A Verdant Oasis in Southern Europe (Krka National Park (Croatia))

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Krka National Park (Croatia)
Date:	21/12/08 (191 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An outstanding area of natural beauty

Disadvantages: May be a bit awkward to get to but all part of the fun.

When I look back at the years and my travels, 2006 was a good year. I really did have the travel bug that year and seemed to spend most of the months travelling in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Although I would recommend visits to all the Balkan countries I do have a favourite and that is Croatia. I love the natural untamed beauty of the mountains and the arid landscape, the turquoise waters of the ocean with hundreds of islands, small and large, inhabited and unihabited, all waiting to be explored. The Krka National Park is one of Croatia's scenic wonders and an area I thoroughly recommend.

The park follows the route of the Krka river which spreads over 42 square miles to the north east of Sibenik. It is a vast open space filled with lakes, waterfalls, thrashing rapids and gurgling pools. There are swimming opportunities in places so the park is very popular with all ages especially on very hot days. Whatever the weather is, it is worth visiting if just to see the fascinating wildlife, green oasis, historical buildings. There are plenty of idyllic spots just to sit and stare at the beauty if that's just what you want to do but watch out for the vipers as they are venomous.

How to Reach Krka National Park
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The best way and most dramatic is to take a boatride from Skradin. Both the Catholic and Orthodox churches were damaged in the wars of the 1990's as the town was on the front line. Nowadays the town is prospering and is a charming waterfront town and the gateway to the Krka Park. There is a marina here which is very popular with the boating fratenity, also a handful of seafood restaurants which makes it an attractive location especially when you have had an energetic exploration throughout the park. It probably takes about an hour to walk round the town as it quite small and compact.

Skradinski Buk
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Having caught the boat from Skradin and arrived at the landing pier the Skradinski Buk is a short walk away. This is an amazing feat of nature and breathtaking to see. Water thunders over the 17 steps that transport it down the hiilside here into a large rockpool. You are allowed to swim in this wonderful venue and the views from the walkway ascending the hillside are exquisite. There is a well worn footpath as well as a trail of wooden walkways and bridges for you to follow. If you head on up the hill you will encounter several mills and visitor parking. The mills were once disused but have now been renovated and turned into craft shops and galleries. If you are feeling very touristy and kitsch you can always have your photograph taken with one of the staff as they are dressed in period costume.There is an entrance fee which covers the cost of the return boat trip to Skradinski But and allows you to visit the craft demonstrations in the mills.

If you go beyond the mills there are information boards which detail the park's various boat tours; here you can buy tickets and will be directed to the boats. At the bottom of the review I will leave a link showing these times.

Sights to Visit by Boat
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Just to the north of Skradinski Buk the river opens out into a wide reed - fringed expanse. It was a very hot August when I visited and the colour of the water was amazing - the turquoise and sometimes azure water had changed to emerald green. Forest fires are a general occurence here and you will sometimes see fire fighting planes swooping down like metal swallows, for water to extinguish the burning flames.

Reclining on an island on the lake is a chocolate box monastery. It was founded by Fransiscan monks in the 14th century and is a popular destination for boat trippers. Hidden amongst lush and verdant gardens the monastery has a small church, a tiny museum and a magical library filled with valuable documents, papers and charters dating from the 16th to 18th century.

The Krka river narrows into a steep sided gorge between Lake Visovac and Roski Slap. It is a breathtaking sight to see the walls of sheer rock rising up like tower blocks on both sides, to well over a hundred metres in places.


Roski Slap
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The best way to approach this swathe of roaring water as it plummets down into the gorge, is by boat. The longest drop of this waterfall is over 25metres as the river Krka forges a path through the dense vegetation of the surrounding forests. This is definitely a camera opportunity and absolutely stunning to look at. Near the boat landing at Roski Slap at Kristijan there is a small agritourism venture. Here you can sample homemade prsut (smoked Dalamation ham), cheese and bread. The owners are very friendly with a penchant for handing out lethal measures of rakija which is a fruit spirit. Wicked stuff!

Krka Monastery
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This is a fine Orthodox monastery, founded in the 14th century and situated on the banks of the river. Sometimes called St Archangel, the monastery lies at the north of the park and is a two hour boat ride from the upper end of Roski Slap. You will be rewarded for the journey as the monastery is quite stunning and it's setting is one of great beauty. Inside there are memorable collections of icons, paintings, books and sumptious textiles.

Necven Fortress
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This is a 14th century Croat stronghold which is in ruins but still casts a haunting presence over the winding river as it makes its way through the narrow gorge here.

Wildlife
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Throughout the park you will stumble across lots of different plant species. Apparantley there have been over a thousand different species recorded as well as numerous species of bird, 18 species of bat and nine types of snakes including the venomous viper, so wear your hiking boots!

Sunmmary
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Well I have tried not to overload you with information here becuase it is always exciting too find your own surprises when visiting an outstanding area of beauty such as the Krka Park. There is a link below of a website showing you all the times and prices for the various boat trips. It would be tedious to read if I listed every time/price as they change throughout the seasons and months of the year. The web site is up to date and the prices showing are for 2009. Also I have left a link with further reading about the Krka Monastery showing some great photos.

As I haven't stayed in the park overnight I haven't mentioned hotels but there is one at Skradin. It's probably best to stay in Sibenik as you will have more options.

Final Word
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This is a stunning area and I really do recommend a visit but I would like to mention that if you plan to cover the whole of the park from Skradin to the Krka Monastery it will possibly take up a whole day so go prepared with sun cream/water/food/swimming gear and good shoes or boots. It may not be the Australian outback but remember - look out for those snakes!

http://www.eparhija-dalmatinska.hr/Manastiri-Krka -E.htm

http://www.npkrka.hr/html_en/uvod_en.htm

Summary: An area of spectacular waterways, rock pools and cascading waterfalls.