Stretching from the western foot of the Dinaric Range into the sea near Šibenik, the 72.5km Krka River and its wonderful waterfalls define the landscape of the Šibenik-Knin region and are the focus of the Krka National Park. The Krka waterfalls are a karstic phenomenon: over millennia, river water has created a canyon (up to 200m deep) through limestone hills, bringing calcium carbonate with it. Mosses and algae retain the calcium carbonate and encrust it in their roots. The material is called tufa and is formed by billions of plants growing on top of one another. These growths create barriers in the river that produce spectacular waterfalls.
The landscape of rocks, cliffs, caves and chasms is a remarkable sight, but the national park also contains several important cultural landmarks.
Krka Monastery MONASTERY
Near the park’s northernmost point there is the Orthodox monastery sometimes called Aranđelovac (Holy Archangel), or often simply referred to as the Krka Monastery. First mentioned in the history books in 1402 as the endowment of Jelena Šubić, the sister of Emperor Dušan of Serbia, it was built and rebuilt until the end of the 18th century. The monastery has a unique combination of Byzantine and Mediterranean architecture.
Roški Slap VALLEY
Below Krka Monastery, the river becomes a lake created by the Roški Slap barrier downstream and the valley narrows into a 150m gorge. Roški Slap is a 650m-long stretch that begins with shallow steps and continues in a series of branches and islets to become 27m-high cascades. On the eastern side of the falls you can see water mills that used to process wheat.
Lake Visovac LAKE
The first kilometre of the lake is bordered by reeds and bulrushes sheltering marsh birds. Downstream is the Među Gredama gorgewith 150m-high cliffs cut into a variety of dramatic shapes. The gorge opens out into Lake Visovac, with Samostan Visovac its lovely island monastery. In the 14th century hermits built a small monastery and church; Bosnian Franciscans remained here throughout Turkish rule until 1699. The church on the island dates from the end of the 17th century and the bell tower was built in 1728. On the western bank is a forest of holm oaks and on the eastern bank are white oaks.
Skradinski Buk WATERFALL
Six kilometres downstream from Lake Visovac is the park’s largest waterfall, Skradinski Buk, with an 800m-long cascade covering 17 steps and rising to almost 46m. Here water mills used to grind wheat, mortars pounded felt and huge baskets held rugs and fabrics. Downstream from Skradinski Buk is less interesting due to the construction of the Jaruga power plant in 1904. It takes about an hour to walk around Skradinski Buk and see the waterfalls. Bring a swimsuit because it is possible to swim in the lower lake, though it gets extremely crowded in summer.
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