Fodor's Expert Review Krka National Park
A series of seven waterfalls are the main attraction here, the most spectacular being Skradinski Buk, where 17 cascades of water fall 40 meters into an emerald-green pool. Moving upriver, a trail of wooden walkways and bridges crisscrosses its way through the woods and along the river to the Roški Slap waterfall, passing by the tiny island of Visovac, which is home to a Franciscan monastery that can be visited by boat. On the islet, there is also an old mill with a museum that demonstrates the different ways the mill was used centuries ago. From here, one can better understand how the power of these waters inspired Nikola Tesla, whose boyhood home is not far from the national park. In 1895 the first hydroelectric plant became operational here, only two days after Tesla’s hydroelectric plant on Niagara Falls. This made the residents of Skradin the first Eastern European citizens to have electricity.
More than 860 species of plant life have been identified throughout the park... READ MORE
A series of seven waterfalls are the main attraction here, the most spectacular being Skradinski Buk, where 17 cascades of water fall 40 meters into an emerald-green pool. Moving upriver, a trail of wooden walkways and bridges crisscrosses its way through the woods and along the river to the Roški Slap waterfall, passing by the tiny island of Visovac, which is home to a Franciscan monastery that can be visited by boat. On the islet, there is also an old mill with a museum that demonstrates the different ways the mill was used centuries ago. From here, one can better understand how the power of these waters inspired Nikola Tesla, whose boyhood home is not far from the national park. In 1895 the first hydroelectric plant became operational here, only two days after Tesla’s hydroelectric plant on Niagara Falls. This made the residents of Skradin the first Eastern European citizens to have electricity.
More than 860 species of plant life have been identified throughout the park and more than 200 bird species live there, making it one of the most valuable ornithological areas in Europe. Something many visitors miss is a hawk training center where you can observe birds of prey being trained by ornithological experts. For bird enthusiasts there is also the Guduća Nature Reserve, where various species are closely studied and can be observed from boats. The Krka National Park office is located in Šibenik. For more active travelers, there is a 8½-km (5-mile) hiking trail, going Sitnice–Roški Slap–Ozidana Cave, that takes about 2½ hours and has educational panels along the way that explain plant and animal life, geological phenomena, and historic sites.
There are several entrances into the park, but the easiest and most impressive route of arrival is to drive from Šibenik to the town of Skradin, then take a 25-minute boat ride up the Krka River on a national-park ferry (price is included in the entrance fee). The ferry will bring you to the park entrance close to the Skradinski Buk waterfall, and from there you can get off and take a walk along the wooden bridges and explore the park further. There are a couple of snack bars, plus wooden tables and benches for picnics. However, for a full-blown meal, your best bet is to return to Skradin, a town that dates back to Roman times, which is itself well worth a look. READ LESS
