The Krka National Park is truly an amazing place, worth seeing any time of the year. A chance to see the bottom of the river and to dive under the waterfalls is something you can’t say no to, so I had an opportunity to see this jewel of nature from a new perspective. And I don’t regret it. The nature in Krka is almost as tame and idyllic as the one surrounding it, accompanied by the same noise of flowing water and waterfalls, and by the same scent of the woods and sludge. Being under the waterfall is beautiful, like being in clouds of bubbles, clear, cold, and very noisy. An incredible feeling.

Walking through the park at night, when there are no tourists, I was amazed by the multitude of animals and the beauty of nature more than any of the times spent there during tourist visits. If only one could always go like that. It is a special respite for body and spirit. The best part of the tour is a visit to the islet of Visovac, located on the eponymous lake on the course of the Krka river. A fairy-tale place that leaves one speechless. Perfect calm, in the midst of perfectly intact nature, in which a Franciscan monastery was built back in 1440, and has not changed in appearance since. It seems to be self-sufficient. The oldest preserved parts of the complex are the water well rim from the 14th century, and parts of the monastery cloister from the 15th.

The monastery

holds a very valuable collection of books, works of art, and other important documents. The walled gardens are decorated impeccably, with various kinds of fruits, each one resembling a painting. A surreal sight. There are also domestic animals strolling the gardens freely, and looking over the walls at the ducks and swans enjoying their somewhat wilder habitat. One feels the complete silence that is awe inspiring, and makes you focus on the perfection of the nature surrounding you. The Franciscans here live in complete harmony and peace with nature, which, if it isn’t heaven on earth, comes very close to it. Visovac is a fairy tale that one must simply experience. Perfect peace. “Above, the endless horizon, the blue pierced with grey cliffs, stone streaked with green tree tops, and in the middle the smooth, blue-green water surface with the reflections of willows, cypress trees and poplars.“

Text and photo by Ivana Begović