Most beautiful Croatian National Parks at a glance!
You'll find a total of eight (8) Croatian national parks. As protected nature areas, both the Croatian government and non-government institutions work together to maintain and preserve their magnificence.
As visitors to these parks, you are privileged to have the opportunity to view and walk around them but it is also a responsibility to be educated about the flora and fauna existing in these sanctuaries.
Just imagine, a total area of 994 sq. kilometers, roughly 7.5% of the country, and you have a world of waterfalls, lakes, beaches, woodland forests and mountains all thriving as nature intended them to be.
The Brijuni Islands are a group of 12 islets and 2 islands that are separated by the Fazana Channel from the southwestern Istrian peninsula. They used to be the summer state residence of Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito.
The main island, Veli Brijun, is the largest island and within it lie an animal sanctuary (a remnant of President Tito's collection of pets), historic ruins, and the Bijuni Minor Fortress.
Declared as a national park in April 8, 1949, Plitvice Lakes is the oldest in Croatia. It was also a proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 because of its exceptional natural uniqueness.
Resting on a karst landscape, the Plitvice Lakes is composed of 16 turquoise lakes of varying sizes, combining with other water tributaries to form the waterfalls in the area. The natural barriers to the lakes are formed when the flowing water in the lakes mix with the travertine-forming plants indigenous to the area and thus producing petrified plants.
This unique ecosystem makes the Plitvice Lakes National Park a wonder of the world! If you're planning a visit, there are hotels and camping areas as well as restaurants in the Park for your convenience.
North Velebit is the youngest Croatian National Park to date, being created last 1999. With Paklenica National Park to the southeast, North Velebit is on the opposite, but both part of the Velebit nature reserve. North Velebit covers a surface area of 102 square kilometers, but its attractions lie in the two main peaks of the mountain range - Rozanski and Hajducki Kukovi.
Paklenica is the second Croatian National Park, established in October 19, 1949. It is located in the Municipality of Starigrad, at the southeastern portion of the Velebit Mountain Range.
Covering an area of 102 square kilometers, Paklenica also rests on karst that gives the limestone its natural landscape. It is famous for its two major canyons - Velika and Mala and has since become a favorite climbing destination.
Located in Gorski Kotar, Risnjak is about 15 kilometers inland from the Adriatic Sea. Quite accessible from the main roads of Zagreb-Rijeka, Risnjak National Park is a favorite destination for nature lovers, birdwatchers, spelunkers and hikers.
Most visitors' goal is to reach Veliki Risjnak, the highest peak in the park at 1,528 meters. There you'll find a mountain lodge called Sloserov dom. Others, especially the serious hikers, prefer the Rijeka Mountain traverse - a 6-7 day hike across the mountains with rest stops and overnight accommodations in mountain huts along the way.
The Park also promotes the Educational Path Leska, a 4.5 kilometer circular walk starting from and ends at the Tourist Center in Crni Lug. It aims to educate its participants on the different flora and fauna around the area as well as the karstic formations on which the National Park is built on.
The Kornati National Park can be found within the Kornati Group of Islands just across the cities of Zadar and Sibenik in the Dalmatian Coast.
There are 140 islands and islets together, 89 of which belong to the National Park, covering 220 square meters of the island. The distinguishing character of the Kornati National Park is its "crowns" - significant geological formations (vertical cliffs) resulting from the earth's shift, separating Africa from Europe.
These crowns stretch above and below sea level, so they're visible from the open sea as well as below which make scuba diving a memorable experience.
Mljet National Park on the Island of Mljet is located a couple of hours away by boat from the Island of Korcula. It covers roughly 1/3 of the westernmost part of the island (about 30 square kilometers).
What makes the national park unique is the presence of two natural salt lakes - The Great Lake (45 hectares) and The Small Lake (24 hectares).
Within the Great Lake lies the Isle of St. Mary, a small island with an ancient Benedictine monastery and a church from the 12th century.
Krka National Park is so named because it follows the path of the River Krka as it winds down toward the Adriatic Sea. It is 142 square meters in size and is also famous for its waterfalls and lakes.
Like the rest of the Croatian National Parks, Krka is also of karstic terrain, which its studded with porous rock that developed and flows through various caves and caverns in the area.
"I highly recommend to visit at least one or two during your vacation here!"