October 26, 2021 - As it joins the promotional campaign of Croatian Tourism Month, Krka National Park offers a special ticket price for all its attractions, which will be valid from October 25th to 31st.

With a special ticket price for all land sites in the Park of 65 kn for adults and 52 kn for children aged seven to eighteen, which will be valid from 25 to 31 October, Krka National Park offers an interesting discount and thus joins the promotional campaign Croatian Tourism Month, which is carried out by Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian National Tourist Board, reports Turističke Priče. For children up to the age of seven, entry to the Krka National Park has always been free.

The aim of the action is to encourage the citizens of the Republic of Croatia to get to know and visit different parts of our country at better prices for many tourist services and products, from the accommodation, transport, and sightseeing to catering services and various experiences, with the aim of encouraging domestic tourism and increasing tourist traffic. in the off-season.

Every season on the Krka is special for some reason. Painted with autumn colors, Krka provides a real experience: pleasant temperatures, the liveliness of flora and fauna, plenty of water, pronounced geomorphological forms of rocks, and travertine. In addition, the enjoyment of mastering the educational hiking trails and cycling routes will make the visit unforgettable. Krka National Park includes the largest and most beautiful part of the Krka River and the lower course of the Čikola River. The basic phenomenon of the Krka National Park is tufa, which, along the entire course of the river, has formed seven enchanting travertine waterfalls. The most famous and most visited waterfall, Skradinski buk, is the longest travertine barrier in Europe.

The Skradinski buk and Roški slap sites are open for visitors from 9 am to 5 pm in October, and the upstream sites from 10 am to 5 pm, the Krka National Park reported.

Krka National Park is an absolute gem, with a range of fantastic things to see and do for all the family. In partnership with Krka National Park, we are delighted to present the first TC video guide below. 

Check our full guide on all Croatian National and Nature Parks HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 21, 2021 - In celebration of its 61st anniversary, a Mljet birthday photo contest has been announced and everyone is invited to submit their photographs in the categories of natural heritage, cultural and traditional heritage, and recreational activities in the National Park.

On the occasion of the celebration of the 61st birthday, the Mljet National Park announced a photo competition, reports Turističke Priče. The categories by which the best photographs will be judged are natural heritage, such as photographs of forests, sea, lakes, animal and plant species, landscapes, then the category of cultural and traditional heritage where photographs of monuments, buildings, folklore, and other intangible traditional heritage are applied, and recreational activities in the area of ​​the Mljet National Park such as cycling, hiking, kayaking, diving, or some other outdoor activities.

The Mljet birthday photo contest is open from October 19 to 29, and the authors can submit more photos to the competition, which must be taken exclusively in the area of ​​the Mljet National Park. Residents of the island of Mljet and its friends, visitors, lovers of nature and photography are all invited to participate in the competition. You can download the rules of the competition and the application form via the LINK.

All photos will be used for the purpose of promoting the park, and it will be interesting to look at the shots of Mljet from the perspective of visitors, but also the local population. If you have pictures of the Mljet National Park, here is an opportunity for your photo to help in branding and attracting new visitors to the green island, which according to legend was chosen as the home by the mistress of the Greek hero Odysseus, the nymph Calypso.

Only the beauty of Mljet surpassed hers and thus attracted the eternal traveler, Odysseus, to stay on this island for many years. Are there facts in the legend? Numerous experts do not doubt that the island of Ogigija from Homer's Odyssey is unquestionably Mljet.

"Magical island green forest...", "If four springs flow in a row through Bistrica water, side by side close to having increased, but each to their side..." - Odyssey V, 70-71

Others are skeptical of this claim. Romantics would say - only the sea knows the answer. But whatever the answer to this dilemma was one fact in the stone remained a cave bearing the name of the Greek adventurer, Odysseus.

And your photo may remain recorded on the 61st birthday of Odyssey Island National Park.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

August the 26th, 2021 - Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of the most beautiful nature parks with stunning waterfalls you'll ever see, has quite rightly been ranked among the top three in all of Europe.

This beautiful park, among the oldest and largest in all of Croatia, with the vast majority of it being located within Lika-Senj County, attracts endless amounts of visitors from all corners of the world each and every year. The astonishing landscape and colour of the waterfalls make you feel as if you've been transported into another world. It's no surprise that the gorgeous Plitvice Lakes National Park has been listed among Europe's top three.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, while the hot summer months draw crowds to the coast, there have been no fewer visitors to Plitvice Lakes National Park, and not soaring temperatures and potential extreme weather conditons of other kinds contributed to less crowds.

