Balkans Day 15 - Plitvice NP

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We get up early (not a problem as we have already been woken by the man next door being violently sick) and set off to Plitvice Lakes National Park; a chain of 16 lakes linked by waterfalls.

Once we have bought our ticket and selected which route to follow, we are taken by shuttle bus into the park. The bus consists of three carriages and we’re in the back one which is quite disconcerting; the driver slows down for bends then accelerates out of them, which means we accelerate into the bends, which feels wrong.

Once in the park, we commence our walk around the lakes. It’s not as easy as I’d expected because much of the route consists of boardwalks constructed from logs, they’re uneven and not particularly flat so walking on them requires concentration.

The lakes, however are magnificent. When we arrive, there is still mist hanging over the water. As the mist clears, the turquoise colour of the lakes becomes apparent. The autumnal colour changing of the tree leaves adds to the palette on display. A bonus of all yesterday’s rain is that the waterfalls are in full flow.

After a lovely 2 hour walk, we reach a jetty where a boat takes us to the top end of the lake. It is now midday. Up until this point, we have had a wonderful morning. However, once we land, we are in tour group hell. There are literally thousands of people, mostly in groups, attempting to walk in the opposite direction along the narrow boardwalks, with no handrails, suspended over the lakes. We spend a thoroughly unpleasant hour fighting our way along the boardwalks, while huge gangs of Chinese and Japanese push and barge, stop to take photos, then push and barge some more.

By the time we reach the top, I have a headache from the whole ordeal of trying not to be knocked into a lake by someone with a Nikon with a foot long lens who has just spotted a duck. We exit the park, stop at the village store for provisions and return to our guesthouse for tea on the balcony.

It has been a mixed day; Plitvice is beautiful but there needs to be a limit on visitor numbers or a one way system in place for a visit to be a pleasant experience.

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