Krka National Park

Crews Letter #2004 07 Krka National Park

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen:

For our most recent episode, we have traveled inland by boat and by foot. There was an interesting illusion on a grand scale: traveling by boat on coastal water that gains and looses altitude not by tidal flow, but as the result of the land masses that surround it. We have visited two large waterfalls and a fifteenth century monastery. It has been an interesting couple of days.

Krka National Park is on the Krka River in central Dalmatia. The Krka empties into the Adriatic just below the city of Šibenik. The park is just upriver from the town of Skradin. The river in both towns is at sea level. But at Šibenik the river enters a canyon that is about 60 metres deep. 30 metres is under water. The 30 metres above the water is just to the upper edge of the canyon. Visible mountains on either side push upwards140 metres above sea level. As you sail up the river, the height of the canyon decreases until you reach a lake that has very low rolling hills around it. It appears that “upriver” is literally a gain in altitude. From this lake as you continue upstream, the hills build again until the river enters a second narrow and deep canyon. Again the land on either side is 30 or more metres above sea level. This phase of the trip, as the land goes up on either side of the river has the appearance of being downward. Upon arrival at Skradin, we are still at sea level, but it took an up and a down to get there. As helmsman, Phyl found steering the boat downhill just a little daunting. Having discussed the illusion and knowing that it wasn’t real, we experienced the same sensations on the trip back to the Adriatic.

There is a significant distinction between the national park personnel in Croatia and the US. The uniform and attitude in Croatia is one of service provider. In the US it is a paramilitary organization that is there to protect a national treasure from the wiles of a destructive citizenry. This may be one more example of the US government expecting the worst from its citizens and the citizens living down to expectations. But we digress.

The Krka River Falls at Skrandinski Buk are splendid. On the lake that is above the falls we take a boat to the island Visolac . There has been a monastery on this island for most of the last six hundred years. In the sixteenth century, Muhamed IV, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, granted to the Franciscans the island and the protection of the Empire. It is currently inhabited by 4 monks and 4 novices. After a year of monastic life, the novice can decide to enter seminary for theology training or return to the life of a layman.

From the monastery we traveled to a second set of falls at Roški slap.

When water falls, there is energy to be had.

There have been mills at both falls since Roman times. There are hydro electric generator operations there now. The hydro electric generators at the Skrandinski Buk was nearly the first such operation in the world. The generators at Niagara Falls were started two days earlier in 1895.

There is a good web site for the park at Krka National Park. Some of our pictures are in a gallery at Krka Gallery.

Interestingly, in our day at this park we didn’t see any graffiti. Wonder why?

Lee ho,

Phyl & Fred

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