Croatia’s largest national park is located on the north-west Dinaric Alps, in eastern Lika. Delineated on maps of the XVII century. Devil’s gardens, the Lake District today is a real paradise with peaceful atmosphere and scenery, with a total area of 29,500 hectares, of which over 13 thousand hectares are virgin forests, interspersed with fields, water meadows and several villages. The major attraction of the park, whose main task is to protect the unique landscape, natural vegetation and geological formations, is a cascade of 16 scenic karst lakes in the headwaters of the river Korans, interconnected 92 waterfalls.
For thousands of years of existence, the flows of the lakes dissolved limestone rock and filled the valley. Placed on the staircase of the lake, steps which form a barrier of limestone tufa, are considered to be a real treasure of Croatia. The highest and second highest Proschanskoe lake depth over 37 m lies at a height of 636 m above sea level and the lowest Novakovitsa Broad at around 503 m amaze tourists with its grandeur and majesty. Start the lake chain give two small rivers – Crna and Bela. On the slopes of wooded hills, they merge into the river Matica, and form the first waterfall.
Every year in the Plitvice waterfalls are born new. Scientists have found that this is due to kaltsefilam, Cretaceous plants. Mountains in the Plitvice Lakes are composed mainly of limestone, so the water in rivers and lakes are rich in dissolved lime. Kaltsefily removed from the water and calcium oxide, otmiraya form solid deposits. Fallen into the water the branches and leaves in a year like rock.
