Plitvice Lakes National Park has once again received international recognition as an example of good practice in sustainable tourism. The Park’s story has been selected for the prestigious Green Destinations Top 100 Stories 2026, a collection of 100 successful and inspiring examples of sustainable tourism practices from around the world.

Being included in this list is yet another recognition of the efforts made by Plitvice Lakes National Park to integrate sustainability principles into various aspects of its operations, while preserving its natural assets and ensuring the responsible management of this protected area.

This year’s story, entitled “Local Products in a Protected Area: Supporting the Preservation of Tradition, the Development of the Local Economy and an Authentic Visitor Experience”, highlights the importance of connecting the tourism offer with the local community, local producers and the traditions of the Lika region.

Local Products as Part of an Authentic Destination Experience

As Croatia’s oldest and largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Plitvice Lakes National Park attracts large numbers of visitors from Croatia and around the world every year. Alongside its responsibility to protect its exceptional natural heritage, an important part of the Park’s sustainable management approach is fostering strong ties with the local community and supporting the development of the wider region.

One way of strengthening these connections is by incorporating locally made products into the offer of the Park’s restaurants, cafés and souvenir shops. This gives visitors the opportunity not only to explore the natural beauty of Plitvice Lakes but also to discover the rich traditions, gastronomy and craftsmanship of the Lika region.

Products carrying the Lika Quality label hold a special place in the Park’s offer. This regional quality certification scheme brings together local producers of food, beverages and souvenirs. Honey, cheeses, fruit preserves, beverages, handcrafted items and other locally made products reflect the authentic character and heritage of the region. In the Park’s souvenir shops, these products are clearly identified with the Lika Quality label, while local ingredients and traditional dishes are featured on the menus of its restaurants.

Supporting the Local Community and Sustainable Development

By incorporating local products into its tourism offer, the Park helps preserve local traditions and the cultural identity of the destination, while creating additional opportunities for local producers. Partnerships with the tourism sector allow them to showcase their products to a wide audience of visitors, while also contributing to the strength and resilience of the local economy.

Sourcing local products also has an important environmental dimension. Shorter supply chains can reduce the need for transportation and, consequently, the associated emissions. Although local production capacity cannot always meet the demands of a large tourism operation, the uniqueness, quality and authenticity of these products make them particularly valuable and worthy of support.

This practice demonstrates that sustainable tourism goes far beyond the protection of natural resources. It also involves a commitment to the places, people and traditions that shape a destination’s identity. Protected areas, in particular, have an important role to play in connecting visitors with the local community and its heritage.

Being included in the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories 2026 is yet another international recognition of Plitvice Lakes National Park’s ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism. We are proud that our initiative has been recognised among 100 examples of good practice from around the world. This recognition also encourages us to continue our efforts to preserve our natural heritage, support the local community and create an authentic and meaningful visitor experience.

Objava Plitvice Lakes National Park among the Green Destinations Top 100 Good Practice Stories in Sustainable Tourism pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The CAMPUS project had a specific objective: to develop a Climate change adaptation plan for a UNESCO site. By integrating expert analyses, participatory stakeholder engagement, and GIS-based assessment of climate risks, a document was created that serves as a supplement to the Management Plan. The expert analyses identified the spatial concentration of risks, while stakeholder workshops determined which measures are considered the most important, feasible, and relevant for the actual management of the Park. It is precisely this integration that forms the foundation of this plan.

Analyses have shown that the areas most vulnerable to climate change spatially overlap with the most valuable and most visited parts of the Park. The central lake system, tufa barriers, and pedestrian infrastructure within the lake zone are the highest priorities for adaptation. At the same time, forest and slope zones play a crucial role in protecting the watershed, preventing erosion, reducing fire risk, and preserving biodiversity. Key courses of action include fire prevention and early detection, adapting trails and bridges to hydrological risks, monitoring tufa, water, fauna, and forests, conserving habitats, and integrating climate risks into the regular management of the Park.

Another significant document that emerged from the CAMPUS project refers to the Feasibility Study for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for the Plitvice Lakes National Park.

