Croatia Day 17

Day 17: Plitviće Lakes National Park and Rovinj

The chicken soup did the trick. I was feeling much better this morning, still coughing, but ready for Plitviće Lakes.  We started out at 7,  hoping to beat the crowds (recommendation of my friend Craig Leffingwell). The Bura winds that we encountered on our sailing trip were again trying to thwart us. The highway was closed to larger vehicles (and our Sprinter van was considered in this category), so we had to take an alternate route.  Instead of the planned 1 1/2 hour drive, it took over 2 1/2 hours! We were glad we left when we did. The crowds were not too bad (much better than Krka).

The national park was founded in 1949 and is in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The park gets about 1 million visitors a year and is the most visted attraction in Croatia.  There are 16 lakes that are connected by cascading waterfalls creating  spectacular views. The lakes are known for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

In March 1991 it became the scene of the Plitvice Lakes incident (also called the "Plitvice Bloody Easter"), the first armed confrontation of the Croatian War of Independence that resulted in fatalities. The park was held by local Serb rebels backed by Slobodan Milošević . The region was retaken by the Croatian Army in August 1995 during Operation Storm, and the majority of the Serb population was expelled.

During the war from 1991 until 1995, many buildings in the national park were destroyed or burnt down.  After the war, the Plitvice Lakes were among the first areas to be cleared of mines and renovated, although some of the more remote areas in the park are suspected still to contain landmines.

We arrived in Rovijn on the Istrian Peninsula late afternoon after a very long drive. We were all very glad to get out of the Sprinter. The waterfront, where our hotel, the Adriatic, was located, was off limits to motorized vehicles, so Mario had to drop us off and we went the rest of the way on foot.  A tram from the hotel brought our luggage and we were told that finding the hotel would be easy.  After much wandering, multiple requests for directions, and consultation with google maps and apple maps, we stumbled on the hotel.  It was in a great location on the waterfront (once we found it).

Tomorrow, truffle hunting and a long day of sightseeing.