The weather in Lika can be interchangeable and far less predictable than the weather on the coast, but people adore this place in all conditions, come rain or shine. 

Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park is the winner of this year's Travellers Choice Award, and as such, Plitvice and this beautiful part of Lika have been listed among the top 10 percent of attractions for visitors in the world! In addition, Plitvice Lakes National Park is third on the list of "Best of the best" national parks in all of Europe, and 21st on the ranking list in the category of "Best of the best" national parks on the planet.

Plitvice Lakes National Park stood out from the crowd not only with its timeless natural beauty which is enough to leave anyone breathless at first glance, but by providing excellent services and experiences to its millions of visitors and guests from all around the world.

For more on national parks in Croatia, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

ZAGREB, 10 May 2021 -  All Croatian counties on Monday formally opened walking trails and parks within the project "Live Healthily" of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), the head of the project, Sanja Musić Milanović said.

Walking trails and similar amenities are provided to citizens to encourage them to be more physically active, according to Milanović Musić who underscored that the trails were formally opened on International Day of Walking.

Today, each county is opening a walking trail and a park with amenities for children.

Milanović Musić also noted that obesity and overweight were factors that increase the risk of developing five major chronic diseases which cause 90% of deaths in Croatia, she added.

She also noted that obesity could also be conducive to developing a serious form of COVID-19.

The preparations of the trails and parks cost HRK 2.5 million and were covered by the European Social Fund.

For more about National and Nature Parks in Croatia, visit Total Croatia's 2021 guide HERE. Now available in your language!

April 21, 2021 - Those interested in visiting one of the most beautiful national parks in the world will be able to, as great Plitvice Lakes offers have been announced for May.

Known for their magic during the four seasons of the year, the Plitvice Lakes offer their visitors dreamlike settings. From trees covered in snow in the winter that contrast with the turquoise color of the lakes, to a powerful combination of greens and blues in the summer, it is always a great time to visit one of the most popular national parks in the world.

And the month of May should not be an exception because, in addition to being in full bloom during spring, Plitvice Lakes offers include not only better prices to visit the natural attractions, but also to enjoy the best amenities and activities in the National Park.

Plitvice Lakes National Park through seasons (Plitvice Lakes channel)

As turistickeprice.hr reports, after lowering the prices of tickets and certain services in April, the Plitvice Lakes National Park announced that all visitors will be able to enjoy the spring magic of the Park in May as well. Thus, the April reduced prices will remain next month. This means that a single ticket for adults will still be 80 kuna. Let us remind you that the full price in this part of the year is 180 kuna, which is a discount of more than 80%. Other special prices from April remain the same. Students will pay 50 kuna instead of 110 kuna, and children from 7 to 18 years 35 kuna, instead of 50. Two-day ticket prices have been reduced, and will be 120 kuna for adults, 70 kuna for students and 60 kuna for children.

Spring packages are on offer at the Jezero Hotel, located in the heart of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, until the end of June. They include two or three nights with half board, a ticket to the Park, and an hour of renting a rowing boat to explore the corners of Plitvice's largest lake Kozjak. But Plitvice Lakes offers even more to their visitors in May.

For example, until June 30, at a price of 750 kuna per person, they offer two nights with breakfast, a ticket to the National Park for the entire stay, as well as a 50% discount on a one-hour rental of a rowing boat on Lake Kozjak. In addition, take advantage of a 20% discount on lunch or dinner at the Vučnica bistro, a 20% discount on the use of the Finnish sauna in the hotel, a 20% discount on RELAX massage in the Fors Fortis salon, a 15% discount on the ticket price to Barać's Caves, a 15% discount on prices of services at Ranch Equus Igni.

See the entire offer for May, which also includes discounts for Croatian Tourist Cardholders, the Park's gastronomic offer, and a picnic lunch for Labor Day in the Plitvice Lakes National Park on the official website of the Park.

For more about the nature and national parks in Croatia, be sure to check our Total Croatia 2021 guide to all of them HERE.

For more news about travel in Croatia, follow our dedicated page.

