the use of special vehicle
to transport visitors (panoramic trains and electric boats),
and in its position - it is conveniently situated on the main
road from Zagreb to Dalmatia.
BRIJUNI,
is a group of two larger and twelve smaller islets along the
West coast of Istria, near Pula, with the total area of only
7 km2. Both archipelago and the surrounding sea are under protection.
The Brijuni Archipelago is known for its preserved Mediterranean
vegetation, which is partly landscape and partly a safari park.
The archipelago is noted for its valuable cultural heritage
from the Roman and Byzantine times. Due to its extraordinary
beauty, the Brioni Islands have been, for more than hundred
years, a favourite tourist destination of the world statesmen
and aristocracy.
KRKA ,
a river in Dalmatia; springs out at the western foot of Dinara
Mountain and flows into the sea near Sibenik; length 72.5 km.
In the parts of the course where the Krka flows through marly
soils, certain extensions are created (Arandelovac, etc.).
It forms a narrow and deep canyon (up to 200 m) in limestone,
flowing over travertine barriers and creating waterfalls. There
are two 10-m high waterfalls in the upper course. At the entrance
of the Krka into the Knin field is a waterfall called Veliki
Buk (20 m). In the lower part of the course are the waterfalls:
Bilusic (19.6 m), Prijen (15 m), Manojlovac (three waterfalls;
84.5 m), Roski Slap (25.5 m) and Skradinski Buk (37.5 m), the
most beautiful of all. Between Roski Slap and Skradinski Buk
is Visovac Lake (13 km long) with an islet (see Visovac). Downstream
of Skradinski Buk is the Krka river estuary (about 20 km long),
in which freshwater mixes with saltwater. Part of the estuary
is also Prukljansko Lake. The waterfalls were used for the
production of the electric power. The first hydro-electric
power plant was constructed in 1898 near Skradinski Buk and
the second one in 1906 near the Manojlovac waterfall (hydro-electric
power plant Manojlovac I). The course downstream from Knin
to the Sibenik bridge, comprising an area of 110 sq km, was
set aside as a national park in 1985. The park area was visited
by numerous visitors (about 400,000 visitors in 1990). In the
period 1991-1995, Krka National Park was severely damaged when
the sparse vegetation was partly burned.
MLJET,
the Island of MLJET is situated in the far South of Croatia,
west from Dubrovnik, Croatia's best known summer resort. National
park of the same name includes a western part of, according
to some people, the most beautiful island in the Adriatic.
The Park is characterised by two deep bays which are called
lakes due to their very narrow passages to the open sea (Veliko
and Malo jezero/ the Great Lake and the Small Lake), and lush
and diversified Mediterranean vegetation.
KORNATSKI
OTOCI (Kornati Islands), this archipelago is the
most indented island group in the Mediterranean, situated
in the North
Dalmatia, not far from Šibenik. It includes 140 uninhabited
islands, islets and reefs with the area of only 70 km2.
In the immediate vicinity of the Kornati National Park,
there is another jewel of protected nature in Croatia -
the Telašæica Natural Park, which includes a
spacious and deep bay of the same name on the neighbouring
Dugi otok. The Kornati islands are noted for their varied
unusual forms and extraordinary relief structure, and especially
the high cliffs.
PAKLENICA,
includes the most attractive parts of southern Velebit, including
its highest peaks. Two impressive canyons of Velika and Mala
Paklenica, vertically cut into the mountain from the sea to the
peaks are the main attraction of the park. In a relatively small
area of the national park, there are several unusual carst forms,
several caves, and extremely rich and varied flora and fauna.
Among steep rocks, Aniæa kuk is the most popular destination
of Croatian alpinists. Larger forest area has been preserved
on the littoral side of Velebit in the upper parts of the canyon.
This, in addition to the existence of several vegetation and
climate zones from warm Mediterranean to harsh mountain zones
on the top of Velebit, largely contributed to the fact that this
area was among the first ones in Croatia to be proclaimed a national
park, first provisionally in 1928, and then definitely in 1949.
RISNJAK,
is a forested mountain massive not far from the city of Rijeka,
named after lynx (ris in Croatian), its best known inhabitant.
The National Park of the same name stretches from 300 to 1,500
m above the sea level. Due to its position at the junction between
the Alps and the Dinarides, and from the Mediterranean to Pannonia,
almost all types of forests, as well as many plant and animal
species are gathered here, in a relatively small area. The beauty
of the forest, carst phenomena, beautiful springs and magnificent
views attract many hikers and other nature lovers to Risnjak.
NORTH
VELEBIT is the youngest of the Croatian national parks, established
in 1999. It comprises the most attractive and, in terms of
nature, the most valuable areas of the northern part of Velebit.
A large number of attractive sights are concentrated in this
predominantly mountainous park - magnificent carst forms of
Hajduèki and Roanski kukovi, unique botanical
garden and Lukina cave, one of the longest ones ili caves in
the world. Croatian mountaineers consider this area the greatest
jewel among the Croatian mountains. Due to its remoteness from
the main roads, this area is somewhat less visited, but this
only increases its mystic and primeval natural ambience.