The purpose of this study is to assess which greenhouse gas emission reduction measures are feasible within the management system of Plitvice Lakes National Park, and how these measures can be integrated with existing management documents, climate change adaptation efforts, and the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of this UNESCO site. The study does not view the Park solely as a natural area, but rather as a complex operational system encompassing nature conservation, visitor reception and transport, hospitality services, accommodation, retail, technical maintenance, facility management, utility infrastructure, spatial monitoring, education, and day-to-day logistics.

If you are also interested in other climate change adaptation plans for UNESCO sites, please visit the project website at https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/campus.

Objava Completion of the CAMPUS project pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The New Year’s Eve 2027 celebration at Plitvice Lakes offers three attractive packages, each including three overnight stays, with a choice of dates from 30 December 2026 to 2 January 2027 or from 31 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.

FESTIVE NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION WITH GEA BAND

The highlight of the New Year’s programme will take place on 31 December at Jezero Hotel, where guests can enjoy a festive New Year’s Eve dinner accompanied by a live performance by GEA Band, ensuring a fantastic atmosphere and dancing until the early morning hours. With an exciting raffle, a midnight sparkling wine toast and an after-midnight buffet, the arrival of 2027 promises to be filled with joy and special moments.

The celebration continues on the first day of the New Year! After a hearty traditional Lika breakfast, guests can enjoy an organised panoramic boat ride aboard the new boats, accompanied by music and a glass of sparkling wine, followed by lunch and a musical gathering on the shores of Lake Kozjak. The evening is reserved for a repeat of the New Year’s Eve celebration at the Jezero Hotel restaurant.

MORE THAN JUST A CELEBRATION – EXPERIENCE PLITVICE LAKES IN A SPECIAL WAY

The New Year’s packages are designed to give guests the opportunity not only to enjoy the festive celebrations but also to discover the natural beauty of the National Park. Each package includes a Park entrance ticket valid throughout the entire stay, as well as an organised sightseeing tour and a gathering featuring a traditional folklore performance and a special Advent offer.

For guests wishing to make their stay even more memorable, one of the packages also includes dinner with live music at Lička kuća restaurant, where the New Year’s festivities continue in a warm and welcoming atmosphere with a delightful gastronomic offer.

WHY CHOOSE PLITVICE LAKES FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE?

Welcome 2027 in the unique natural surroundings of Plitvice Lakes and experience the beginning of the New Year with a perfect combination of winter charm, delicious cuisine and great music. This year’s celebration also brings a special touch of Lika tradition – from authentic local flavours and warm hospitality to memorable gatherings and opportunities to explore the beauty of the Park.

With a varied programme, excellent gastronomy and live music, Plitvice Lakes is the ideal destination for a relaxing getaway and a New Year’s Eve celebration you will remember for years to come.

BOOK NOW

Places are limited, so secure your spot today and spend the first moments of 2027 with your loved ones in the beautiful surroundings of Plitvice Lakes! Let the countdown to 2027 begin in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations!

INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS

Plitvice Lakes National Park Sales Department
Monday – Friday | 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Tel: +385 53 751 145
E: sales3@np-plitvicka-jezera.hr

Objava Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Plitvice Lakes pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

 The study was conducted by Professor Đuro Huber of the University of Zagreb Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

During the 2014–2021 study period, a total of 11 bears were fitted with GPS collars and monitored.

According to the findings, Plitvice Lakes National Park is used by 25–30 bears at any one time, although all the collared bears also ranged beyond the Park’s boundaries. In this sense, the Park does not have “its own bears”; rather, it is used by bears whose home ranges extend partly into the Park. The average density is nine bears per 100 km², while individual home ranges cover 100–200 km². Bears avoid one another except during the mating season.

Unlike adult male bears, which move mainly at night, family groups, females with cubs and subadult bears are more active during the day.

All the bears examined were in good body condition and good health. One bear family group in the Park included three cubs, compared with the Croatian average of 2.4 cubs per litter.

