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Anita Mesic is a local guide in the Plitvice National Park and she was very kind to take the time to be interviewed by us and to share some of her experiences and preferences.
Q1: When you are guiding groups, do you always take the same course in Summer and in Autumn?
Answer: The way I guide tours depends on the weather, and also how crowded Plitvice National Park is on that particular day. We all know how crowded the park can be in summer, and because of that, it takes longer to finish the tour. But in autumn, it is less crowded and guests have more time to take photos and enjoy the amazing nature. But no matter what, I always try to do my best in giving my guests a nice tour, hoping they will leave Plitvice with nice memories to share with their friends and family.
Q2: Which is your favourite spot for autumn foliage viewing in Plitvice?
Answer: Plitvice National Park is so beautiful in autumn, but it is almost impossible to choose only one place. For me, personally, the most beautiful area is the upper lakes, where you can see a series of waterfalls connected to each other. This part is called The Ring.
Q3: Is there something special that they can do in Plitvice in autumn?
Answer: Autumn is definitely the most colourful season in Plitvice, when the leafs turn red and yellow and create an amazing pallet of colours. I think that autumn is also a good time to visit the nearby Rastoke village, which is also nicknamed as “small Plitvice”. Although autumn foliage in Rastoke is not as spectacular as in Plitvice, it makes a really nice stop between Plitvice and Zagreb and I would recommend it for all autumn tours.
Q4: What would you suggest to agents who want to diversify their visit to Plitvice?
Answer: There are some spots nearby which most agents do not know yet. For instance, just a short drive away from Plitvice National Park you can find Nikola Tesla Memorial Centre. He was a famous Croatian inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. In the Memorial Centre guests can learn more about Nikola Tesla and see some of his fascinating experiments. Another “secret” in this area is Kuterevo. In this small village local people established a safe refuge for bears. Yes, you’ve heard correctly, people and bears co-exist in this area. There you can see a baby bear centre with cute baby bears!
Q5: Let’s finish with food. Is there anything special you can recommend for autumn?
Answer: Plitvice is best known for lamb, which is served with potatoes under the bell. And roast sucking pig is another local specialty. A bit less known local specialty is basa cheese. The recipe for basa cheese is very old and has been passed from one generation to next. You can find it on menus of most restaurants in this area. For autumn I would recommend to finish your meal with homemade plum brandy, which is very healthy and good for digestion.