Lake
Kozjak Lake
Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Lake
- COUNTRY
- Croatia
- REGION
- Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Kozjak is the largest and deepest lake in Plitvice and the natural hinge of the park: it sits between the Upper and Lower Lakes, and the electric-boat service that crosses it is the way most visitors move between the two sections. The lake is long and narrow, its water a deep, even blue-green, and it holds an island (Šupljara) that itself carries a short trail and a viewpoint. Because the boat crossing is included in the park ticket and saves a long walk around the shore, Kozjak is the practical centre of any Plitvice route.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Kozjak was formed like the other Plitvice lakes — dammed behind a travertine barrier — but its size comes from its position at the junction of the upper and lower valleys, where the water collected into a single broad basin. The lake is up to about 47 metres deep, making it the deepest in the park, and its travertine barrier at the lower end is one of the largest single deposits in the system. The electric boats have run on the lake for decades, powered to avoid polluting the protected water.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The electric-boat crossing — the quiet, included ride that links the Upper and Lower Lakes.
Šupljara island and its short trail, with a viewpoint back over the lake.
The deep, even colour of the water — Kozjak is the deepest lake in the park.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Kozjak is the logistical heart of a Plitvice visit — the boat crossing is how the park’s two halves are connected — and the calmest large stretch of water in the system. For a visitor it is both a practical link and a rest between the busier boardwalks.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Kozjak Lake
Kozjak Lake, Plitvice Lakes, Lika & Plitvice, Croatia
44.8700, 15.5850
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Plitvice Lakes
THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Lička Kuća — traditional Lika cuisine at the park entrance
Park restaurants and cafés at Entrance 1 and Entrance 2
Picnic spots along the upper trails
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Park hotels inside the reserve for early starts
Guesthouses in Rastoke, the watermill village nearby
Family hotels and apartments in the villages around the park
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
ROUTES
Routes through here
Plitvice Program A — Lower Lakes Loop
The shortest Plitvice program — a loop of the Lower Lakes canyon and the Great Waterfall from Entrance 1.
3.5 km · 2 h · easy
VIEW ROUTEPlitvice Program B — Lower Lakes & Kozjak
The Lower Lakes canyon plus the electric-boat crossing of Kozjak, with the panoramic train back — a half-day from Entrance 1.
3.5 km · 3 h · easy
VIEW ROUTEPlitvice Program C — The Full Circuit
The classic full-day Plitvice circuit — all sixteen lakes, the Upper and Lower Lakes, the Kozjak boat and the train return.
8 km · 5 h · moderate
VIEW ROUTEPlitvice Program H — Upper Lakes
A walk through the twelve forested Upper Lakes — the longer, quieter, more expansive half of Plitvice, from Entrance 2.
8 km · 4 h · moderate
VIEW ROUTEPART OF
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