One of the real reasons we came to Sibenik was to see the waterfalls at the national park.  The falls are located not far from Sibenik and can be reached by boat up the river or by taxi.  When taking a boat it requires a transfer to the park boats which complete the final distance to the falls.  By taxi you get to the top of the falls, need to take a park bus 4 kilometers down to the upper part of the falls.  There is also the possibility to walk one kilometer to the same point.  Obviously the walking path is direct while the bus must meander along a narrow road down, stopping along the way to squeeze past other busses coming up.  It all worked but it is a bit hair raising looking down the edge of the cliff the bus is negotiating.

The waterfalls has been a national park for a few decades.  The falls are actually a series of smaller falls that cascade down mixed with pools of water between the drops.  This is one very interesting to see since most of the coastal parts of Croatia are arid.  Here inside the park there is aquatic life and deciduous trees instead of conifers.  The falls are also constantly changing from the deposits of calcium carbonate mixed with algae.  The form little dams and blocks to add to the waterfalls.  In fact these are thousands of years old and continue to grow about 3 mm per year.

These falls are also a place for initial industrial activity.  Of course there were the initial water powered mills, some which are still in operation today as a tourist attraction.  You can buy corn meal from these grind stone mills.

This was also the site of almost the first hydroelectric plant.  It started just a few days after the Niagara Falls plant.  But this facility actually sent electricity to the city of Sibenik while Niagara Falls did not have the infrastructure in place to utilize the power till later on.

The national Park is a very well run place with ample parking even for the large Holiday weekend crowds.  There are also boat rides up river into the large lakes and the associated castles and points of interest.  We did not take this as it is a three hour trip up and back.

A few miles below the falls is a marina for sailboats and smaller powerboats to berth and travel upriver on the park boats.  This marina stays open year round and you can overwinter a boat here in freshwater instead of the usually saltwater at nearly all marinas.

One of the falls with travertine on the rocks

Additional travertines making dams in the waterfall

If there is water there are people in it.  Swimming here is a big thing, just to say you did it more than anything else.  Not very warm and the bottom is rocky and uneven.

Another shot just above the swimming area.  Note the line of floats marking off the swimming area.  They no longer allow people onto the falls.

Picture from the area of the grist mill looking upstream.

At the upper part of the falls they installed boardwalks for a one hour walk through the falls.  Very good idea as the ground is clay and very slippery when wet.  They are still working on the walk so at places there are just foundation columns installed or rafters only with no floor structure.  Getting better all the time, just be patient.

At the bottom of the falls is a little park area with an outdoor grill restaurant.  We thought it would be slow service and bad food but to our surprise the service was very good and the food not bad for a tourist place.  Beer, brats and Pomme Fritts.  What can be bad about that.

Ecologically this place is a haven for birds, fish and flora.  They have all sorts of stats but let’s say that it is a very important ecosystem for this country to preserve as they are currently doing.