Krka National Park () is one of the

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

s, named after the river Krka (

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

: ''Kyrikos'') that it encloses. It is located along the middle-lower course of the Krka River in central

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

, in Šibenik-Knin county, downstream Miljevci area, and just a few kilometers northeast of the city of

Šibenik Šibenik (), historically known as Sebenico (), is a historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka (Croatia), Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatia, Croatian self-governing cities ...

. It was formed to protect the Krka River and is intended primarily for scientific, cultural, educational, recreational, and tourism activities. It is the seventh

in Croatia and was proclaimed a national park in 1985.

Geography

The Krka National Park is located entirely within the territory of

Šibenik-Knin County Šibenik-Knin County (; ) is a county in southern Croatia, located in the north-central part of Dalmatia. The biggest city in the county is Šibenik, which also serves as county seat. Other notable towns in the county are Knin, Vodice, Drniš a ...

and encompasses an area of 109 square kilometers along the Krka River: two kilometers downriver from

Knin Knin () is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka (Croatia), Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagreb and Split, Croatia, Split. ...

Skradin Skradin is a small town in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia. It is located near the Krka (Croatia), Krka river and at the entrance to the Krka National Park, from Šibenik and from Split, Croatia, Split. The main attraction of the park, Slapo ...

and the lower part of the river

Čikola Čikola () is a river of in Dalmatia, southern Croatia. Description Čikola is in length, from Mirlović Polje to Krka at Nos Kalik, while its headwater Vrba that rises near Muć would add up to a combined length of about . Čikola rive ...

. The Krka National Park is a spacious, largely unchanged region of exceptional and multifaceted natural value, and includes one or more preserved or insignificantly altered ecosystems. The Krka Waterfalls area has the second highest density of lavender in Europe, hence the high frequency of wasps and bees in the area. 08 Nature of Croatia - Krka river landscape in Krka National Park in Croatia

08 Nature of Croatia - Krka river landscape in Krka National Park in Croatia

Environment

Flora

The Krka National Park belongs to the

Southern European Southern Europe is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, C ...

(

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

and sub-Mediterranean) region. Due to its special position and the mosaic distribution of various types of habitats, it is characterized by exceptionally rich and varied flora and fauna. 860 species and subspecies of plants have been identified within the territory of the Krka National Park, including several endemic Illyrian-Adriatic species. Standing out are the stone bellflower, the chimney bellflower, the mullein inula, Dalmatian pellitory and the Illirian iris, which is found growing on the rocks. Other endemic plants growing in this hot and dry environment include the wolfen spurge, Adriatic violet, musk thistle, thorny centaurium, strawberry spurge and Bertolon's sage. In the wet areas along the Krka and Čikola rivers and in the Krka river valley grow meadow squill, knotweed, European hornbeam, wood melick and lady orchid.

Fauna

Eighteen species of fish inhabit the Krka River, among which ten are endemic, making the Krka a natural landmark of the highest category.

Brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...

and Dalmatian barbelgudgeon are a couple of fish that can be found in the ecosystem. Patches of reeds, lakes formed along part of the river and swamped meadows abound in amphibians and birds, while thickets and stone quarries are home to reptiles. The abundance of species of birds (222), the structure of the bird communities and the great significance of the Krka for spring and autumn migrations make it among the ornithologically most valuable regions of Europe. There are numerous

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

in the area, notable ones are:

osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It ...

short-toed eagle The short-toed snake eagle (''Circaetus gallicus''), also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers. The genus ...

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

Bonelli's eagle Bonelli's eagle (''Aquila fasciata'') is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an expl ...

lanner falcon The lanner falcon (''Falco biarmicus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It prefers open habitat and is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season. A l ...

and the

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

. Other birds of interest are

Eurasian eagle-owl The Eurasian eagle-owl (''Bubo bubo'') is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides in much of Eurasia. It is often just called the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia. It is one of the largest species of owl. Females can grow to a total le ...

European bee-eater The European bee-eater (''Merops apiaster'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African populat ...

and

griffon vulture The Eurasian griffon vulture (''Gyps fulvus'') is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It is also known as the griffon vulture, although this term is sometimes used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confuse ...

