Plitvice Lakes National Park

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Croatia

Overview

Before the break up of Yugoslavia and the conflicts of the 1990s the Plitvice Lakes National Park was one of the most visited tourist sites in Yugoslavia.

This beautiful area is a World Heritage Site and includes a string of sixteen lakes connected by waterfalls. The falls are composed of travertine, mainly calcium carbonate deposited by the water and there are extensive beds of the aquatic mosses Cratoneuron commutatum and Bryum pseudotriquetrum, and various algae and lichens.

Surrounding the forests are dense beech, fir and pine forests and subalpine meadows.

Birds

Notable Species

Although never renowned for its birds Plitvice National Park is worth visiting for the scenery alone. There is little information on the birds now present but this was once and probably still is an excellent site for grouse, owls, woodpeckers and other forest birds. Eurasian Eagle Owl is present and perhaps also Ural Owl, woodpeckers number at least eight species.

About 126 species of bird have been recorded within the park which covers nearly 20,000ha.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Black Stork, Grey Heron, Mallard, European Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, Black Kite, Eurasian Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Western Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Hazel Grouse, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Ural Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Common Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Common Dipper, Common Wren, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Blue Rock Thrush, Eurasian Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Common Firecrest, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Crested Tit, Common Treecreeper, Red-backed Shrike, Northern Raven, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Crossbill

Other Wildlife

Mammals of the park include Brown Bear Ursus arctos and Grey Wolf Canis lupus, Red Deer Cervus elaphus, Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus and numerous Wild Boar Sus scrofa. Also present are Pine Marten Martes martes, Badger Meles meles, Otter Lutra lutra and Wildcat Felis silvestris.

Plants at Plitvice include the rare Daphne blagayana and the spectacular Bird's Nest and Lady's Slipper Orchids and Martagon and Orange Lilies.

Site Information

Once attracting more than a million tourists a year, Plitvice is once again becoming popular with visitors and will continue to do so as long as the political situation remains stable.

History and Use

To do

Areas of Interest

To do

Access and Facilities

Part of the park is a strict nature reserve with restricted access but most is of open access. Plitvice National Park is between the towns of Otocac and Bihac.

There are hotels and other accommodation within and around the park.

Contact Details

To do

External Links

• Visit Croatia, Plitvice
• Plitvice on Google Maps

Content and images originally posted by Steve