Rastoke is a village in Central Croatia, located near the town of Slunj. It is 30km or around 30 minutes drive from Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Waterfall Wonderland? It is hard to argue against that. Where ever you turn in Rastoke you will see a waterfall. I seen some photos of it but i was surprised with what i saw right from just stepping out of my car.
And while we are motioning cars i would recommend parking HERE - Click for the map. If you are not there peak of the season, you will probably find a space as it is pretty big parking. Keep in mind parking can only be payed by Coins at the parking machine.
Also pay attention as you are not allowed to turn into the parking lot if you are getting to it from the wrong side, so i would recommend going a bit further up the road and making a "U turn" at the next exit. No need to risk a, i would guess not so small, traffic ticket.
As you get out of the car you can find a trail leading down to the river. You can get a nice low view of the waterfalls. Taking the trail makes sense as it leads you to the right by the river to a bride to cross to the other side, essentially to the end of the Rastoke village. So you can make a round trip and go back to the parking lot through the village and not go the same rout.
I realized that when i got to the end and was in a hurry to get back because i only got 2 hours for my parking. So i opted out from that as you need to pay to take the trail. You can buy the ticket online at the spot as there are instructions of how to do it on the gate.
Rastoke preserved it's traditional look. With house built with stone foundations and wooden upper stories. There are several old Water Mills, some dating back several centuries
Some of the birds are faking it :)
River also goes through the village so you are surrounded by water and small waterfalls all the time.
There are several restaurants on the river, so you can enjoy it while taking a brake. And i would say it is hard to make a mistake with ordering any of the traditional foods.
From the photography standpoint, tripod and ND filter would make these photos much better. So i would recommend that :)
I spent all the coins i had on parking and it was only 2 hours, and i was on my way home from this road trip. But i would say you need more than 2 hours to fully enjoy Rastoke. At least half of the day if you also want to get some food and relax. Probably more if you are into photography.
So if you are visiting Plitvice Lakes, don't miss out on Rastoke.
If you missed any of the previous post from this trip you can click on the image and check that out:
