Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia Jan 19, 2024

Why visit one lake when you can visit 16? Croatia"s Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of the largest and oldest in the country, provides that exact opportunity thanks to a unique geological feature. The slopes of the Mala Kapela, Medveđak and Plješevica mountains funnel water into the Plitvice plateau. This water carries precipitated limestone, which gradually accumulates and hardens over time, creating a series of rock barriers called tufa. These barriers form pools, with thin, lacy waterfalls leading from one "lake" to another. This majestic display of geology and hydrology draws over a million visitors to the paths and boardwalks that wind through the lakes—they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after all. Even in the winter, the lakes retain their beauty, with once-roaring waterfalls frozen in place.

© Massimo_S8/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 19, 2026Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 17, 2023Cuban tody, Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Cuba
Dec 25, 2025Reindeer, Lapland, Finland
Jan 17, 2024Eurasian wolf
Dec 24, 2023Town Hall Square, Tartu, Estonia
Oct 3, 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York, USA
Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Sep 6, 2023Rethymno, Crete, Greece
Jul 23, 2025Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Dec 22, 2024Crystal Pier, San Diego, California, United States
Oct 7, 2024Bora Bora in French Polynesia
Jul 25, 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Jul 7, 2024Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
Jun 14, 2024Peggys Cove Lighthouse, Canada
Sep 23, 2023Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah, USA
Sep 25, 2025Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
Jul 1, 2025Fishing village of Tilting, Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Dec 4, 2023Cheetah and her cubs
Mar 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Feb 20, 2024Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, UK
Nov 20, 2025Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil
Nov 8, 2025Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon, United States
Jan 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Sep 30, 2025Koala, Australia
Apr 12, 2025View from the cupola of the International Space Station
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Oct 22, 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome, Italy
Oct 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Oct 5, 2023Gentoo penguins, Antarctica