Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)

Yesterday, I saw a post on 15 Charming Small Towns you need to visit in Italy. Then, wanderlust set in. Hopefully this post will similarly ignite your desire to visit the Plitvice Lakes!

I spent a full day in July at the Plitvice Lakes and its magnificence is unrivalled.

1. What to do

Your sole responsibility at Plitvice Lakes is to take in all the sights- the lakes, caves and waterfalls.

Entrance fees are 110KN for one day (adults).

There are several walking trails and the trails are marked very clearly so you won't get lost. Choose your trail depending on how long you would like to walk. For example, Trail A (2-3 hours) is at the lower parts of the national park. Trail K (the one we did) takes around 6-8 hours and you get to walk around the entire national park. If you are healthy and up for it, I recommend Trail K. A bit of hiking to do, but I promise it will be all worth it (always in hindsight).

The weather in July was perfect- cooling for a long walk.

Lots of flora and fauna, something to marvel at with every step.

The advantage of taking the longer trail (minus burning fats) is that the scenery from up there is amazing.

Carry some food to have a picnic here.

2. How to get there

Buses from Zagreb, Zadar or Split will get you there. We caught a bus from Zadar and took a bus to Zagreb. Timetable here. Timetables are posted at the stations, so keep a lookout for it.

3. Where to stay

There are three hotels which are located within the park itself. However, I highly recommend Villa Lika.

4. What to eat 

Food options were pretty limited in the area. We tried some food at a ski resort nearby but it was nothing to shout about.

Conclusion 

If you love nature or are a photography buff or just want to have a chill time, Croatia is the place for you! 

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Trattoria Canzona (Zadar)

After dumping our bags at the hostel, we decided to get some good food in town at Trattoria Canzona. Everything about Zadar is so chill- people eating lunch at 3 p.m. and watching the world go by... 

... and cats basking in the afternoon sun!

I think the pictures can speak for how good the pizzas were. Look at the generous amount of ingredients they have! And by the way, these pizzas were huge. 

The Pizza Capriciosa (45 kunas). 

Frutti Di Mare (55 kunas) with lots of fresh small prawns and mussels- not near the Adriatic sea for nothing!

Trattoria Canzona
Stomorica 10,
2300 Zadar 

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Restoran Vinodol (Croatia)

This was hands down one of my favourite meals this trip. After a 7 hour walk at Lake Plitvice and a bus ride from Lake Plitvice to Zagreb, I told my friend, "I could eat a cow now." We then decided to go to Vinodol to reward ourselves after a day of walking. 

The terrace outside the restaurant was completely filled. There was a nice bustling atmosphere but we didn't care too much about it because we'd rather not put up with the smoke. Instead, we shifted into the restaurant where only two tables were occupied.

We ordered a Tomato Soup (20 kn) which brought much needed comfort to our hungry tummies. Their bread basket also offered a larger variety of bread that other European restaurants serve.

But this, really, was the star. I had the Grilled Trout with Almonds (62 kunas) together with Homemade Croquettes (28 kunas). The trout was really fresh, along with some salt sprinkled on it. I never knew what a magic combination almonds and fishes could have. That with the lemon juice squeezed on it made a very impressive dish.

The waiters were all very busy and a couple of them weren't friendly. Nevertheless, the one who served our table was alright.

A nice ambience with great food! It's in a central location, so no reason to miss out on this place.

Restoran Vinodol
Ulica Nikole Tesle 10
Zagreb 10000, Croatia 

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Villa Lika (Croatia)

Everything about Lake Plitvice is beautiful. Even Villa Lika, the place we stayed at, was cosy and aesthetically pleasing.

1) Location: Reaching here by public transport
We took the bus from Zadar. Be sure to stop at the Mukinje bus stop, which is a stop or two before where everybody normally alights at the lakes. Otherwise, I assure you that you would like to kick yourself in your leg when lugging luggage down the roads without proper pavements.

2) Location: Getting to the Park from here 
To get from Villa Lika to Entrance 2 of Lake Plitvice, first turn right then turn left to reach the main road. You will be walking on the road, right next to vehicles, so be wary. It's about a 30 minute walk before you reach a bridge. Cross it, walk a little more (good directions are given within the park) then buy your entrance tickets to the national park.

3) Room
There is free and good wifi connection within the premises. The beds were comfortable and the toilets were lime green in colour with a good showerhead. There was also air-conditioning. It was also the first time in our trip that we actually managed to watch many international channels on the TV.

4) Where to get food supplies
There is a restaurant in the villa which serves dinner and breakfast. For a three course meal, it cost 15 Euros. We didn't opt for that so we went out to a nearby ski resort and got a much cheaper meal instead. Food quality might not be comparable but we were just looking for a cheaper option. There is also a small supermarket but you have to walk about 20 minutes up the hill to reach the market.

5) Overall
For the 70 Euros a night we paid, I think it was well worth it, even though it wasn't located within the park. The people who were operating the place were also friendly.

Villa Lika
Mukinje 63
Plitvice Lakes National Park 53231, Croatia

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