2017
Founded in 1949, Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park, at its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, is about 40 miles east of the Adriatic coast. One of the oldest and the largest national park in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes was added to the UNESCO World Heritage register in 1979.
The Plitvice Lakes were formed in a depression between Mala Kapela mountain to the west and the Plitesevica mountain to the east, within the Dinaric Alps. Its 16 lakes, visible from the surface are grouped into 12 upper, four lower lakes.
Between a narrow opening in the mountains to the south, and the Korona River exiting to the north, through a steep and narrow draw that accommodates the entire 3,000′ altitude differential within the park.
The underground configuration of the Plitvice Lakes consists of geologic features attributed to the southeast European Karsk of brittle porous limestone, which allows rivers to drain away through the rock to create extensive underground river systems, and caves. Upon reaching hard rock, rivers emerge on the surface. The phenomenon of underground karst rivers, observed at Plitvice Lakes, are the result of century-old processes of sedimentation of chalk, which is abundantly available in the waters of this karst area.
Geologically, the phenomena molding the Plitvice Lakes is quite young. According to radiocarbon datings, the complex processes of dissolution and sedimentation of limestone require specific climatic preconditions, which have only existed since the end of the ice age 12,000 to 15,000 years ago.
Plitvice National Park is spectacular! Constantly flowing waters bubbling up and out of the ground everywhere, then flowing downward steeply, causing hundreds of waterfalls – all against the beautiful mountain sky, striking autumn colors, and awesome light. What a visual feast!
