Croatia: Plitviče Lakes + Zagreb
Seeing Plitviče Lakes has been incredibly high on my “must do” list while we are living in Europe. This is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Croatia that is, truly, one of a kind. It is made of a series of connecting lakes, tufa caves, and waterfalls. We visited in early October when the leaves were changing. I was doing an Earth Day Peloton ride the other day and Camila, the instructor, said to close your eyes and think of your favorite place on Earth — the most beautiful place you’ve seen. I closed my eyes and went to these waterfalls.
We flew from Naples to Zagreb, rented a car, and headed out to Rastoke, a village located in the town of Slunj, on the Korana River with its own beautiful system of waterfalls. We stayed here to visit the park as it was only about a 25-30 minute drive.
We absolutely loved our Airbnb — it was like a dollhouse log cabin. It had a great loft for kids upstairs, a big yard, kids activities like badminton and other yard games in the house, and even a friendly neighbor dog that kept coming over to play. Our host was incredibly kind and recommended some local spots for food and immediately directed us to where we could find the best cevapi — the first thing I want to eat whenever we are in the Balkans
The next morning, we entered the park as soon as it opened - we were the only people on some of the paths in the early morning which was amazing. We pre-purchased our tickets online and made sure to select the first time slot. When we arrived, the parking lot wasn’t full, there weren’t lines for the entry, and the first terrace you come to with views of the biggest waterfall (you’ll want a photo from this spot) had maybe 2-3 people. When we left in the afternoon, I think there were 100 people at this same terrace
I think we walked and hiked about 8-10 miles in total. We used our Happy Baby Co toddler carrier, which was hugely helpful. The paths don’t all have railings and can be a bit slippery so we weren’t sure we would want our toddler walking all the time. We also knew he would get tired.
Visiting in the fall plus arriving in the early morning light was absolutely magical. We hiked both the upper and lower lakes and enjoyed the small break that the boat ride across provided. There is a small cafe near the boat for coffee, toilet, snacks, etc.
After we left the park (I really just wanted to sit and look at the water all day), we drove a bit through the countryside and decided to head for the Barać Caves. This wasn’t a far drive from the park and we figured it was a good way to round out the day before heading back to our AirBnb for dinner. You enter the caves on a guided tour and are able to see prehistoric stalactites and stalagmites. We were able to go deep into the caves which was an awesome experience, especially when they turned the lights off and we were in true total darkness. I was worried my son (who was still only 3) would get scared but he actually did a great job in the darkness and at staying quiet in the caves so he wouldn’t scare the bats. The day we were there was particularly fun because there was a 5k type race happening as well as a Boy Scout troop meet up of some kind. Basically, there were multiple big community events happening in the park around the cave. There were inflatables, food trucks, and playgrounds. If we hadn’t been exhausted from our day already spent hiking, I think we could have easily spent longer hanging out here. After we got home and showered, we spent the evening walking around Rastoke along the river and waterfalls.
To round out our trip to this part of Croatia, we spent one day and night in Zagreb. We stayed at the Hilton (easy location, great rooms, fantastic customer service, beautiful bar) and spent the whole day in the city center exploring and eating. Here are some of my favorite things from the city:
La Štruk - This is a very popular restaurant right in the center of Zagreb. They serve only Štrukli, a traditional Croatian dish. It is a pastry filled with cottage cheese. It is then either boiled or baked. There were both savory and sweet options. I would recommend making reservations, as it can get very busy!
Museum of Illusions: We have fallen into a funny habit of finding an illusions museum in almost every city we visit. What can I say, my son loves them and, especially in smaller cities, the ticket prices is usually very affordable and the museum size is small and manageable for possibly short attention spans.
Museum of Broken Relationships: Zagreb is known for the large number of quirky museums in the city and this might be the most famous one. It is, quite literally, a museum dedicated to break-ups. All of the objects inside the museum are sent in with a brief synopsis of the significance, usually to the downfall of the relationship.
Saint Mark’s Square: At least when we were there, the actual church was closed and the square immediately around it was blocked off, but it’s worth passing by as you stroll around the city to see the amazing tile work on the roof.
Zagreb Funicular: You can ride this from the bottom to the top of the city, rather than walk up the hills. It is considered to be the shortest funicular in Europe (the ride lasts mere seconds) so it’s more of a novelty than an actually useful mode of transportation, but it was fun for my toddler and I believe the tickets were €0.32 (kids ride free).
Love Rails: There are beeautiful views walking along the walls at the top of the city (where the funicular takes you) and the views from the open plaza where the Love Rails are will give you the quintessential view over the red roofs.
If there is one souvenir you take home with your from Zagreb, I would recommend taking a licitar, or licitar heart, with you. You can’t go to the city without seeing them and you may even be gifted one. We were walking around when my son saw a vintage car parked outside a cafe. The entire car was covered in leather and was beautiful — a true collector’s car. We let him walk over to look at it (I think my partner was more interested than my son to be honest), and when we turned around, a man was walking over to us. It turned out he was the owner and had been inside the cafe. He loved that my son loved the car, and handed him a small licitar that says “Zagreb” on it. I collect Christmas ornaments from everywhere we travel and live, so this beautifully decorated red heart was the perfect addition, but it is also a beautiful symbol of the city.I especially love the history and story behind them, which you can read about here.
