Plitvice Lakes National Park

城市概覽

History Humans have inhabited the Plitvice Lakes area for thousands of years. It was settled in turn by Illyrians, Thracians, Celts, Japods, Romans, Avars, Slavs and Turks. The area fell to the Ottomans in 1528, and was retaken by the Austrian Empire 150 years later. The Austrians incorporated it into their Military Frontier and, in addition to the native Croats who already inhabited the region, Serbs who had fled Ottoman repression settled there. The Plitvice Lakes became a major tourist attraction in the late 19th century. The first hotel was built in 1896, and as early as 1893 it had a conservation committee – the predecessor of today's national park authority. In 1949 the communist government of Yugoslavia nationalized the lakes and made them a national park. The park was inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1979 in recognition of its "outstanding natural beauty, and the undisturbed production of travertine (tuff) through chemical and biological action". The park soon became one of Yugoslavia's most popular tourist attractions. In March 1991 it became the scene of the Plitvice Lakes incident - the first armed confrontation of the Croatian War of Independence that resulted in fatalities. The park was held by forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina during the conflict and suffered some damage in the process, with hotels and other facilities being used as barracks. A massacre of three children by the Yugoslav Army occurred around Grabovac in September of 1991. It was retaken by the Croatian Army in August 1995 during Operation Storm, which ended the Croatian war. The war led UNESCO to add the park to its List of World Heritage in Danger. Due to the economic importance of the park, the Croatian government made it a priority for its de-mining efforts, and in December 1998 UNESCO recognized the parks new mine-free status by removing it from the list of endangered sites. The surrounding municipalities outside the park boundaries still have minor problems

如何抵達

By car The national park is around 2 hours by car from Zagreb, Zadar & Rijeka and 3 hours from Split. The park is around one hour drive away from the A1 freeway that connect these major cities: exit at Karlovac from Zagreb, Ogulin from Rijeka, or Gornja Ploča from Zadar and Split. All directions lead to Highway D1 that runs through the park and offers two entrances located 3 kilometers apart: Entrance 1 at the north side & entrance 2 at the south side. The park is also near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the nearest border crossing being at Izačić. Turn right at the junction with Highway D217 to merge with Highway D1 at Grabovac, through which you enter the park from entrance 1. Continuing along Highway D504 will bring you to Prileboj, where it merges with Highway 1 close to entrance 2. Entrance 1 is normally busier due to numerous day trippers from Zagreb, as well as being very close to the biggest waterfall in the lake complex. Parking costs €1 per hour (€1.50 per hour June-September) & is allowed only at the lots near both entrances; consequently it results in long wait times and illegal parking along the highway, especially in summer when tour buses and day trippers start flocking in at around 10AM. If you are a guest at a national park hotel however, parking is free within their property.

By bus Some buses between Zagreb and Zadar or Split take a route along the road which passes by the park entrances. Ask the driver beforehand to make a stop at the either park entrance. The bus stops are indicated by a blue bus sign and a wooden hut. Some buses may also stop by the adjacent towns where many visitors stay, such as Korenica or Mukenje at the south side and Rakovica or Slunj at the north side. Among the other direct connections are Biograd na Moru, Vodice, Šibenik, Primošten, Trogir and even Novalja (island of Pag). Also there is a direct bus connection to the Krka National Park. Buses in Croatia often do not run on time. They can come early

當地交通

There are two major entrances to the park, 3 kilometers apart along Highway D1. 1 Entrance 1, north of the lakes, is closest to the Veliki Splat waterfall and the lower lakes. 2 Entrance 2, further south, is closest to the upper lakes. They are connected by a quick shuttle bus, and are in the same trail network; the labelled hiking routes from Entrance 1 overlap the labelled hiking routes from Entrance 2.

On foot Paths, mostly made of wooden planks or gravel, will take you through the whole park. In most places they are wide, but since the park is extremely well visited they can feel very crowded during the day. The park have made some different routes through the park so it is easy to choose how much you want to or have time to see. A walk from one end of the park to the other normally takes around 4 hr, but due to the unique views the park offers it is a shame to be in a hurry. Take your time and enjoy it. The buses and boats are free so it is possible to plan a walk zig-zagging up or down the lakes and the many waterfalls, and then not have to walk back the same way. Many of the paths can be used by disabled persons, but since there are a few steps here and there is some height differences between the lower and the upper lakes it will take a strong helper to get around with a wheelchair.

By boat 2 lines of small electric ferries connect far banks of the Jezero Kozjak, a bigger lake close to the entrance #2. One ferry crosses from north (P2) to south (P1) at west end of the lake and takes 2 minutes. The other ferry travels between the north terminus at the west (P2) and the east end (P3) and takes about 15 minutes. The cost of the ferries are included in the entrance ticket and runs every 20 minutes from 7AM to 7PM.

By bus 2 shuttle bus lines run along the lakes (which are useful to take you up hills and to the entrances). The buses travel between station 1 (west of Entrance #1), station 2 (north of entrance 2), and station 3 (near Prošćansko jezero,

必看景點

The main attractions are the various lakes and waterfalls, interconnected by a network of easy trails. There are hiking routes marked by letters to guide you through the park, ranging from 2 to 8 hours long. The lower lakes are adjacent to Entrance 1, the starting point of Routes A, B, and C. The upper lakes are closer to Entrance 2, the starting point of Routes E, F, and H.

Upper Lakes (Gornja jezera) A series of smaller lakes between Proscansko lake and Kozjak lake, with dozens of cascading waterfalls. Numerous walking trails lead visitors to these lakes. From Entrance 1, take Routes C or K, traversing Kozjak lake by ferry. From Entrance 2, take Routes E, H or K. You can also go to bus station 3 at the highest lake, and then descend through the lakes.

1 Prošćansko jezero (Shrubbery lake or desired lake) at 636 m (2,087 ft) the highest lake of the National park , as well as the second largest by area and the second deepest. 2 Ciginovac 3 Okrugljak Despite the name meaning "round l