As Croatia relaxes its stringent anti-epidemic measures in the third phase, Croatian national parks and nature parks are now open to the public once again, and as we reported recently, most have promotional ticket prices on offer for both adults and children in an attempt to restart the local economy and rescue at least part of their usual revenue. NP Krka is one of them.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 12th of May, 2020, the beloved NP Krka has now reopened its doors to visitors, boasting promotional ticket prices of 50 kuna for adults and 25 kuna for children. The park is otherwise wildly popular for countless tourists and residents alike, known for its waterfalls and picturesque natural surroundings.

After a break of almost two months due to the coronavirus pandemic and the strict measures Croatia quickly established in an attempt to stop the spread of the pandemic, NP Krka is now ready to accept individual visitors (and not groups, for now), who will have the opportunity to discover the charms of Croatian natural and cultural heritage preserved by the park, and do so with the purchase of cheaper tickets until the 18th of June, 2020.

Individual visitors are now free to move around the park on foot and by bicycle and enjoy all the natural values ​​and cultural and historical riches the park boasts, and catering and hospitality facilities will be opened in accordance with all of the recommendations set out by the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

''Our diligent employees and professional services at the Krka National Park Public Insittution are working carefully all the time, engaging in research and monitoring the situation, and we're proud to announce that we have discovered two new species of worms here that are still unknown to science. This is very important to us because we discovered them at Roski slap, and they speak volumes about the purity and quality of the water there. The livelier the world in the waters is, the healthier the water is,'' stated the director of NP Krka, Nella Slavica, in conversation with HRT.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.

As Morski writes on the 9th of May, 2020, as part of the gradual easing of restrictions related to COVID-19, by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, eight Croatian national parks and eleven Croatian nature parks will start operating on May the 11th, 2020.

Kopački rit Nature Park

Kopački rit Nature Park will reopen its doors to visitors on the 11th of May. Visits to the park will take place in compliance with all of the prescribed measures for social distancing and hygiene standards, and fishermen will be able to go out onto the water again after having purchased daily and annual permits at the park's reception centre in Kopačevo. Visitors are to be warned that access to construction sites at the Sakadaš Lake pier and in the Tikveš castle complex is in no way allowed for their own safety. More information can be accessed here.

Papuk Nature Park

Papuk Nature Park opens its doors on May the 11th. Tickets at a symbolic price of 10 kuna can be purchased every day from 07:00 to 19:00, and work in the park will be carried out in accordance with the instructions of the competent services. The park will subsequently inform all visitors about the operation of the Duboka Adrenaline Park, the Duboka Camp and the Pannonian Sea House. Read more information here.

Brijuni National Park

Brijuni National Park will also be open to individual visitors as of Monday, May the 11th. The method of work in the park will be carried out in accordance with the instructions of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy and the National Civil Protection Headquarters. Organised trips to Veliki Brijun will start again with expert guides, at promotional ticket prices of 95 kuna for adults and 50 kuna for children aged between four and gourteen. Visitors will also be able to tour Veliki Brijun on their own, without an expert guide, using the new mobile application for visitors called the Brijuni Pocket Guide. Read more information by clicking here.

Northern Velebit National Park

Northern Velebit National Park and the Velebit House Visitor Centre are open to visitors from the 11th of May. The working hours of the Babić Siča entrance are Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 16:00, and the Velebit House Visitor Centre will be open from Tuesday to Sunday from 08:00 to 16:00. In accordance with the measures of maintaining social distance, for now, visits to the Park and the Velebit House is possible only for individual visitors, while group visits and workshops are currently not possible. In the Velebit House Visitor Centre, it is necessary to ensure a physical distance between visitors and also between visitors and employees. More information can be accessed by clicking here.

Velebit Nature Park

Velebit Nature Park also opens to visitors on May the 11th. As measures prohibiting groups of more than five people still remain in force, individual visitors are allowed to visit the park, and organised groups will be allowed in accordance with the instructions of the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Institute of Public Health. Zavratnica Bay will be open every day from 11:00 to 19:00, and when visiting the Park, it will be necessary to adhere to the measures of maintaining physical distance and all of the prescribed hygiene standards. Read more information here.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park opens its doors to its visitors on May 11, 2020. The working hours of the Park are from 08:00 to 19:00, while the purchase of tickets is possible until 17:00. There is only a short boat line (P1-P2) operating from 08:30 to 19:00, while the panoramic train won't be up and running. In accordance with the measures for maintaining physical distance, temporary programmes for touring the Park have been created, and the catering/hospitality facilities Kozjačka draga, Kupalište, Labudovac and Vučnica have been opened. Read more information on that here.

