Jack n Karen's Travel Blog: Croatia National Park

Croatian traditional RED Šestine umbrella

We have had two days of water-not rain but rather massive waterfalls, gushing cascades, plateau lakes, rapids and spilling water mills.

Leaving the capital of Zagreb, we drove on the back roads through the rural countryside of farms and small villages where we saw many abandoned and destroyed homes which may be leftover from the Yugoslav wars 1991-2001.

Many newer homes are built adjacent to the old farm building

Lots of roadside stalls selling cheese (Sir) and honey (Med)-we bought some delicious smoked cheese

these look like old communist hold-over apartment buildings

we think wood or hay is stored in the skinny wooden structure

this man was cutting the grass with a scythe

we always stop for a coffee in a small town. They always serve a glass of water with the coffee which is great!

We arrived at the historic village of Rastoke and stayed in one of the two "Rooms Bruneta" an old building that has been remodeled into a lovely little room over one of the cascading rivers.

Our room was on the right

Rastoke is an old watermill village situated where the blue-green water of river Slunjčica flows into the Korana river over 2,000 feet of travertine (a kind of limestone) barriers and falls.

The first watermills were built in the 17th century, possibly even earlier. Most of the houses were built at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

The ground parts of the houses are made out of travertine, while the higher parts consist of wood. The roofs are made by shingle or tiles.

The spoon mills that are typical here depend on the fall of the water which moves the vertical spindle and the milling stone connected to the spindle.

laying on its side-spoons on the right, shaft and the stone mill on the left

At its height in the 18th and 19th centuries, Rastoke had up to 22 mills for grinding grain and finishing woolen fibers. The milling profession was passed down through families for centuries.

Because of its extraordinary natural beauties and historic tradition the village of Rastoke has gained state protection.

We drove over this old bridge into the village. Our room was in the building behind the green table umbrella

The next morning we got an early start to visit UNESCO Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia’s first. We really didn’t know what to expect - except loads of tour groups and local Croatians because it was May 1-International Workers Day-a 3 day holiday just like in the U.S.

As our favorite Travel Guru, Rick Steves describes, "Imagine Niagara Falls diced and sprinkled over a heavily forested Grand Canyon." I'd add a "miniture Iguasu Falls, too".

Big Waterfall--Veliki Slap 250 feet fall

We started at the Lower Lakes and hiked on the boardwalks and paths uphill reaching yet another plataeu lake which formed waterfalls and cascades. In all, there are 16 named and numerous small, unnamed bodies of water all cascading into the next. The Lower Lakes are cut into deep canyons with high cliffs. The boardwalks at times skirted the lakes and other times crossed them.

the water is unbelievably clear because the water calcifies everything it touches so there is no mud or algae

To go from the Lower to Upper Lakes we needed to take a 20 minute ride on a shuttle boat across Lake Kozjak

Once in the Upper Lakes, we continued through the cascades and waterfulls.

waterfall

cascade

So what’s the difference between a waterfall and cascade?

Key difference between the two: in a waterfall, water moves only downward and is not obstructed while in a cascade, it moves both downward and onward, like stairs, and is always in contact with the surface or bottom layer.

not as bad as it looks-each are hewn logs secured to a steel frame-but the water did flow right underneath

View looking down of where we walked over 6 miles in 4 hours

the boardwalks

We were so tired after the day, we drove only 45 minutes to to our overnight spot in a very small town of Udbina. There was a great side stop that described the Ottaman Empire defeat of the Croatians back in 1493. Over 10,000 Croatian and 1,000 Turks were killed.