Today we traveled close to the Bosnian border to see the oldest and most visited Croatian National Park, Plitvička Jezera. The park has sixteen lakes and countless waterfalls with water in almost every shade of blue and green. The colors come from deposits of calcium carbonate, algae, and moss. We hiked around the water for hours in the pouring down rain, and we even got to take an electric boat across one of the bigger lakes. The views were stunning! One of the biggest problems that we found at the park was the trails. They were either gravel or wood, and would not be accessible to anyone with disabilities. Some parts of the trail were even hard for us to walk on, especially in the rain. The newer parks in Croatia are made to be more easily accessible, but the older ones definitely need some work.
The park is a National Park that is run by a government owned company, and it brings a lot of money into the country. Unlike a Nature Park, National Parks do not allow hunting, fishing, swimming, or logging. Therefore, the park is very well preserved. However, Plitvička Jezera still has problems with managing tourists. Most of the tourists that visit the park are from other countries, but mostly they are European. The number of people visiting the park is increasing each year, and the infrastructure cannot handle all of the visitors. So the park officials are trying to develop a plan that involves sustainable tourism. In other words, they want to find the best way to use the parks resources so that visitors can enjoy the natural beauty, while preserving it for future generations! ~Lee Ann
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