Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
park.(Goasfarasyoulike,thenreturnthewayyoucame.)Thegiantmillperchedatthetop
oftheBigWaterfallwasusedtogrindgrains;thisverypoorpartofCroatiawastraditionally
inhabited by farmers.
Whenyou'redoneattheBigWaterfall,backtrackuptothemaintrailandcontinueonthe
boardwalks. You'll skirt the rim of Kalu đ erovac Lake; then, after you pass another bank of
waterfalls, a smaller trail branches off (on the left) toward Šupljara (“Bottomless”) Cave.
You can actually climb through this slippery cave all the way up to the trail overlooking the
Lower Lakes (though it's not recommended). This unassuming cavern is a big draw. In the
1960s,severalGermanandItalian“SpaghettiWesterns”werefilmedatPlitviceandinother
parts of Croatia (which, to European eyes, has terrain similar to the American West). The
most famous, Der Schatz im Silbersee (The Treasure in Silver Lake), was filmed here at Pl-
itvice, and the treasure was hidden in this cave. The movie—complete with Deutsch- speak-
ing “Native Americans”—is still a favorite in Germany, and popular theme tours bring Ger-
man tourists to movie locations here in Croatia. (If you drive the roads near Plitvice, keep
aneyeoutforstrange,NativeAmerican-sounding namessuchasWinnetou—fictional char-
acters from these beloved stories of the Old West, by the German writer Karl May.)
After Šupljara Cave, you'll stick to the east side of Gavanovac Lake, pass some pictur-
esqueterraces,thenwalkalongtheshoreofMilanovacLake,beforecrossingoveronemore
time to the west, where you'll cut through a comparatively dull forest. You'll head up the
pavedroad,branchingofftotheleft(followingtheboaticon)toemergeatapit-stop-perfect
clearing with WCs, picnic tables, a souvenir shop, and a self-service restaurant. Here you
can catch the shuttle boat across Lake Kozjak to the bottom of the Upper Lakes (usually
every 30 minutes).
Lake Kozjak (Jezero Kozjak)
The park's biggest lake, Kozjak, connects the Lower and Upper Lakes. The 20-minute boat
ridebetweenPlitvice'stwohalvesoffersagreatchanceforabreather.Youcanhikebetween
the lakes along the west side ofKozjak, but the scenery'snot nearly as goodas in the rest of
the park.
Upper Lakes (Gornja Jezera)
Focus on the lower half of the Upper Lakes, where nearly all the exotic beauty is (between
P-2 and Lake Galovac). You'll soon experience some of the most striking waterfalls in the
whole park. Enjoy the stroll, taking your time...and lots of photos.
Climbing up steeply on stepped boardwalks from the boat dock (following signs for C ),
you'll pass deep pools with fallen trees stretching along the bottom, illustrating just how
magnificently clear the water here is. Soon you'll curl along the waterline of Gradinsko
Lake.Attheendofthelake,you'llcometothepark'sfinestcascades,whichtumbledramat-
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