Covering a total area of 109 square kilometres, the Krka National Park is one of the largest and most geographically varied protected areas in the country. It is certainly one of the most spectacular, combining lakes, waterfalls and canyons with a man-made heritage of Roman ruins, monasteries and traditional watermills.

Layout

The park follows the course of the river Krka, embracing the stark barren terrain of the Krka gorge just west of Knin to the tumbling rapids and cataracts of Skradinski buk, just short of the point where the Krka empties into Lake Prokljan (and thence to the Adriatic Sea).

Skradin

The town of Skradin, itself an attractive huddle of houses girdled by a huge yachting marina, is the main entrance point to the park. From here excursion boats (included in the park entrance ticket) take visitors to Skradinski buk, where a network of pathways and boardwalk trails bring you up close to a series of waterfalls and gurgling rapids. Displays of local crafts are given in several stone watermills, while the region’s technological heritage is evidenced by a still-working hydroelectric power plant, opened in 1895 as one of the first such structures in the world.

Boat trips