Due to the natural beauty of the waterfalls, cascades, caves and rocks, which offer a beautiful mosaic of colours, sounds and shapes surrounded by high mountain forest terrain, Plitvice lakes and its surroundings were in 1949 declared a National Park, and since 1979 have been under the UNESCO protection. The park is open year round, and is most pleasant to visit during the summer months, but the winter months also leave visitors breath taken when they see the frozen waterfalls.
