Day 7: Plitvice Lakes National Park
As I hinted, our time in Plitvice Lakes National Park was perhaps my favorite part of our trip! We visited in October, and it was delightful to see the beautiful fall foliage in the park. The lakes, waterfalls, and trails were gorgeous, and I was basically in heaven exploring them!
​
We began our day bright and early to beat the crowds, taking a local bus to the Upper Lakes, which we then hiked together as a group.
Our time in the Upper Lakes was magical; we got to the park early enough that we had the trails to ourselves! I couldn't believe how lucky we were to see such a splendid place virtually undisturbed. I am by no means a morning person (understatement of the year...), but it was worth waking up early to see the park like this.
And this, of course, is why it's great to take a Rick Steves tour--they make sure you get the most optimal experience at every place you visit!
At the end of our hike through the Upper Lakes, we passed by a series of waterfalls. They were gorgeous (and provided ample background material for selfies, of course!)
After our hike through the Upper Lakes, we caught a boat to the next section of the park.
​
In the Lower Lakes, we were free to explore and hike the trails on our own.
This section of the park was also quite gorgeous, but there were definitely more crowds later in the day! It made me all the more grateful for our quiet morning.
Click through the gallery for even MORE pictures from Plitvice. I clearly went a little crazy with the photos but, like I've said, I really loved this place! ​
Plitvice Upper Lakes
Plitvice Upper Lakes
Plitvice Lower Lakes
Plitvice Upper Lakes
Onward to Split!
From Plitvice, we headed toward Split, our home for the next two nights. En route, we stopped at a rest stop with lovely views of the harborside town of Skradin and the Krka Bridge.
In the evening, we arrived in Split. Sašo led us around town for a brief orientation walk, then took those of us who needed to have laundry done to drop off our clothing at a local laundromat--ah, glamorous travel life ;)
​
We were on our own for dinner, so mom and I headed to Pizzeria Sette Sorelle. The ambiance was great (we were seated on a cute little rooftop) and so was the pizza (mine was topped with black truffles). On our walk back, we grabbed some gelato for dessert--gelato is everywhere in Croatia, which is yet another reason to love this country!
Scroll below for extra photos from day 7
(You can click on any image to learn more!)
