Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia Jan 19, 2024

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Why visit one lake when you can visit 16? Croatia"s Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of the largest and oldest in the country, provides that exact opportunity thanks to a unique geological feature. The slopes of the Mala Kapela, Medveđak and Plješevica mountains funnel water into the Plitvice plateau. This water carries precipitated limestone, which gradually accumulates and hardens over time, creating a series of rock barriers called tufa. These barriers form pools, with thin, lacy waterfalls leading from one "lake" to another. This majestic display of geology and hydrology draws over a million visitors to the paths and boardwalks that wind through the lakes—they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after all. Even in the winter, the lakes retain their beauty, with once-roaring waterfalls frozen in place.

© Massimo_S8/Getty Images

palette

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
May 26, 2025Hozugawa River in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Oct 24, 2024Bodie State Historic Park, California, United States
Aug 29, 2023American bison
Aug 27, 2024Young black caiman
Nov 19, 2024Tasmans Arch, Tasman National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Jun 22, 2025Amazon rainforest, Ecuador
Sep 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Nov 25, 2024Maasai giraffes
Nov 20, 2024Pont de pierre, Bordeaux, France
Oct 13, 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Jul 12, 2024Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA
May 18, 2025Pont St-Pierre across the Garonne River, Toulouse, France
Jan 22, 2025Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan
Dec 17, 2025Eurasian red squirrel
Sep 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Costa Rica
Apr 28, 2024El Capitan, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
Aug 19, 2024Bufadero de la Garita, Gran Canaria, Spain
Nov 24, 2023Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Aug 22, 2025Rolling hills of the Palouse, Washington, United States
Sep 2, 2025Camel thorn trees, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
Oct 14, 2025Village of Oia, Santorini, Greece
Jul 18, 2024Coral reef in the Indian Ocean, Mayotte, France
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Jul 14, 2024La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
Jul 23, 2024Methoni Castle, Messinia, Greece
May 11, 2025Leopard mother grooming her cub, Jao Reserve, Botswana