Waterfall
Veliki Slap
Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Waterfall
- COUNTRY
- Croatia
- REGION
- Plitvice Lakes · Lika & Plitvice
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Veliki Slap — the Great Waterfall — is the single highest waterfall in Plitvice and in Croatia, a 78-metre drop where the Plitvica River falls from the plateau into the head of the Lower Lakes canyon. Unlike the park’s other falls, which are built by travertine barriers between the lakes, Veliki Slap is a free-falling river waterfall: the Plitvica arrives from outside the lake system and drops almost vertically into the canyon below. It stands at the top of the Lower Lakes, so it is the dramatic opening sight for visitors entering at Entrance 1, and it is at its fullest in spring and after rain.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Veliki Slap is formed by the Plitvica River, a separate watercourse that joins the Plitvice system at the Lower Lakes rather than being part of the lake chain itself. The 78-metre drop makes it the highest waterfall in Croatia. Because it depends on the Plitvica’s flow rather than the lakes, its volume varies through the year — strongest in spring snowmelt and after heavy rain, lower in late summer — and it can freeze partially in hard winters, when the spray builds ice formations at its base.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The 78-metre drop itself — the tallest single waterfall in Croatia, seen from the canyon below.
The viewpoint at the head of the Lower Lakes canyon, where the falls come into full view.
The contrast with the lake waterfalls — Veliki Slap is a free-falling river fall, not a travertine-barrier cascade.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Veliki Slap is the most powerful single sight in Plitvice and the one that most surprises visitors expecting only gentle terraced cascades. For a visitor it is the natural climax of the Lower Lakes walk and the park’s most photographed waterfall.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Veliki Slap
Veliki Slap, Plitvice Lakes, Lika & Plitvice, Croatia
44.8806, 15.6119
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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