With the first step on the wooden pathway above the crystal clear lake you will feel how you are becoming one with nature. Many tales have been told about this magical place, but none of them do it justice. Until you savor this beauty with your eyes and soul, you will live in ignorance. Plitvice Lakes, Croatian famous national park is most definitely one of the wonders of the world. Pristine nature, fresh air and countless vibrant waterfalls create a synergy that is too good to be true. And you sense it immediately. Treat yourself with a day trip to Plitvice and forget all of the worries of the hectic urban lifestyle. Find your inner peace. 16 lakes interconnected by numerous waterfalls and cascades will awaken your curiosity and sharpen your photo shooting expertise. The lakes are divided in two categories, the lower lakes and the upper lakes. In order to fully understand the magnitude and the enchanting beauty of this place you need to visit both. And they treasure a lot of stories, my dear traveler. From the ones of the origins of the area involving the magical Black Queen that brought this body of water, to the ones of people drowning inside and getting the lakes named after them. One thing is for certain, these 50 shades of green will leave you breathless. The ducks and fish that linger around also create a certain positive and easygoing vibe. If you are lucky, you might even stumble upon the ”baller” animal of the park – brown bear. In this case scenario, do not panic. Just be swift like the wind and out run the person next to you, this is your best fighting chance. All jokes aside, the park is abundant with animal life. In addition to already mentioned, there are wildcats, lynx, deer, owls, eagles and wolfs. Unfortunately, mass tourism made all of the animals go away to the dense forest parts and you will probably not see them. Be satisfied with chillaxing with butterflies, ducks and occasional birds. Even though 99 percent of the park area is forest and meadow parts, you are visiting Plitvice Lakes because of that remaining 1 percent – the water parts! These parts made the park world famous and renowned. These are the Instagram photos you were drawn to, and now you are determined to do them for your own feed. While strolling you will stumble upon the largest waterfall of Croatia, almost 80 meter high and conveniently named – Big waterfall. There are also the Sprinkler waterfalls, when you reach them you will fully understand why they are called like that. Make sure not to skip the Milka Trnina waterfalls! They were named by our opera diva Milka Trnina that had world recognized voice. Interesting tidbit is that chocolate ”Milka” was allegedly named after her. One thing is for sure, you will enjoy the views even more than the chocolate! The constant motion of the water and the interplay of the flora, cascades and waterfalls will bring you tranquility. While browsing around you will notice the switch between the peaceful and quaint parts, and the fierce and loud parts. The golden rule of Plitvice Lakes is, as soon you forget about the waterfalls another one will appear. Try to count them! Amazing things are happening at places that do not meet the eye. There is a huge laboratory in these waters, with its final product the tufa barriers. These barriers dam the water and because of them we have 16 lakes. Not to make you yawn my dear reader, I am just going to give you a crash course in it. In order for the tufa barrier to form you need to have supersaturated waters with calcium carbonate, algae, micro bacteria and moss. All mentioned gets incrusted and becomes part of the barrier that is growing constantly. It’s growing fast and furious like nowhere else in the world. This is why you must not touch the water. Appreciate the nature with your eyes and not with your hands. On The Goats Lake, the largest lake that was named after the goats that drowned inside, you can board an electric boat or rent a rowing boat and try your rowing skills. Are you still wondering why visit this heaven on Earth? It was one of the first places proclaimed in the world as a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site of the World and more and more people are flocking to see it. This is a place where you come to rest your troubled mind and become careless. Even if you are a world traveler that has seen it all, this place takes you and positively brakes you at one point. Then it assembles you and recharges your inner batteries. It creates a memory for a lifetime. At one point everybody stops talking and with a smile on their face start taking photographs. And with every new step you take, the smile gets bigger and bigger and dumber and dumber. This jaw dropping beauty is not to be missed. Build your own experience in this mesmerizing park and tell the tale to others. Plitvice Lakes, a must while spending time in Croatia! Let’s go traveler! P.S. Before you visit, read the tutorial of Plitvice lakes.