Dear steemit friends! Finally I have some time to share my recent adventures!
Let's wander in the tracks of Winnetou to the

National Park Krka

The Krka National park is one of most well-known places in Croatia and definitely one of the beauties of Croatia. It was established in 1985 and contains a 45 kilometer long stretch of the river Krka and some side arms.

It is located in the southern part of Croatia, about an hour drive northwest from Split. The main entrance Lozovac is located here, even though there are several more entrances located upstream around the river, with many more things to see. As the Krka river created a Canyon in the middle of the rocky landscape of Croatia, one cannot divine the beauty of the park before actually walking down the Canyon.

(Relief Map By Geologicharka)

The Skradinski buk waterfalls, which can be reached either from the entrance Lozovac or Skadrin at the south of the national park are the most visited part of the KRKA NP. It may have up to 10.000 visitors a day, and it can get very busy especially in the holiday season.

The walk starts off slowly by walking across paths and bridges through the upper part of the area. The wodden structures allow walking across the water and you start believing you are in the jungle in the midst of the rather rocky Croatian landscape. During the summer the Krka does not carry as much water and some areas are not flooded. However, with more rain during fall and spring more parts of the area are flooded and it must be a completely different experience.

As the path continues, the waterfalls get bigger and bigger, but one doesn't see any very big waterfalls. But then...you get a glimpse of where the path leads you. The cascade and waterfalls are made out of travertine barriers. In the surrounding area, A variety of more than 800 plant and over 200 animal species can be found.

As one of the oldest alternating current power plants, the Jaruga Hydroelectric power plant on the side of the Krka river utilized the power of the water to create electricity. It dates back to 1895, when it ran for the first time, just two days after the Adams Power Plant on the Niagara Falls! Therefore it was the first commercial power plant in Europe and the second in the world! In 1903, it was moved to its current location. To date, it generates up to 5.6MW. However, even further back, the water of the Krka river was used by the traditional folk for washing as well as for all kinds of mills.

The Krka national park has even been a film location for the eurowestern Winnetou movies based on the stories by the german novelist Karl May. During the filming, additional water was led through the power plant to allow filming on top of the waterfalls. If interested, one can see a comparison of movie scenes and the actual location here. It's worth a visit!

But after a long walk through the national park, it is time to see the big waterfalls - and maybe even take a swim in the crystal clear water!

One can simply relax in the water. There are some very shallow parts where it's possible to sit on the travertine rocks. It is also great for kids to play.

Thank you very much for reading!

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-Steffen