PLITVICE LAKES

Serbo-Croatian Plitvicka Jezera continuous chain of 16 lakes and many waterfalls in western Croatia. The chain, 5 mi (8 km) in length, begins two mountain streams that join near Plitvicki Ljeskovac to form the Matica River. The river feeds Lake Proce, the highest in elevation; it then flows by a number of waterfalls and smaller lakes into Lake Kozjak, the largest. Of the many cascades and falls, Plitvice and the Sastavci falls are the most spectacular, particularly during the spring snow melt. The lakes are the focal point of Plitvice National Park, which is also a nature reserve.