Story: Croatia's Ever-Changing Natural Beauty

In six days God created the earth, but he must of had Plitvice National Park in mind when he thought about resting on the seventh. Plitvice National Park, located half-way between Croatia's capital Zagreb and its coastal hub Zadar, is a soothing symphony of water that instinctively congers up images of peacefully relaxing in your favorite day spa, even if you've never stepped foot in one.

Plitvice was Croatia's first National Park, and rightfully so. With close to 300 square kilometers (okay... 294.82 to be exact) of non-stop falling water, it's little wonder that the park is a top tourist attraction in Croatia. Not only is the park a treasure trove of nature, but if you're a photographer this is one day trip you'll never want to miss.

Plitvice (pronounced PLIT-veetz-a) was already established as a tourist destination when the first hotel was built here in 1896. Since that time it has achieved National Park status (1949) and, most recently, UNESCO World Heritage fame (1979). The park consists of sixteen brilliantly blue lakes, nearly all of which are connected by a series of waterfalls. To facilitate seeing God's water park at work, 18 kilometers of wooden footbridges and trails run over, under, and around the rushing water, making it impossible not to wander around for hours with your jaw dropped.

The Park is a unique creation (you know, it's not just ANY sixteen-lake-waterfall sensation) because of how it's built. The lakes and waterfalls are a result of karst hydrography. "Karst what?!" you say. Well, watering it down quite a bit, it goes a little like this: 1) Underground springs and the White and Black Rivers feed water into the Park's upper lakes. 2) Water moves away from the the upper lakes, which lie in a dolomite valley, carrying calcium carbonate. 3) Calcium carbonate in water is caught by the moss and algae, making the underwater plant life quite crusty. 4) Crusty plant life begets more crusty plant life, which in turn creates new barriers and waterfalls.

Bottom line: Since the park's falls are constantly evolving and changing, no two trips to Plitvice are ever the same. From blazing azures to deep blues and cool grays, even the color of the water at Plitvice changes depending on the minerals, organisms, and the angle of the sun. This waterworld version of the circle-of-life has basically been running non-stop since since the last ice age.

As a bonus, you'll also find Croatia's largest waterfall, Veliki Slap, in the national park. Since its not officially part of the lake system, it's as though the 70 meter waterfall relocated from some remote corner of Croatia to be with the in-crowd of waterfalls. In fact, Plitvice has managed to attract much of the best Croatia has to offer. It boasts one of the most beautiful virgin beech-fir forests in the world, over 1250 different species of plants, 321 species of butterflies, 161 species of birds, 55 different species of orchids, 21 species of bats, 7 ladies dancing, and the Park's furriest fellow - the brown bear.

Plitvice is an possible day-trip from either the coast at Zadar or the capital Zagreb. However, it is highly recommended that you spend 2-3 days to fully capture the misty majesty. The park is wonderfully organized to fit every visitor imaginable with a number of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure trail options (minus the dead-ends with dinosaurs and brain-eating aliens). So whether you're only available for a two-hour whirlwind tour or up to a full day's work worth of sightseeing, the perfect combination of wooden walkways, electrical trains and electrical boats awaits you.

If you do happen to stay on for an extended tour, know that there are hotels and eating establishments located within the park. If you'd like to get a better feel for the area, try one of the sobes (private rooms) located around the park.

So next time you feel the need to relax to the tune of rushing water, simply head to the Croatian hills. You'll thank God that you did.