Objava Research into the abundance, space use and behaviour of bears in Plitvice Lakes National Park (brown bear – Ursus arctos) pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

Systematic surveys of the genetic, physiographic and geographical characteristics of soils throughout the Park were conducted for the purpose of producing the soil map (Fig. 1). The final output is a soil map with an accompanying explanatory study describing the genetic, physiographic and geographical characteristics of the soils. The surveys covered the Park’s entire land area, including marshland, as well as areas along its outer boundary, and included extensive fieldwork, laboratory soil analyses, data processing, a literature review, and preparation of the final soil map and accompanying explanatory study.

Combining grid-based soil mapping with boundary-line mapping, and taking into account the distribution of existing soil-profile data from earlier surveys, data were collected at approximately 1,400 points, of which 1,390 relate to the three-year survey described above (Fig. 2). At 141 points, soil samples were collected from soil pits and boreholes for laboratory analysis. In total, including evaluated soil data from earlier surveys, the key pedogenetic, ectomorphological and physiographic data on soils in Plitvice Lakes National Park are now available for 193 points.

The soil map is available for use in ArcGIS and has been printed at a scale of 1:25,000. The map legend lists 64 mapping units, numbered from 1 to 64. The names of the soil units follow the nomenclature of the Croatian soil classification system and the international World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). Overall, 16 soil types are represented in the Park, comprising 30 subtypes and more than 40 varieties.

The map provides an overview of the spatial relationships between soils at the level of soil mapping units. The most widespread soil type in Plitvice Lakes National Park is calcocambisol (brown soil) on limestone and dolomite, accounting for 52.13% of the Park’s pedosphere (Fig. 3), followed by rendzina (22.95%), lessivated soil (12.72%) and black soil on limestone and dolomite (9.89%). All other soil types together account for only 2.32% of the Park’s pedosphere. The study concludes with an assessment and recommendations for soil monitoring in Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Objava Soil map of Plitvice Lakes National Park pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The purpose of the project is to provide reliable and comparable baseline data on the conservation status of these habitats.

Monitoring was established for eight Natura 2000 target habitat types, encompassing 13 habitat types under the National Habitat Classification: 

Representative sites were selected for each habitat type, and permanent transects were established at these sites for future monitoring cycles. The monitoring methodology was specified in the project terms of reference and is based on the national Terrestrial Flora and Habitat Type Monitoring Programmes (Oikon – Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, 2023) and the Guidelines for Developing Species and Habitat Type Monitoring Programmes (Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, 2025).

The research results show that the target forest habitats in Plitvice Lakes National Park are generally in a good state of conservation. All transects and habitat types showed a high prevalence of typical species, an absence of invasive and non-native species and, in most cases, favourable indicators of habitat functionality. In all habitat types, the volume of deadwood falls within the range indicating that natural processes are intact and that the biodiversity of these habitat types is being maintained.

The project has established a sound professional and scientific basis for the long-term monitoring of Natura 2000 forest habitats in the Park. The results provide a baseline for future monitoring cycles. They also enable conservation measures to be planned and implemented effectively in order to maintain the favourable conservation status of forest ecosystems and their biodiversity.

Objava Establishing permanent monitoring of Natura 2000 target forest habitats in Plitvice Lakes National Park pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

Plant species were mapped using a combination of field surveys based on a one-kilometre square grid in HTRS96/TM – the official coordinate reference system of the Republic of Croatia – and by adding the locations of individual species based on published and otherwise available findings from previous research.

The study inventoried and analysed the presence of 34 strictly protected and 11 endangered vascular plant species in the forest vegetation of Plitvice Lakes National Park.

The research results present a list of the species recorded in 323 grid squares, brief general descriptions of the species, their distribution in Plitvice Lakes National Park, their threat status, and maps showing their distribution by grid square. The results presented in this report are an important step towards the long-term monitoring and protection of the Park’s flora and provide baseline data for planning future activities to conserve the natural values of this unique ecosystem.

Based on an analysis of the project results, active measures were recommended to conserve rare, endangered and strictly protected species in the forests of Plitvice Lakes National Park, together with a proposed species-monitoring methodology and accompanying field form.

