European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Above a View of the main waterfalls of Plit vice from a hiking Trail above the Koruna River Gorge. At right a Boardwalk that helps visitors Cross some rough  photos by Gus Schuettler spectacular Putvin Lelakes Falls a re Haliv yugoslav Park by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer Al Park id be of Ders. Oslavia Region of less torn ii wander Heights. D the 9. It set ,000 of the t was Farmland in 1979, Yugoslavia a Plit vice j was added to the United nations heritage list. It was a fitting Honor Europe s most spectacular natural Plit vice is in the Eastern third of some 75 Miles South of Zagreb. It i Crystal lakes disappearing into Bott Depths of River Gorges filled with n myriad waterfalls. Bears and wolves its forests and Chamois scale then the parliament of Croatia Estabill Park in a special act passed april 8 aside More than 48,000 acres Somi them forested. But the main reason creation of the National Park was to spectacular Beauty of the 536 acre lakes and streams the remainder and villages. The Plit vice lakes Region is age. Curiosity the product of Complex of organic and inorganic forces its began some 230 million to 65 Milli during the mesozoic Era. While i roamed the land masses the Ancie teemed with fish and shellfish. Who their skeletons and shells Sank to to building up layers of Limestone. 0 these deposits reached a thickness than 13,000 feet in what is now the Region. The shifting and buckling of the raised new land out of the seas and into mountains Plains and valleys Peter saturated with Carbon dioxide disc pm the layers of Limestone carving out riot caves filling depressions to make i in some places the Limestone All precipitated Back out of the water Bottom of lakes with Chalk and Foss it settled on. This Limestone coating travertine also piled up at Lake out hardening into natural dams and by those that already existed. Today the most spectacular Resu ical actions action ears ago Urs was hey died Ottom on More vice process and the Center of Plit vice i tonal Park is a string of 16 terraced lakes by cascades and waterfalls. It is a re unsurpassed natural Beauty and on fascinating fluid dynamic phenom anywhere. The Plit vice lakes make up an or that has evolved Over the last 4,00 still developing. At the Lake outlets Limestone dams Quot grow Quot at a rate of 1 a inches a year raising the Corres level of the lakes. New waterfalls a Are formed and they in turn shape Limestone backdrops and other Mir when a dam becomes higher than upstream two lakes merge into one there Are several Good Access to Plit vice but the Best Way to see it o there is on foot. The Park is Cris scr network of hiking trails and bicycle Lead along the Lakeside As Well As forests of Beech fir Maple and pin Alders and Reeds grow along the la and on the outlet dams which Are with tiny Stream lets. The Park abounds in wildlife from lumbering bears to Deer wild boar and several varieties of butterflies Trout cruise the shorelines rising o insects from the surface. The most spectacular Trail winds h s crust ulsted it and s. Atin the ing plants ailed Ingon this infected an of f the most Rosment ears and is e Inch to ending cascades curtain like Arns. Eone s into be you get de by a paths that Ough Willows margins Ler Woven the songbirds the lakes Luck trough the Rushing water plunges Down a Hillside in Plit vice National Park. In the distance is the Boardwalk that leads through the Valley. Koruna River Gorge taking visitors to the base of the 250-foot Plit Vica Waterfall. The Gorge is an easy 10-minute hike from the visitor s Center at the North end of the Park. A gravel path switchbacks Down into the Canyon to the margin of Lake Kaluderovic. There it becomes a Corduroy footbridge traversing the Lake s outlet dam and meandering Back and Forth across the River. In the Canyon Walls of Chalk Rise 200 feet on both sides. Veils of water spill Down the Cliffs filling the air with a Fine Mist. Another Good Way to see some of Plit vice s splendours is aboard the sightseeing boat that operates on Lake Kozjak one of the largest lakes. The excursion includes a closeup View of the cascades below Lake Gra Insko. One spot outside the Park that is Worth visiting is Slung about 10 Miles North. The town is constructed around a series of Small terraced lakes miniature versions of the ones at Plit vice. Around Slung and farther North old women in traditional Folk dress sell wheels of homemade sheep cheese at Roadside stands. It is both delicious and a  s tips water seems to splash everywhere. Plit vice National Park is in the province of Croatia in Eastern Yugoslavia about 1 30 Miles from the austrian Border. From Southern Germany take autobahn 8 South to Salzburg Austria. In Salzburg take autobahn 10 South to Villacha then Klagenfurt. From Klagenfurt take route 91 to the Loibl pass and the Border and then continue to Ljubljana Yugoslavia. From Ljubljana take european Highway 94 to novo Mesto and then route 4 South to Karlovich. At Susilovich take route 8 South to Slung and Plit vice. The Park has two visitors centers located at entrances one and two. They Are open from april through october. The Entrance fee is $11 for adults and $7.50 for children and students. There Are Many choices of accommodations in or near the Park. Below Are a few with higly season prices. High season varies but is usually july and August. Telephone numbers Given Are for dealing within Yugoslavia. From outside the country use the country code for Yugoslavia and drop the first 0. A hotels hotel Ezero and hotel Plit vice. Located in the Park. Price with breakfast $35 per person per night for double room. Phone hotel Plit vice 048-76522 hotel Rezero 048-76526. Hotel Bellevue. Located in the Park. Price with breakfast $28.50 per person per night for double. Phone 048-76334. Hotel Gacka. Forty Miles from the Park in the direction of the coast. Price with breakfast $23 per person per night for double. Phone 04877315 or 77319. A apartments apartments Borje. Nine Miles from the Park. Cost is $51 per night for a two bed apartment. Phone 048-76232. A campsites Plit vice Koruna. Six Miles from the Park toward Zagreb. Cost is $11.50 per night for two people with tent and car. Phone 048-76508. Borje. Nine Miles from Park. Cost same As above. Phone 048-76230. A private rooms there Are two categories of private rooms in private Homes. Category i costs $23 a night per double room category ii costs $19.80 per double room. The private Homes Are two to nine Miles from the Park. Reservations Are made through the Park Contact Nacional i Park Plit vice 48231 Jenera Yugoslavia. Phone 04876314 or 76324. Tel fax 048-76310. A . /. March 29, 1990 stripes Magazine 13