February 8, 2021 – According to TripAdvisor's Traveller's Choice list, Plitvice Lakes National Park took a high place and was declared the third best national park in Europe for 2021.

TripAdvisor compiled a Traveller's Choice list of the top 10 best national parks in Europe for the first time. Croatian most famous national park Plitvice Lakes took third place on the list and thus got another recognition by visitors.

As written on the TripAdvisor webpage, the Plitvice Lakes National Park is impressive in both winter and summer.

"The bubbling, turquoise crystalline pools of Plitvice Lakes National Park comprise one of Croatia's most popular tourist destinations. Just a two-hour drive from Zagreb, the national park offers 50 acres of forest and lake. In winter, it's a wonderland of frozen waterfalls. In summer, the park is lush with greenery. Wooden walkways and hiking trails traverse the porous karst limestone. This World Heritage Site is a veritable wildlife haven, home to everything from birds to boars and even bears," writes TripAdvisor.

Yorkshire Dales National Park in the United Kingdom took first place, and Vatnajokull National Park in Iceland overtook Plitvice Lakes National Park in second place. Check out the full list:

1. Yorkshire Dales National Park, United Kingdom

2. Vatnajokull National Park, Iceland

3. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

4. Peak District National Park, United Kingdom

5. New Forest National Park Hampshire, United Kingdom

6. Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Spain

7. Sierra Nevada National Park, Spain

8. Uludag National Park, Turkey

9. Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park, Spain

10. Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, Italy

And what do Plitvice Lakes National Park look like right now? Check out at the live video stream.

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July 22, 2020 – VIDEO: See The Wild Birds Of Krka National Park And A UNESCO World Heritage Site In Šibenik

Known for its series of cascading waterfalls, its picturesque pools and its acres of lush vegetation, Krka, just outside Šibenik, is one of Croatia's most-loved National Parks. But, scoring the skyline overhead and resting in its trees you can spot one of its other best attractions; the wild birds of Krka National Park.

The National Park has released a new video showcasing just some of the 229 species of birds that call Krka home. Now, you don't have to strain your eyes to see some of its wondrous winged inhabitants. Also visible in the film is the park's Visovac island and its postcard-pretty monastery.

The wild birds of Krka National Park

The short but stunning video catches kingfishers, ducks, buzzards, kestrels, cormorants, swallows and others, in flight or at play on the water's surface. But, should you choose to visit Krka National Park, there's the chance of seeing even rarer birds that sometimes live there, such as ospreys, eagles, falcon and griffon vulture.

Situated just a few kilometres from well-known seaside destination Šibenik, in summertime Krka becomes one of the most popularly visited National Parks in the country. Visitors who can't spend their entire vacation on the beach love to make the short journey inland for a day of stunning natural beauty, shaded on the pathways as they walk by trees like umbrellas.

The Fortress of St. Nicholas, just off Šibenik, the best-preserved Venetian defensive structure in Croatia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site © Sebastian Gößl

And, there's never been a better time to take in the park. Visitor numbers to the region are understandably down on 2019 and so Krka National Park this year offers a more peaceful and unhurried experience than in many previous seasons. If that wasn't incentive enough, tickets for the park in summer 2020 hold a 10% discount to entry of the Fortress of St. Nicholas in Šibenik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best-preserved Venetian defensive structure in Croatia, the fortress has undergone considerable reconstruction work over recent years and only opened itself up to the public again in 2019.

It goes without saying that most won't be happy about the increase for Plitvice Lakes ticket prices, but the park's administration have offered an explanation...

The gorgeous Plitvice Lakes National Park is and always has been one of the main draws of continental Croatia for foreign visitors who are otherwise traditionally inclined only to the glorious Adriatic sea. This truly stunning national park, has, however, always found itself the subject of a certain level of controversy when it comes to ticket prices.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 5th of March, 2020, Plitvice Lakes ticket prices for an adult at the peak of the 2018 summer season was 180 kuna. Last year, the price of that same ticket jumped to 250, and this summer, Plitvice Lake ticket prices are to increase significantly - to 300 kuna. Tickets for children aged between 7 to 18 cost 120 kuna during the busiest months, according to Dnevnik.hr

A family of four who wishes to go on a trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park this summer will need to pay 840 kuna to enter.

