Elevated path in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

© Alessandro Laporta/Offset by Shutterstoc

A hidden jewel in Croatia

Today we're walking out into the winter wonderland of Plitvice Lakes National Park, the oldest and largest national park in Croatia. More than a million tourists per year flock to this central mountainous region, renowned for its cascading waterfalls and 16 turquoise-colored lakes. These wooden pathways meander for miles around and above the lakes, beside waterfalls and over streams and rivers, which disappear into the moss-covered earth only to burst through again somewhere downstream. In fact, the lakes are all interconnected by underground flows and are separated from each other by natural dams of travertine.

The park is open year-round, and winter is its slowest season. If you're brave enough to venture down the park's slippery pathways in December or January, you may be rewarded with views straight out of a fairy tale.