Vrana Lake (Vransko jezero) Nature Park

The Vrana Lake Nature Park is open to visitors from Monday, too. In accordance with the current instructions of the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Institute of Public Health, visits to the Park are allowed only to individual visitors. Visits of organised groups will be allowed in accordance with any new decisions and instructions of the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia and the CNIPH. Read more information on Vransko jezero's operations under the current measures here.

Telašćica Nature Park

As part of the gradual easing up of the restrictions related to stopping the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Telašćica Nature Park will be reopened to visitors as of Monday, the 11th of May 2020. As measures prohibiting groups of more than five people are still in force, visits to the Park are allowed to individual visitors and for organised groups will be allowed to enter in accordance with the instructions of the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Institute of Public Health. Visits to the park will take place in compliance with all of the measures governing the need to maintain physical distance and proper hygiene standards. Read more information here.

Krka National Park

The much loved Krka National Park will be reopen to visitors from the 11th of May onwards with promotional ticket prices of 50 kuna for adults and 25 kuna for children and young people aged from 7 to 18. Children up to 7 years old can enter for free. Read more information on Krka National Park's current operations here.

Biokovo Nature Park

From May the 11th onwards, the Biokovo Nature Park will reopen its doors to visitors. As measures prohibiting groups of more than five people are still in force - individual visitors are allowed to visit the Park and organised groups will be allowed to enter in accordance with the instructions of the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Institute of Public Health as things unfold. Visits to the park will take place in compliance with all of the measures for maintaining physical distance and the proper hygiene standards. Read more information here.

Mljet National Park

NP Mljet in southern Dalmatia will also open its doors to visitors on May the 11th, 2020. With promotional ticket prices until June the 18th, 2020, visitors will have the opportunity to visit Croatia's oldest protected marine area. In order to make the Park more accessible primarily to Croatian visitors, ticket prices during the aforementioned promotional period is 50 kuna for adults and 30 kuna for students. Admission for children under 7 is still free. The ticket also includes a ride on an electric boat and a visit to the island of Sv. Marija. Read more here.

Kornati National Park

''At the time of the implementation of the measures to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, it was actually impossible to completely close our Park, because the Kornati islands are private property and there are a lot of people who came to isolate themselves on their own property. We couldn't control or ban that. The Kornati islands are part of the waterway, so it wasn't possible to close the park from that side either, but while quarantine was declared on Murter, there were restrictions on navigation. Of course, the National Park was closed off to tourists and now we're preparing to open again. As such, preparations are underway to open two official entrances from the 11th of May onwards. The park has been being cleaned of any rubbish and plastic that arrived during the winter months and everything is now ready for the sales of boat tickets etc, but official instructions from the National Civil Protection Headquarters on how everything should look are still awaited,'' explained Šime Ježina, the director of Kornati National Park.

Lastovo Islands Nature Park

As part of the gradual easing of the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Lastovo Islands Nature Park will be reopened to visitors from Monday, the 11th of May. Visits to the park will take place in compliance with all measures regarding maintaining physical distance and hygiene standards. Read more information here.

For more on Croatian national parks and nature parks, follow our travel page.

The documentary series called "When I Remember Krka" (Kad se sjetim Krke), directed by Tomislav Krnic, bring about an inspiring look at the cultural treasure that is preserved by the ethno village located at Skradinski buk at the beloved NP Krka.

As Morski writes on the 6th of April, 2020, as modern life continues to accelerate and change rapidly, many an old art, skill and craft is sadly left in the past. Wanting to raise awareness of the extremely rich cultural heritage associated with NP Krka and the Krka river, as well as the way of life of the people who have always lived along the river, the NP Krka Public Institution has produced one long and three shorter documentary films which revive some long-forgotten times through the emotions and memories of local artisans.

Although the main characters are reminiscent of the protagonists of some popular fairy tales, they are real people who have devoted their lives to valuable crafts and have remained attached to NP Krka and the Krka river for many decades of their lives. One of Skradin's oldest residents, 87-year-old miller Mate Zura, testifies in the first film about his craft, which he used to engage in with his father at a mill at Skradinski buk. Thanks to his many years of experience and his wealth of highly specific knowledge, he participated in the restoration of today's watermills at NP Krka.

