Natural Site
Upper Lakes
Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Natural Site
- COUNTRY
- Croatia
- REGION
- Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
The Upper Lakes (Gornja jezera) are the twelve higher lakes in the Plitvice chain, spread across a wider, more forested valley than the Lower Lakes. Where the lower section is a canyon, the upper section is a series of broad terraces stepping down through beech and fir forest, with the waterfalls here built as long, cascading travertine barriers rather than vertical drops. The Upper Lakes hold the longest walks in the park, the most varied sequence of colours, and — being further from both entrances — the quietest stretches of boardwalk.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
The Upper Lakes were formed by the same travertine process as the rest of the system, with mineral barriers building up over thousands of years to step the lakes down the valley. The Prošćansko lake at the top of the chain is fed by the Crna and Bijela rivers, the sources of the whole Plitvice water system, and the lakes step down from there through twelve basins to Kozjak, the largest lake, where the Upper and Lower sections meet.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The long cascading travertine barriers between the upper lakes — wider, shallower falls than in the canyon.
The forest setting — beech and fir around the boardwalks, with the water appearing through the trees.
Prošćansko lake at the top of the chain, fed by the rivers that begin the whole system.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
The Upper Lakes are the larger, more varied half of Plitvice and the place to walk for the classic long boardwalk experience away from the busiest entrance crowds. For a visitor they show the travertine-terrace character of the park at its most typical.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Upper Lakes
Upper Lakes, Plitvice Lakes, Lika & Plitvice, Croatia
44.8620, 15.5580
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
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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