. Among mammals, there are 18 species of bats, which are generally endangered or near extinction in the rest of Europe, long-fingered bat, the

Daubenton's bat Daubenton's bat or Daubenton's myotis (''Myotis daubentonii'') is a Eurasian bat with rather short ears. It occurs across Eurasia, from Ireland in the west to Hokkaido in the east, and is believed to be increasing its numbers in many areas of it ...

, and the threatened

European otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...

Ria

ria A ria (; , feminine noun derived from ''río'', river) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Definitions Typically rias have a dendriti ...

is the mouth of a river that flows into the sea, created by the submergence of the riverbed after the rise of the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

level for 135 metres after the last

quaternary glaciation The Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, is an alternating series of glacial period, glacial and interglacial, interglacial periods during the Quaternary period that began 2.58 Year#SI prefix multipliers, Ma (million ...

. In the ria of the Krka River, seawater extends to the base of Skradinski buk. The ria of the Krka River is 23.5 kilometers in length. This ria is considered an exceptional phenomenon, due to its lack of pollution and biological vitality. It is an area rich in shellfish, freshwater fish and saltwater fish.

Tourism

Krka National Park features several places of interest for visitors. The attractions and facilities available include various

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...

s, sightseeing tours and presentations, boat trips, souvenir shops, a museum, and restaurants. There are also several archeological remains of unpreserved fortresses in the park's vicinity dating back to Roman times. They are Čučevo, Nečven, Bogočin, Ključica, and

Burnum Burnum (; or Burnum Municipium) was a Roman Army, Roman Legionary fortress, later converted to a town. It is located 2.5 km north of Kistanje, in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The remains include a principia, the amphitheatre and the aqueduct. B ...

Skradinski buk

Skradinski buk is one of the most attractive parts of the park. It is a massive, clear, natural pool with high

waterfalls A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several ...

at one end and cascades at the other. It is the lowest of the three sets of waterfalls formed along the Krka river. In an area 400 m in length and 100 m in width there are 17 waterfalls and the total difference in height between the first and the last falls is 47.7 m. Due to the wealth and variety of geomorphological forms, vegetation, and the various effects caused by the play of light on the whirlpools, Skradinski buk is considered to be one of the most beautiful

calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in Rock (geology), rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skel ...

waterfalls in Europe. The rate of flow is 43 m³ a second in winter, 18 m³ in summer, with an average of 55 cubic metres a second flowing down Skradinski buk annually. It is the largest

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and rusty varieties. It is formed by a process ...

cascade system in Europe.

Roški Slap

Roški Slap, located near Miljevci, is the second most popular attraction of the Krka National Park in terms of numbers of visitors. It is the sixth waterfall of the river Krka. Around the whole location there is a walking trail with wonderful views. There is also a hiking trail. The location can be visited throughout the year. The easiest way to reach Roški Slap is to take one of the excursion boats operated by the Krka National Park, although the falls can also be reached with a public road.

Monastery

Inside the park is the island of Visovac which was founded during the reign of

Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great (; ; ) or Louis the Hungarian (; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370. He was the first child of Charles I of Hungary and his wife, Elizabeth of ...

(XIV century), home to the Roman Catholic Visovac Monastery founded by the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

in 1445 near Miljevci village.Oliver, Jeann
''Croatia''
Lonely Planet 4th ed. p. 187. The island can be visited by a boat tour from Skradinski buk. The park also includes the Serbian

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

Monastery Krka founded in 1345. The Krka monastery is a spiritual center of the Orthodox Dalmatian Eparchy (

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

), and was first mentioned in written documents in the year 1402 as the pious endowment of

Jelena Šubić Jelena Šubić (died 1378) was a member of the Bribir branch of the Croatian Šubić noble family who ruled the Banate of Bosnia as regent from 1354 until 1357 during the minority of her son Tvrtko I of Bosnia. Life Jelena was the daughter of ...

, the sister of Serbian Emperor Dušan. The monastery was built and rebuilt until the late 18th century.

References

External links

* {{authority control National parks of Croatia Protected areas of Šibenik-Knin County Protected areas established in 1985 1985 establishments in Yugoslavia