History of Krka

When the glacier masses in Central Europe dissolved after the end of the last ice age, the sea level rose and the melted water had to find its way through the land, the beginnings of today's river bed of the Krka also took shape. Favoured by erosion and the high groundwater level, the river dug ever deeper into the porous stone walls and gave rise to today's canyons, valleys and lakes. People too soon settled in this particularly imposing and unique landscape, and so the area of today's national park has been continuously inhabited from antiquity onwards. On the banks cattle were herded and on the sunny slopes wine was grown; the formerly dense pine forest was largely felled in favour of house and ship building, but the Krka kept its natural magic. And so the greater part of the river's course was recognised as particularly worthy of protection as early as 1955. Since several hydroelectric power stations had stood on the site from the beginning of the 20th century, which strictly speaking are hard to reconcile with the concept of a national park, the actual founding of the Krka National Park was delayed until the year 1985. Unfortunately, in the years that followed, fierce fighting took place in this correspondingly sparsely populated region, and even today not all landmines have been cleared from the undergrowth. Since 1997, 110 square kilometres from the Butisnica to the Skradin bridge have belonged to the park, about 100 of them taken up by the slopes and meadows, wooded areas and rocks. Here one walks and observes, enjoys the fresh air with the faint aroma of spice plants and herbs, the warm sunshine and, again and again, the view of the river - now rushing, now rippling - with its countless waterfalls.