Tag: waterfalls

Klanac at the Kupa river

   Location:  The Kupa river at Klanac
   Short video impression

From the main road heading to Rijeka or Karlovac, turn into the village of Klanac at the restaurant Mirni Kut.
Turn right and drive down the hill until you reach the river. The road is not visible in google maps but has lately been paved and widened so no worries!
There are some unorganized parking places. Avoid weekends.

Definitely one of the loveliest a beautiful spots on river Kupa. In the early days, the Kupa river had many watermills. Most of them have withered and nowadays only the remains can be found. Nevertheless, the artificial waterfall at Klanac is very beautiful and when the water is low you can walk to the other side of the river and visit the little hamlet of Damelj, Slovenia.
The village is an ideal setting for morning photography. There is not just the waterfall that is very photogenic. About 200 meters upstream you can spot a very nice old watermill that is still in good shape. The village next to Klanac is Damalj (see picture 2). The church and the old houses make it a very picturesque place. The Kupa itself is sleepy, dreamy and fairytale-like at this location.

   Take a walk:
You can consider a short walk from the Kupa river at Klanac to the next village of Damalj. It is very easy just walk through the fields. There is a pathway that leads you to the village.
The second option is just to follow the course of the river till the next waterfall and even further. The road is narrow and unpaved but easy to walk.

   Take a break: 
There are picnic benches at the riverside and a grill.
Up in the village is the traditional restaurant of Mirni Kut
The next village of Severin na Kupi has a small grocery store and two coffee bars and a gas station. This village also hosts one of the many Frankopan castles in Croatia.

    Photo tip: 
Klanac is famous for the morning mist. In fact, every time I come there during late Summer, Autumn, Winter and early Spring there is morning mist. The mist adds so much more atmosphere to a picture. Sunlight comes into the Kupa valley about an hour after sunrise. Even though the Autumn colours are much more attractive this location is an all year round photo hot spot.
Watch the local weather report (I can highly recommend the YR app) for weather circumstances.

Klanac – January 12, 2021
Damalj – October 21, 2020
Klanac – September 23, 2019.

 

Slapnica nature reserve

   Location: Slapnica
If you love a wonderful hike through dense forest and you want to avoid the heat on a hot sunny day or the usual crowd at Plitvice then try this wonderful hidden gem. It is a 10-minute drive away from Krasic and easy to reach by car. You can walk all the way from the quarry (park your car there) to the old watermill where grandma “Nada” and her dog and sheep reside. She has her own private waterfall in her backyard!
The path is very easy and absolutely not demanding. No steep climbs. You walk along the creek and you are accompanied by the beautiful sounds of the rushing water and some very nice waterfalls. There are two waterfalls that take you off the track. They are called Brisalo and Vranjak. There are signs that help you find them. One of them is a bit hard to reach. The road is unpaved. You can also drive it with a four-wheel-drive car. In total it is 9 kilometres.

You can extend your hike by taking a right at the watermill by taking the road to the almost abandoned village of Pecno. From there you walk to Rude Pribicki (great views!) and you head back to the main road at Svrzevo. If you want to do this long hike please consider a full day. (but it is worth it)

    Warning: 
The bridge before the quarry has no safety railings. Be careful!
Please make sure not to block the lorry trucks when you park your car. The starting point for such a beautiful nature reserve might seem a bit odd, but you are definitely in the right place 🙂

   Photo tips: 
➨   Waterfalls are best after some rainy days, there is more water!
➨   Avoid direct sunlight as it makes the water beams too bright to handle later on in photoshop.
➨   Use a tripod in order to have a low shutter time and create this “milky effect”.
➨   Do some clean up of branches that might disturb your picture.
➨   Take boots so you can stand in the water.
➨   Look for some boulders like in the first picture and some colourful leaves. They really add a great atmosphere to your picture.
➨   Some late afternoon light in the background is highly recommendable.
➨   Personally, I prefer using a wide-angle when I take pictures of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.

   Take a break: 
The nearest place for refreshments is the great restaurant “Zumberacki Raj”. The restaurant is in the heart of the nature park in a very idyllic setting. They serve a simple but delicious meal of fresh brook trout, potatoes (3 choices), and fresh salad. They also offer some other meat dishes.

Zeleni Vir canyon

Location: 
   Zeleni Vir – Skrad, Gorski Kotar
You need to be a kind of a daredevil to take the narrow roads deep into the canyon of Zeleni Vir. It is quite scary to drive.

   Take a walk: 
There are some nice waterfalls in this nature reserve and you can hike over wooden footpaths and bridges. A fantastic experience.

   Take a break: 
During the summer season, there is a “planinarski dom”(mountain hut) near the entrance that serves food and drinks.

   Photo tip: 
If you want to take pictures of waterfalls always take your tripod and choose a low shutter time for that special effect. Avoid bright and direct sunlight as the contrast of the white water and the nearby surrounding is just too much to handle in one picture.