These prices have been allocated for the period between the 1st of June to the 30th of September, 2020. However, these Plitvice Lakes ticket prices do drop slightly if you're visiting in the afternoon. For adults, it drops down to 200 kuna and for children to 70 kuna.

The park has explained that their goal is to increase the number of visitors throughout the year, adding that their prices are lower in the post-season and pre-season. For example, from the beginning of the year to the end of March, the price of an adult ticket is 80 kuna, and jumps up to 180 kuna in April and May.

"We'd also like to remind people that children under the age of seven and persons with special needs with disabilities (of more than 50 percent) are entitled to free entry throughout the year," explained Plitvice Lakes spokesman Ognjen Borcic.

He noted that 2018 was a record year for visitors, as the park counted a massive 1.8 million of them. With the increase in Plitvice Lakes ticket prices, that number dropped slightly last year, but, according to the spokesman, visitors were more ''spread out'' over the course of the year.

"That's why several years ago we introduced online maps to limit the number of visitors per day," Borcic added.

When asked if 300 kuna is too much for the average Croatian tourist, he replied: ''Personally, this would be a problem for me as well, but I recommend that they come in spring and winter when it's at its most beautiful. In the summer, nature is already at its most vulnerable due to high temperatures and low water levels,'' Borcic said, adding that these new prices will remain as they are now for some time.

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As Morski writes on the 11th of November, 2019, the beautiful Mljet National Park, Croatia's first protected marine area celebrates its 59th birthday today.

NP Mljet, located not too far from Dubrovnik in southern Dalmatia, was founded on November the 11th, 1960, and its special status of protection can be greatly contributed to the distinguished Croatian scientist and academic Branimir Gušić.

Mljet National Park covers almost 5,300 hectares, including a sea belt 500 metres from the coast, as well as numerous islets and rocks. This much loved national park contains an array of interesting areas and boasts a unique and truly stunning land (and sea) scape. With its submerged bays, the Small (Malo jezero) and Great (Veliko jezero) lakes, are undoubtedly among the most prominent and heavily frequented locations in this area and an important geomorphological and oceanographic phenomenon.

The entire surface of the national park is extremely rich in life, and the importance of its protection has been evidenced repeatedly with the presence of numerous endemic and endangered species. The island also offers an abundance of numerous archeological sites and ancestral heritage, the remnants of the old Roman palace in Polače, and a benedictine monastery situated in one of the most gorgeous locations in Croatia and the immediate region - the islet of St. Mary (Sv. Marija) in the Great lake.

The celebration of the park's 59th birthday initially began back in October with the Mljet Outdoor Festival and Open Doors Day, as well as with the presentation of autochthonous vine varieties that grow on Mljet and the opening of an exhibition on caves on Mljet.

To continue marking the birthday of this Dalmatian national park, an exhibition of underwater photographs of the island of Mljet and a lecture titled "Secrets of the Underwater of the Island of Mljet" are planned at the S. S. Kranjčević Library in Zagreb on Monday the 25th of November, 2019, at 18:30.

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.

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Croatia boasts many a stunning national park, and the stunning NP Krka is just one on a list of must-see's when in Croatia, either on the continent or on the coast. How about experiencing what NP Krka has to offer on two wheels with the national park's brand new tourist offer for cycling lovers - Krka Bike?

As Morski writes on the 26th of February, 2019, Krka National Park has expanded its tourist offer to include bicycle routes that connect some of the most beautiful parts of NP Krka, revealing its sheer natural beauty to its numerous international visitors, not to mention offering them a few brand new cycling challenges as well.

Krka Bike comprises a total of fourteen routes, including five fit for mountain bikes (MTBs), three for road bikes (Road) and six trekking routes (Track) for a more enjoyable, less challenging bike ride. Along these picturesque bike routes, vertical signaling with the appropriate markings which state the track type will be set up. For example, the R-1 mark, the M-1 mountain sign, and the T-1 trekking mark.

Krka Bike's more challenging mountain routes are designed for bicyclists in good physical condition and who possess more advanced bicycle management skills, these paths take riders along properly looked after and yet still relatively undisturbed forest paths with ups and downs which provide a higher incline.