Objava Mapping rare, endangered and strictly protected plant species in the forest ecosystems of Plitvice Lakes National Park pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

Wolf home-range size, pack territory size and activity were studied using GPS telemetry to track a total of nine wolves belonging to two neighbouring packs: the Mala Kapela pack and the Plješevica pack. The territories of the two monitored packs encompassed approximately 900 km² and included a substantial area around Plitvice Lakes National Park, extending to Mount Plješevica in the south-east and Mala Kapela in the north-west. Plitvice Lakes National Park is important as a breeding area for wolves and as a winter refuge. Snow tracking showed that a third pack from the Ličko Sredogorje area enters Plitvice Lakes National Park in winter and uses the western part of the Park. The average winter pack size across the three neighbouring packs was 5.6 wolves, while the average wolf density was 0.53 wolves per 100 km².

The wolves were most active at dawn and dusk. The passage of irregular migrants between 2018 and 2020 affected the wolves’ activity at dusk and during the night. This highlights the importance of minimising human disturbance, particularly in the most sensitive areas used by wolves to rear their young. Areas important for wolf reproduction were identified and mapped so that they could be incorporated into the future management of the National Park.

Objava Research into the movements, space use and activity of wolves in the Plitvice Lakes National Park area (grey wolf – Canis lupus) pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

Because no lynx research or monitoring had previously been carried out in Plitvice Lakes National Park, the study was launched to improve the management of this Natura 2000 target species. Its aim was to obtain baseline information on lynx movements, individual home-range size, population density, reproduction, activity and habitat use.

Prior to this study, no lynx from Plitvice Lakes National Park (PLNP) or this part of central Lika had been monitored. The project therefore aimed to extend lynx research to parts of their habitat that had not previously been studied systematically. The new findings have added to the overall body of knowledge about the lynx and will be particularly valuable for managing this strictly protected species in Croatia.

Telemetry, combined with camera traps and snow tracking, was selected as the most effective method of collecting data and gaining insight into lynx ecology. The study involved capturing live lynx, fitting them with GPS collars and monitoring them.

During the study, seven lynx were captured and fitted with GPS collars. Their home ranges averaged 200 km² and overlapped spatially, although the animals did not use the overlapping areas at the same time. Analysis of the camera-trap footage confirmed that nine lynx used the Plitvice Lakes National Park area. They were most active at dawn and dusk.

A substantial proportion of PLNP was found to fall within the highest lynx habitat-suitability classes. Based solely on natural habitat components, the entire Park provides prime lynx habitat, except for areas around settlements, alongside major roads and in the large open fields near Homoljac, Brezovac and Babin Potok.

Objava Research into the movements, space use and activity of lynx in Plitvice Lakes National Park (Eurasian lynx – Lynx lynx) pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The purpose of the survey was to identify the species and spatial distribution of bryophytes in forest habitats and to develop a Park-wide bryophyte monitoring protocol, with particular emphasis on the Natura 2000 target species. It also aimed to provide recommendations for adapting management practices in order to maintain bryophyte species in a favourable conservation status.

The fieldwork was carried out from 2020 to 2023, focusing on the Natura 2000 target species. These species occur in natural forests or forests managed at low intensity, with a well-preserved microclimate and no exposure to atmospheric pollution. Their presence is therefore an indicator of the naturalness and undisturbed condition of forest habitats. The presence of Buxbaumia viridis indicates the naturalness of forest habitats through its association with deadwood, whereas Dicranum viride indicates naturalness through forest-habitat continuity and the absence of exposure to atmospheric pollutants.

The survey recorded 132 bryophyte species in the Park’s forests: 22 liverworts and 110 mosses. It also showed that the bryophyte flora varies between forest communities. Beech–fir and beech forests are the main centres of diversity, while thermophilous and moist forest communities have lower bryophyte diversity because of their more extreme ecological conditions.

Objava Survey and inventory of bryophytes in forest habitats in Plitvice Lakes National Park pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".