Krka National Park, Croatia. More Than Just the Main Waterfall

Location: Lozovac entrance & Roški slap entrance

Cost: Have to purchase a ticket. Find prices and purchase tickets here.

Note: If you wish to take a boat ride, that’s extra cost on top of your entrance ticket.

Length: Whole day

How to get there: By a car or buss or organized tour

I have to say—Krka is stunning. You’re walking on a mix of wooden and gravel paths shaded by lush green trees. On both sides, there’s clear water where you can spot little fish.

The frogs are singing, and the birds are joining the choir too. Time after time, there are tiny waterfalls or wannabe waterfalls (aka rapids) bubbling away. It’s nature’s symphony.

Also, Krka knows how to tease you. 

After a while of enjoying some tiny-falls we come across a spot where you can see the big waterfall in the distance. There are more people queuing up here. And for whatever reason the water seems bluer from up here too.

And after that we come across this beautiful, old building overgrown with ivy, behind which a larger waterfall is bubbling away. This one has multiple streams of water running over mossy green rocks. Does it get more romantic than that?

Possibly. We also saw a waterfall that seems to have dried out, leaving only a cave behind it. But you can still see the pattern water has carved into the sand.

And then we reach the main attraction – the famous Skradinski buk.

It’s a pretty multi-level waterfall that runs with a huge force. You can no longer swim here, but there is a nice walkway to get closer to the falls to snatch that perfect picture. 

It is beautiful. However, if I have to compare it to waterfalls in Plitvice and Kravice waterfalls in nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina, I have to say that this one is smaller and simpler.

But that is why we are doing more than just visiting the waterfall. And even if we wouldn’t – the walk leading up to Skradinski Buk was perfect.

In the nearby area one can also stumble across a couple of small, historic expositions of traditional cookware, local crafts and watermills. 

In Krka, there’s a monastery so remote from the rest of the world that you have to take a boat ride to get there. Intriguing, right?

Actually, there are a couple of boat ride options to choose from in Krka, but heads up, they’re not included in the ticket price, so you’ll need to pay extra to enjoy them. Today we are trying out a two-hour round trip, which takes you to the Visovac island and back.

The ride itself is very calming.

Around you there is just blue water and some hills that are overgrown with trees. No hustle and bustle to be seen. Some may call it a bit monotonous. I will call it chill. 

After a ~40-minute ride, you’ll spot the Visovac island.

It’s not exactly as it appears in marketing materials for Krka, as you can’t see most of the church behind the trees, but you can spot a tower peeking out. When the boat stops, you get a quick rundown of what you can explore for the next 30 minutes.

On the small island you can wander around the gardens where you can see fruit and vegetables growing.

There is also a museum displaying religious artefacts and a very beautiful old church. The aura on the little island is as chill as on the water. Such a thing as rush doesn’t exist here. I can see why it’s a perfect place for worship.

There is something romantic about a rustic stone house with an old carriage enjoying its retirement in front of it.

Some of the buildings in the Krka mill complex have been given a modern twist—there’s a restaurant and a souvenir shop, but the real gems are the parts that function as an open-air museum. So let’s take a peek inside.

Have you seen a watermill before? Now, I’ve seen exactly one. And that one had a giant wheel, turning since the dawn of time and probably set to spin until the end of eternity.

So, I was expecting the wood beams and the un-plastered walls, but I wasn’t prepared for a whole lineup of these copy-paste millstones, just sitting silently next to each other. It’s giving a bit of a shut-down factory vibe.

And then there’s this room with big buckets in the ground. Look down, and you’ll see water swirling around in them. They’re kinda cool. But what on earth are they for?

We also tried to walk the nature trail from the watermills for a bit. However, what we found was mostly a path through the trees with some cliffs in the distance and what looked like a cabbage field and some gardens on the side.

As this was too similar to the nature trails we can enjoy at home after around 2 km we decided to skip this one, to make some time for other attractions in Krka. Let me know if we missed out on something big here.

But to get to the cave, we need to climb these very, very high stairs. And I am not going to lie—those stairs look scary.

Somewhere midway up, I am already out of breath. Miks is strongly in the lead, while I am somewhere many steps behind, regretting my life choices. Until, a beautiful view of Roški Slap unfolds.

Look to the left, and you’ll see a series of little cascades following each other in a beautiful, wave-like pattern. The greenery on the rocks blends seamlessly into the trees on the shore, which then blend into the cliff behind it. Gorgeous!

We did it! We conquered the endless stairs. Pat yourself on the back.

One may expect a little grotto in the rock. But it looks like it’s actually a long tunnel that takes you quite deep under the cliff. Hope you’re not claustrophobic! And luckily for us – there is electric lighting.

But what’s that? There is someone in there.

Just kidding – it is a statue.

A very creepy statue of a cave person.

I wouldn’t want to come across this guy during the dark, but it is a nice way to draw your attention to the fact that this cave (despite it’s difficult to reach placement) was inhabited and there are various archeological remains found here.

At this point one could call it a day and climb down the stairs. Or one could gather the remaining strengths to conquer a couple more steps to the top of the hill. Guess which one we are doing?

On the top you get an epic view of cliffs, tree tops and the rest of the world below.

And if you are looking for a quiet spot to enjoy nature – this is it. As not many travellers seem to climb higher than the cave.

But If you turn to the left, you’ll catch a glimpse of Roški slap’s cascades from here, too. The view might not be as jaw-dropping as the one from above, but it’s definitely a contender. Plus, it’s way more accessible than climbing who knows how many staircase steps.

5.19 km

8.89 km