I have to admit it: this was the most awaited visit of the whole trip to Dalmatia, as was the tour that most disappointed me among all those I managed to do during the holiday. But let’s go in order because the park is still a beautiful place certainly to visit, starting with all the information I think are useful to know before a visit.
Where it is: The park is along the Krka river (obviously!). The main entrance to Lozovac is 20 minutes drive from Sibenik and about 1 hour 20 from Split.
How to get there: you can choose to go by car and take advantage of the large parking lot located at the main entrance of Lozovac (the official website talks about connecting buses from this parking lot at the beginning of the pedestrian path). Alternatively, you can choose from the many organised transfer offers. If you decide for this second option, as (unfortunately) I did keep in mind that many arranged transfers add a visit to Sibenik that will take you to the park in the late morning.
Entrance Ticket: if bought on site it costs 200 Kuna. If you go with an organised transfer, you will pay 145 kunas (plus five that will go to the agency). In case of a coordinated transfer, with a stop in another place, everything will cost you around 350 kunas per person (including 150 for the parking ticket).
Discover the park: there is a pedestrian path, which runs in about 2 hours without considering any breaks. To take a bath there is a designated area, of which you can see a picture in all the guides and that everyone seeks once arrived at the park: we must keep in mind, however, that everyone comes to the park also and above all to take a bath here and then you will find it very crowded.
Boat trips: the park is enormous, in a single day it is probably almost impossible to see it all, and in different parts of the park there are several boat tours, which allow you to reach various places of interest in the area.
Lunch break: next to the swimming area, there is a restaurant where you can stop and eat. The food was good, and the cost quite contained. Not far away there are bathrooms (the first we met after more than half of the pedestrian path): you must pay to use it (5 kunas per person, like all those in the park), and the row for the women toilet was very long despite there were 4 or 5 toilets. However, even though it was lunchtime and there was a noticeable crowding, I found them clean. Why was the trip that disappointed me most of the trip? The reason is only one: the disproportionate amount of people pouring into it, all at the same time and along the same path obliged along a walkway that indicates the pedestrian path to follow. This means that you will stay in a river of people that advances very compact, which in some places does not help to “understand” where we are or to enjoy the beauty of what surrounds us at that time. Stopping to take pictures becomes very difficult, almost impossible, it is often better to get off the catwalk keeping in mind that then it may be difficult to go back to continue the tour.
My advice to avoid this? Get there early in the morning, at the opening, and enjoy the park before the crowd arrives around mid-morning. To do so, as in the summer season is not allowed to enter with your car, know that you can take advantage of internal links to the park itself:
– from the entrance of Skradin, a boat will take you to the to the Krka park entrance (from 8 am to 4 pm).
– From the Lozovac entrance, the main entrance for tourist buses (from 8 am to 4 pm), transport is organised for individual travellers or tourist buses. The cost of the ticket varies according to the period (30 kunas in January, February, November and December, 90 kunas in March, April, May and October, or 110kune from June to September). (find all the information on the croazia.info website).
What to see inside the park, beyond the beautiful nature and its waterfalls? Many places, all undoubtedly full of history! On the banks of the river are the ruins of some medieval fortresses of the fourteenth century (Kamick, Trosenj, Necven, Bogocin and Kljucica). In Carigradska Draga, on the other hand, is the Monastery of the Holy Archangel. Finally, there is also the archaeological site of Burnum and the Krka monastery. Which is the visit duration? For a “cognitive” tour you need a day, especially if you do not care to see everything and arrive early in the morning. For a more detailed tour, which leads you to discover the vast area of the park (and its “hidden” jewels), I advise you to inform you about the two hotels located at the entrances of Skradin and Lozavac (for all the detailed information I refer you again to croatia.info website).