Krka National Park

Near Knin the river Krka rises and forces its way over 56 km through the Dinaric karst mountains, in which through erosion, deposition and other geomorphic effects it created a unique course: over seven larger and quite a few smaller waterfalls, numerous ledges, steps, basins, barriers and lakes the water flows as far as the settlement of Skradin and then on to the bay of Sibenik, where the Krka flows into the Adriatic. In doing so the river overcomes 358 metres of altitude and has milled its bed out to a depth of up to 200 m. Along the banks a dense forest provides shade, and in the villages located on the park grounds tasty refreshments are on offer. The lower area of the river's course has been a nature conservation area since 1985; the 111 square kilometre park with even stricter nature protection rules, institutionalised in 1955, is located to the east of it. But it is not only the nature that is of interest in this park: one should not let the ruins of historic strongholds and fortresses, or the old Franciscan monastery on the island in the middle of Lake Visovac, pass one by either. One has particularly much time to let all these sights work on one if one takes part in one of the tours by bus or on the excursion boats.

Only 15 kilometres from Sibenik lies this impressive nature park with its spectacular waterfalls. Between town and park entrance one enjoys, along the route, the view of the maquis landscape. If one keeps always to the north, one soon comes to a bridge which leads over the last spurs of the Krka river. Here one is already on the ground of the protected area. If one turns off to the east, one quickly reaches Skradin, a small settlement that serves many as a starting point for their excursions. Quite nearby there are two entrances to the park, so that one does not have to let the higher-lying waterfalls or the island in Lake Viscovac pass one by! Anyone arriving from the interior will find a third entrance in the east of the park, a few kilometres from Siritovci. Following the river's course one also gets from here to Skradin eventually - but will then have seen everything already...

Sightseeing buses depart regularly at entrance 1. Here you can leave your own car behind in the car park and turn your attention entirely to the view through the panorama panes of the partly frighteningly steeply falling side walls of the Krka and its waterfalls. Along the course of the river one usually visits the Skradinski buk - the largest waterfall of the park - the lake in which the Krka and the Cikola flow together and the 700 m long travertine island Kalicki busen. Entrance 2 is reached free of charge with the shuttle boats from the yacht harbour of the small town of Skradin. Between 08:00 and 18:00 they call at the Krka National Park on every full hour and offer a special perspective on the Skradin bridge designed in 1930, which functions as the south-western boundary of the park. Once in the park, three different boat routes are on offer, whose departure points are however in part better reached by car: from entrance 2 of the park one first reaches the monastery island and can visit the Roski slap waterfall from there, which in turn can be followed by a boat trip through the Krka canyon and a visit to the Krka monastery near entrance 3.

With your own car the driver cannot, admittedly, let the mighty nature work on them as much as would be possible on public transport, but you are in any case more flexible and can also readily fit in a little bathing stop below the main waterfalls, treat yourself to a refreshment in a new favourite restaurant or snap your fingers at all the recommendations and discover on your own which of the dozens of praised spots of the park really is the most beautiful.