The Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's most popular tourist attraction, was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979. Located roughly halfway between capital city Zagreb and Zadar on the coast, the lakes are definitely a must-see. (As confirmed by the many emails we've received!)
The beauty of the National Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, and set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species. The National Park covers a total area of 300 square kilometres, whilst the lakes join together over a distance of eight kilometres. There's also quite an altitude difference - the highest point is at 1,280m, the lowest at 380m - although the total height difference between the lakes themselves is only 135m. (Veliki Slap, the largest waterfall, is 70m tall.)
So, what is there to do in the Park? There are numerous trails on which to walk and hike, and there are also boat and shuttle bus services in order to see the Park it all its glory. It is possible to stay within the Park at one of its three hotels or at its campsite which is located about 7km outside of the northern entrance of the Park. There is another hotel, the Hotel Grabovac, that is also located 12km north of the Park. It's also possible to find private accommodation in a number of the towns and villages.