The road routes are characterised by high quality asphalted roads and are intended for more active athletes looking for physically demanding sporting challenges. For active family outings in nature as well as for recreational cycling, there are six trekking routes, on which riders cycle along properly asphalted roads to take in NP Krka's postcard-like scenery. All the routes, regardless of their classification, are circular in shape and are designed in order to facilitate the cycling, nestled in amongst some utterly jaw-dropping scenery.

In the cooler spring months, NP Krka is a far more welcoming place than it is during the warm summer months. With less people around and less sweat to wipe off one's forehead, exploring the less developed, but no less fascinating parts of this fairytale-like Croatian national park, is a must-do.

Make sure to stay up to date following our dedicated lifetyle page.

Ever been to NP Mljet? Lying not far from Croatia's southernmost city of Dubrovnik, Mljet national park, otherwise Croatia's most heavily forested island and unarguably among the most unusual, is a must visit place for those wanting a sense of peace. Photographers and nature lovers alike are also attracted in their droves to beautiful Mljet.

As Morski writes on the 11th of November, 2018, NP Mljet, the Republic of Croatia's and the Mediterranean's first properly protected marine area, is celebrating ts 58th birthday today! Established on this day back in 1960, NP Mljet has naturally become the target of numerous visitors from across the world who want to experience some of the Adriatic's pure and rich nature. This year also stands out as a record year for the number of visitors to NP Mljet.

In addition to a huge number of visitors, this year is also significant thanks to the arrival of the first of three electric catamarans for the transportation of visitors to NP Mljet's Great lake, and the signing of the Grant Agreement for a project for Mljet worth a massive 36,618,480,26 kuna. These resources will improve and enhance the popular national park's visitor infrastructure, and enrich the quality and quantity of touristic, educational and recreational content on the island.

The birthday celebrations of NP Mljet began back on October the 22nd with the opening of an exhibition of photographs in the Gallery of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb. In addition to the exhibition, from October the 24th to the 31st, the Days of Open Doors and a special program for the visiting of NP Mljet for the passengers of the Krilo Star catamaran's final journey for 2018 were held. The celebrations will continue through November when an exhibition on the cultural heritage of NP Mljet opens far from Zagreb, on the island of Mljet itself, all on the occasion of the International Year of Cultural Heritage.

Happy birthday, Mljet National Park!

Want to keep up with more news on Croatia's many national parks and islands? Make sure to follow our lifestyle and travel pages for more.

Keeping on top of things and putting the environment first isn't always easy in the time in which we currently live, but a beach cleanup is a more than excellent way to start. In Croatia, such seabed and beach cleanup actions take place quite regularly up and down the coast, with the most emphasis being placed on the pre and post season.

During this somewhat turbulent time of year, it's typical for unstable weather conditions and strong winds and currents to wreak havoc to some degree or another, often bringing in unwanted rubbish from other parts of the coast, sometimes even dragging up piles of waste on currents from Albania to Dubrovnik.

Plastic pollution is an increasingly dangerous threat to the world's seas and oceans, and while various laws continue to be passed to either ban or at least limit the use of ''throw away'' plastic products, the issue remains a pressing one. A well organised beach cleanup is an excellent way to combat the problem.

As Morski writes on the 1st of November, 2018, beautiful Mljet has experienced a proverbial reincarnation this year, as 32 volunteers participated in a program to clean up as many as fifteen bays and coves on Mljet, which is otherwise one of the country's most breathtaking national parks, located not too far from Dubrovnik.

This year's volunteer program, developed by JUNP Mljet and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy through the EU Integration Project Natura 2000, was successfully completed, with 71 volunteers participating in all of the four volunteer programs.

For the first time, NP Mljet welcomed international volunteers from Lithuania, Australia, America, and neighbouring Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to help clean up the national park's many bays and coves. Over 400 plastic bags, sewage, glass and various other types of waste was successfully removed from Mljet's shoreline.

Want to keep up with more news about how the environment is taken care of in Croatia and how you might be able to help? Make sure to follow Total Eco Croatia.

One of Croatia's most beautiful national parks will be showcased in exhibitions in Medjimurje and Skradin.

April 19, 2018 - The population of the Kornati archipelago continues to disagree with the way things are managed in the National Park