Here are the quickies:

• Time of Year: April 19-20, 2017
• City: Plitvice Lakes, Jezera
• Train Station: Zagreb: Glavni Kolodvor
• Accomodation: Hotel Jezero

Nestled about a 2 hour drive from the Zagreb Train Station, is the most magnificent network of 16 lakes all interconnected through various waterfalls! Usually people travel to Croatia to explore the beautiful coastal waters and beaches, but I had discovered this place through fellow tour members who traveled here on one of our Double Darks.

My Mom, Aunt, and I were on a 2-week Europe Trip via EuRail while I was on a tour break and we needed to find our way from Vienna to Rome. You can read about the first leg of our journey in Salzburg, Austria here. After seeing pictures from my colleagues, I knew Plitvice Lakes was a place that had to be one of our stops.

We arrived at the Zagreb Train Station around 5pm and hired a taxi to take us to where we were going to rent our car. We always use RentalCars.com to book a car as they usually can find the cheapest rates among various rental companies. Once we got our car, we were on our way to the Plitvice Lakes National Park.

We booked one night at the Hotel Jezero, which was located right in the park. Since we got there in the evening, we thought it’d be beneficial to have dinner at the hotel and an early evening so we could get up early and start on the trails first thing in the morning.

The hotel offered an extensive menu selection catering to various cuisines as it was really the only main hotel within the vicinity. It also offered a complimentary breakfast with the booking.

Although there had been weeks of sunshine and warm temperatures, we woke up to freezing temperatures and eventual SNOW! Not being prepared for this type of weather at all, we had to make a quick stop at the hotel gift shop and pick up some extra toques and make sure to wear as many layers as possible.

The hotel was a short trail walk from the entrance to the park. I hope to go back one day because there are SO many different trails to take and I’d want to try some of the hikes that surround the park. Due to the freezing weather and being considerate for my Mom and Aunt, we took the leisurely approach and covered the lower half of the system.

I was blown away by how well-maintained the park was and the effort into the boardwalks and trails to make sure the infrastructure blended in with the natural carvings of the lakes and waterfalls.

It was by far one of Europe’s hidden gems and I am so happy that we made it here!

Check out my travels on Instagram #EarthDragonTravels.