Here’s the next instalment of our Eastern European adventure – next stop, Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia.

Due to the nightmare we had getting out of Budapest, we were running a bit behind schedule. We had to stay overnight in Zagreb as we got there so late. However, all we saw of it was some rainy dark streets and the inside of our hostel room, as we were there for less than 12 hours.

In the morning, we hopped on to our coach and headed to Plitvice Lakes National Park. The journey was so breathtaking – huge mountains in the distance, driving through rolling hills and lots and lots of trees. We even went through a town that had waterfalls coming out from underneath houses (pictured below).

We caught a glimpse of the big waterfalls of Plitvice on the drive up to our guesthouse – it was magical. We finally figured out which place we were staying at, and were welcomed by a lovely couple who gave us cake and brandy shots to wish Doug a happy birthday. After that it was straight out to explore the lakes.

After a bit of queueing, we got the funny bus up to the top lake of Plitvice, in order to make our way down. I was a bit scared of walking across the boardwalks – especially when there were people coming the other way – I was convinced I’d fall in, but I somehow managed not to.

Unfortunately, it started raining (we found out the next day that it had rained every day for 20 days) but it didn’t dampen our spirits at first. We continued walking around Plitvice National Park, watching the waterfalls get bigger and more impressive with every lake.

Due to the rain, there were parts of pathways that were flooded, and we had to take our shoes and socks off to wade through the water! It just made the experience more exciting though.

One part of the path was totally closed, meaning we had to walk all the way back around, or scramble up a hill to the road and walk back down to the main entrance. We chose the latter and rewarded ourselves with hot chocolate when we got there.

Doug was keen to have a trip on the boat, which takes you down to the big waterfall at the end, but once we got to the other side of the lake, it was clear that the rain was not going to let up, and more paths were closed meaning we couldn’t get there that way anyway.

I was absolutely freezing and miserable by this time, so we made our way back to the small town nearby and had dinner, before heading back to our guesthouse for hot showers to warm our bones.

My highlights of Plitvice Lakes National Park

• the lovely people at the guesthouse
• magical waterfalls

If I were to go to Plitvice Lakes again (or to any of Croatia’s other beautiful national parks) I’d definitely go when the forecast is dry, so that I could enjoy all of the scenery, walk all the paths, and go on the boat.

This was tricky with a long trip travelling through Eastern Europe, as we only planned to be in the area for specific days.

This trip was part of a 2 week adventure through Eastern Europe. We also visited Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and the Croatian coast – click the links to read those blog posts 🙂