Plitvice lake park, Croatia's first national park established in 1949, covers 296.85 km2 of natural splendor. It is the largest of the eight national parks in Croatia. Ranging in altitude from 367m to 1279m above sea level, the park was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979, in recognition of its "outstanding natural beauty and undisturbed production of travertine through chemical and biological action".

The park harbours a grand collection of waterfalls, gallery of lakes, forest and diversity of animal life. The sixteen lakes are formed by natural dams of travertine. About eight km of pathways and wooden walking trails around lakes are accessible to visitors. More than 900,000 tourists visit the park each year.