Croatia Cycling: Day 4

Day 4: Plitvice Lakes
Distance: 36.7km
Elev Gain: 684m

All the blings!

Itinerary Description

We cycle in and around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Plitvice Lakes, a sequence of 16 turquoise lakes linked together with cascading falls and travertine pools. The lakes are surrounded by beech and pine forests and are home to extensive wildlife.

The stream Plitvice ultimately forms the highest waterfall, the 230' Veliki Slap. The area has numerous viewpoints connected by walking paths, providing lovely views of the surrounding landscape and the turquoise blue of the lakes, including the biggest lake, Kozjak, and the highest peak, Medvjedjak, in the distance.

The most beautiful part of our ride begins with a descent to Proscansko Lake and following the River Matica to the small village of Plitvicki Ljeskovac. We continue further along a remote road to the Black River source. After a rest and picnic lunch, we cycle through a forest to Jezerce Village before returning back to Korana Village.

What I Will Really Remember

(1) One look at the Plitvice Lakes, it’s immediately obvious why masses flock to see this crystal clear lake. A day ago, I thought the Velebit National Park was a great place to ride. Today, the cycle route around the Plitvice Lakes was even better. A service road all to ourselves with trees providing cool shades. After the day trippers have gone home, we also explored the lakes on foot. The photo opportunities were endless. Our guides had also planned a ferry ride for us to travel across the lake on ferry, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we sadly missed out on the once-in-a-lifetime magic!

 

(2) "Do you know where Vidikovac is?"
As P had gotten lost earlier in the day, he decided to wait for the group, so M and I decided to forge ahead and follow the route direction. We came upon a T-intersection that has us follow the sign Vidikovac. Both of us assumed that it was the name of the town. We asked the tourist office guide/park ranger,

"Do you know where Vidikovac is?"
"Yes, both ways are Vidikovac. It means viewpoints."

LOL

Another fun Croatian word to learn: SLAP = Waterfall!

(3) Villa Izvor (Object 99)
The unspoken rule is that after lunch, we always have to cycle uphill. A 3-mile climb to Tito's Object 99 house was the last thing I wanted to do with a full tummy, but the climb wasn't as bad as it seemed and the secret hideaway was worth it! A massive mansion with slides next to the stairs, 99 bedrooms, and escape tunnels. I would've totally moved in and redecorated the place, but sadly there was no pool, so I had to pass. ;-)

 

Here's a full description of Object 99: Villa Izvor (‘Spring’) is hidden in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. The construction was started by Josip Broz Tito after The World War II. It was built from 1948 to 1953 by thousands of World War II convicts. The surface area of the villa is over 10 thousand square meters. Millions of tons of greyish stone 'škriljevca', specially delivered by train from the Mevednica mountain, were used in the construction. Prisoners from Lepoglava made the unique furniture out of solid wood. The villa was secretly opened, away from the public eye. In addition to the special kind of precious cut stone, Villa was lined with solid wood, painted in seven layers and had the lead finish. The interior was impressive, including marble stairs and the carpet , the antique furniture in some rooms, bowling alley, pool room, home theater, conference rooms and relaxation rooms. The outside of the residence was guarded by the dogs, and thick iron hinges were located at the front doors. Villa was also built as a shelter. It was situated in a dense forest, hidden from airplanes and easily defensible. Also, convicts dug 80 meters long underground tunnel, which was an emergency exit from the residence. The right wing of the villa featured about 20 apartments for distinguished guests. Residence floor included dozen offices with connecting doors. It had a closed central heating system with two heating boilers. The electricity was supplies by the hydropower from the river canyon located underneath the villa. Josip Broz Tito stayed in it only five times. Speculation was that it was made for his wife Jovanka, whose birthplace Jošani is only a few dozen kilometers from the villa.