''I started weaving at the age of fourteen,'' recalls another protagonist, 85-year-old Milka Lukic, in the documentary. Her age didn't prevent her from starting work in a loom on Skradinski buk back in 2002 and transferring her knowledge to two other women, one of whom still lives there today.

The third story is that of Dragan Supa, who comes from a family of blacksmiths from Konjevrat, whose members have been engaged in this ancient craft for the last 160 years.

''We're extremely proud of the intangible cultural heritage of our region that we want to highlight with these films. Numerous visitors to the NP Krka and the ethno villages are given an insight into the former way of life of the inhabitants of the area, as well as the complexity of the crafts which are slowly dying out today. The renovated watermills along the Krka river are monuments of rural construction and economic history, as well as ethnological and ethnographic monuments, precisely because of the way they were used in the past. With these films, we want to appeal to a wider circle of people and to pay homage to the things that have nurtured Dalmatia,'' said the director of the NP Krka Public Institution, Nella Slavica, adding:

''In addition, in these films, we're trying to preserve the crafts that are disappearing into oblivion due to the modern way of life, primarily for the sake of all future generations. So, I'd like to thank the protagonists for showing us some of their skills and the inspiration behind them in an inspiring and motivating way.''

This educational-documentary series, directed by the Sibenik director and screenwriter Tomislav Krnic and produced by Digital Media Studio 24/7, is available here.

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A seagull tried to make an octopus his dinner, but the octopus wasn't in the mood. This unusual footage from NP Kornati showcases the struggle between bird and would-be prey.

Along Croatia's coast or on its many islands, you're likely to witness battles and very loud ''arguments'' by street cats wanting to get hold of the last fish, or maybe even witness seagulls falling out with each other, what you don't often see however is a showdown between a seagull and his ''almost dinner'', an octopus who simply had no plans to be a meal that day.

As Morski writes on the 18th of April, 2019, after some rather surprising footage from far away in Australia, where a seagull's attempt to make a grumpy octopus a meal turned very sour for the opportunistic sea bird indeed, another almost identical scene has been caught on camera, but this time much closer to home, right here in Croatia, from the beautiful NP Kornati in the Zadar region.

The video was initially taken back in October 2018, and author of the video and witness to this rather bizarre fight, Jure Jerat, says the rather unlucky seagull managed to come out of the fight a little bit better off than the Australian seagull did when he attempted the same ''assault'' on an octopus that just wasn't having it.

While we by no means endorse any type of blood sport here at TCN, this does make for interesting viewing, it certainly isn't something you see on a daily basis and it's difficult to say who we'd put our money on! Have a look for yourself and see who comes out on top in this extremely unusual argument between two very different species at Croatia's beautiful NP Kornati.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.

NP Krka is another one of those ''must visit'' places when in Croatia, and yes, there are many such destinations to be found here. The whole ''must see'' thing has become a little saturated over recent years, especially with the rise of self-proclaimed travel bloggers and social media influencers, however, there is much more to this stunning national park than just the ability to take artistic Instagram pictures.

NP Krka is involving itself in the education of school children in the Dalmatian county in which the park is situated through a praiseworthy project aimed at increasing kids' overall awareness of both protected areas and nature and the environment.

As Morski writes on the 3rd of April, 2019, the highly visited NP Krka actually launched the project "Let's fill up the school libraries" (Popunimo školske knjižnice), for primary and secondary schools of the Šibenik-Knin County back in 2007.

The aim of the project is to make the books published within the framework of this educational scope available to school-age children and other young people, so that they can contribute to their own respective awareness of the country's numerous protected areas and the need to take care of their surroundings, including the importance of the proper preservation of the environment.

Since back in 2007, VHS tapes and later on, DVDs covering a wide array of topics related to NP Krka and its environment and native wildlife and birds have been shared around numerous local schools within the aforementioned county in Dalmatia. In February this year, a total of 49 books were distributed to thirty-six primary and thirteen high schools in the county.

NP Krka's administration and staff believe that this year's gift to local schools will be used by students and their mentors and teachers not only as an additional teaching aid for the classroom but that it will also encourage children to go out and get to know and further explore the rich natural beauty and the cultural heritage of the beautiful NP Krka.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.