Wandering Cheapo: Debunking the Plitvice Rumors
The rumors regarding Plitvice Lakes National Park match the velocity of its waterfalls. Guidebooks and even on-site hotel staff are full of misinformation. Even the park Web site is secretive, encouraging potential guests to refrain from contacting hotels directly. During a recent expedition within the park grounds, we were able to make some eye-opening discoveries. Živjeli!
Rumor 1: Nacionalni Park Plitvi?ka Jezera is Difficult to Reach. False. A main highway runs right through the park with bus stops near both entrances.
Rumor 2: The Hotels in the Park are Hidden Away. False. One guidebook implies the nearest bus stop is 6 km away from the main entrance as well as the three park hotels. The Hotel Bellevue is 300 meters away from a bus stop near the Second Entrance and the other two hotels, Hotel Plitvice and Hotel Jezero, are a five-minute walk from the Bellevue.
Rumor 3: Hotel Bellevue is Dreary. False. Brand new 1970s retro furnishings are not the point; the lush window views are. The outside of the hotel is freshly painted, to boot.
Rumor 4: Maps are Readily Available. False. When we visited, maps could only be purchased for a few kuna inside the Hotel Jezero gift shop. We overheard one Bellevue staff member advising a guest that maps are unimportant. Signs point in confusing directions. Signage graphics are misleading at their best and illegible at their worst.
Rumor 5: Start a Waterfall Tour at Station 1. Not really false, but a bad idea. A start at Station 4 allows for easy downhill walking. Also, the approach to the Big Waterfall at Station 1 is more dramatic.
Rumor 6: The Park is Not Handicapped Accessible. True. Venice, Italy is easier to traverse.
Rumor 7: The Waterfalls are Spectacular. True. All the confusion is well worth the trip.
Note that Plitvice hotels don’t have Web sites. You can contact the general Plitvice sales department at [email protected].
Wandering Cheapo Kari Hoerchler is a blogger, budget traveller and science fiction novelist stationed on Planet Earth. She has recently been spotted on small stages of New York coffeehouses telling tall tales of a tropical island—and future vacation hot spot—in the Bermuda Triangle. Book ahead.
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Thanks for revealing the truth about Plitvice! When I stayed in the park I remember going out on the hotel balcony that night and wondering in the darkness, “It’s certainly beautiful, but why did they build a highway so close to the park?” It wasn’t until morning that I realized the sound wasn’t from a highway but from the noisy waterfalls!