From Zagreb we caught a coach to Plitvice National Park. The Zagreb bus depot was about a km from our Hotel and we were in a rush but got there in plenty of time.

We managed to get off at the wrong Ulaz (entrance) but we were staying at a 3 star B&B the people were lovely enough to come and pick us up. I was chuffed because Martin (the husband at the B&B) has a 6 speed manual Audi which Hammers :).

The accommodation "House Samardzic" was excellent the lady of the house, Verica, and son were friendly and welcoming.

Verica told us how to get to the main Ulaz (entrance) of the Plitvice National Park the route was through a village, and then down a gravel path through a beautiful forest. It was a fair walk but my legs are working as they should.

Once we paid the entry fee of 110kn (Kuna) each we spoke to a guide who seemed to break into flawless Crotian, English, Italian etc when speaking to different people... Amazing. There are different walks to take and depending on fitness and time you can choose a 1-2 hour or full day walk. We chose the "H" walk which basically was a 4-6 hour walk. That included the upper and lower lakes (in relation to the Ulaz 2 entrance).

The walkways are all round logs flattened to provide a good surface to walk on. The lake waterfalls being dynamic flow around and under the walk ways and that makes one feel like being 'in' the experience.

The Lakes are so clear that you can see the fish in them. II tasted the water and it was so nice. Lisa said the shower at our accommodation (which draws it's water from the lake) made her hair very soft.

There are some interesting things happening regarding the formation of the lakes, but Wikipedia is probably a better place to learn about the workings of Travertine.

The walks are all very well signposted and so we had no `where the heck are we' moments.

I was concerned my legs wouldn't hold up for the full day seeing as I have had so much pain (after over doing the first day) from slogging around Paris. But it seems my legs are improving.

There was plenty of walking and even some rain toward the end of the day.

The views are breathtaking and beautiful. Lisa was in awe of the colour of the water in the lakes.

Overall I must give Plitvice Lakes National Park a big thumbs up on the list of things to see in Croatia.

Next Stop Split On the Mediterranean Coast....