Holidays of Discovery
Croatian National Parks
Our Selection
The resorts we have selected for Holidays of Discovery will appeal to those who wish to steer away from more established and popular holiday destinations in Croatia.
They will appeal to those travellers who wish to see and experience the natural beauty of a number of well preserved sites, some of which have remained intact due to a combination poor infrastructure, historical circumstances and the Croatian authorities determination to resist commercial pressures.
Plitvice Lakes
The Plitvice Lakes are situated in the karst region of Croatia 190 km from Zagreb and 40 km from the nearest Adriatic city of Senj.
The lakes were shaped by limestone sediments and minerals spread by water flow and absorbed by plants and trees. Over time these turned to stone, a unique phenomena of this karst region.
The area of Plitvice, declared a National Park in 1949, comprises densely forested mountains and a string of sixteen crystal clear emerald lakes and waterfalls. Alongside the lakes there are over 50 miles of walkways allowing nature lovers a rarely seen abundance and diversity of plants and animals. In 1996 the Plitvice Lakes were entered in the UNESCO Register of World Natural Heritage Sites. The nearest airport is Rijeka, 95 km and Zagreb, 190 km.
Acommodation
Hotel Jezero ***
Situated near the largest of Plitvice Lakes amid beautiful scenery, this first class hotel offers modern comfort and good facilities including: Restaurant, lounge with bar, sauna and indoor swimming pool. Rooms: 250 all with private shower/wc. Floors: 3. Nearby, a restaurant serving lake trout and other local specialities, bowling alley and table tennis.
Hotel Plitvice **
Overlooking the lakes, the hotel is set in an attractive position surrounded by many trees. A number of steps lead down to the lakes (Not suitable for the disabled).Facilities: Two restaurants and aperitif bar/lounge. Rooms:72. Floors: 3. No lift. All rooms have private shower/wc, telephone, mini-bar and TV.
Paklenica National Park
The park covers an area of just 4,000 hectares in Central Dalmatia of untouched wilderness with an astounding diversity of flora and fauna. The park contains some of the country's most stunning scenery, with vast woodland areas, rivers, waterfalls and the two deep canyons of Velika and Mala Paklenica, rising 400 m. in some places.
Paklenica is a natural phenomena of the Dalmatian karst region, full of stupendous caves and caverns festooned with amazing shapes of stalactites and stalagmites. Activities: Mountaineering and trekking tours, hiking and walking, potholing, mountain-biking and rafting. The nearest airports: Zadar 30 km. Split 170 km.
Accommodation
Hotel Vicko ***
A small town, lying below the steep slopes of Mount Velebit, 2 km away from the entrance to the Park. There are several beaches in the vicinity, also sports grounds and restaurants.
Hotel Vicko is a small hotel with character owned by the Katic family whose local records go back to the fifteenth century. The family has received a number of awards in recognition of their contribution to promoting the tourism of the region and the culinary achievement of their restaurant '4 Ferala'. The hotel is situated at the base of the National Park Paklenica, a short distance from the sea.
Facilities: A la carte restaurant (including vegetarian dishes), lounge bar, several terraces, souvenir shop, children's playground, table tennis, sail boards (available for hire), protected parking space. Guided tours of the Paklenica Park available. Rooms: 58, all with private facilities, satellite TV and telephone. Most rooms have a sea view.
Krka National Park
The Krka River with its two deep canyons penetrating the Dinaric Alps creates a myriad of cascades and waterfalls, of which the most famous is Skradinski Buk, the tallest limestone barrier in Europe, 46 m in height.
Here is also the centre of the Krka National Park, one of the most prized ecosystems in Europe. The falls are lovely, and one could spend days sunbathing, amongst the rocks under the tumbling water and paddling in the more docile patches. Upstream is the islet of Visovac, on which a Franciscan monastery nestles among the thick growth of cypresses.
The monastery has a collection of seventeenth -century paintings and in its library a beautifully illustrated fifteenth-century Aesop's Fables, one among three left in the world. Not far from Skradin (18 km) is the old Dalmatian town of Sibenik - worth visiting for its fine Gothic-Renaissance cathedral of Sv Jakov, which took more than a century to complete.
This cathedral has many unique features and was designed and built by Juraj Dalmatinac, a local mason and Nicholas Firentinac, a mason from Florence. There is a famous exterior frieze of seventy-one stone heads carved by Juraj Dalmatinac, said to be portraits of those local citizens who refused to contribute to the cost of building of the cathedral. The nearest airport Zadar and Split.
Accommodation
Hotel Skradinski Buk ***
This fully modernised hotel is situated near the Krka waterfalls in beautiful surroundings . Facilities: Restaurant, two terraces, (restaurant with breathtaking view of the canyon and the Krka river), reception with exchange office, bar, private parking space. Rooms :21 double, 3 single and 4 suites all with air conditioning, balcony, mini -bar, satellite TV, telephone, internet connection. From £ 25 per person per night including breakfast.
NATIONAL PARKS – SUGGESTED ITINERARY FOR 10 DAYS FLY/DRIVE
Day 1 On arrival to Zagreb airport ) pick up your pre-booked hire car and drive to Plitvice
Day 1, 2 and 3 Plitvice Lakes, Accommodation Hotel Plitvice or Hotel Bellevue
Day 4 from Plitvice drive to Starigrad/Paklenica National Park . Distance 120 km
Day 4 and 5 Starigrad,Paklenica. Hotel Vicko
Day 6 from Starigrad/Paklenica drive to Krka National Park . Distance 100 km
Day 6 and 7 Krka. Accommodation Hotel Skradinski Buk
Day 8 from Krka drive to Trogir or Split. Distance 70km. On arrival drop off hire car.
Day 8 and 9 Trogir/or Split. Accommodation Hotel Fontana Trogir or Hotel Bellevue Split
Day 10 Transfer to Split airport
Roads
The road system is comprehensive and of a good standard. The Adriatic coastal route (the Magistrala) is single carriageway affording wonderful and dramatic views of the Dalmatian coast to be enjoyed at leisurely speed.
Prices for suggested itinerary for departures in March, April, May, June and October
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FLIGHTS
With increased competition in air travel, airlines more and more, rely on ‘fluid’ pricing to fill in their seats. So much so, that in many instances it is impossible to predict the cost of flights from one month to another. This situation affects equally scheduled and charter flights. For this reason we have decided not to include flights in our holidays, enabling our customers to take full advantage of any bargain air fares they may purchase and add to our ground arrangements. However, if you wishsuitable flights to be included inour quotation/itinerary , please let us know.
For more information on flights click here
Quotation and additional information on request
Please contact us for additional information
Telephone: 020 7226 4460
Fax No: 020 7226 7906
Email: croatiafortravel@btclick.com
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