Some places live up to the hype. Plitvice is one of them. About 1.5 hours inland from Zadar, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a chain of 16 terraced lakes connected by waterfalls, boardwalks, and trails through beech and fir forest, with water in shades of turquoise, green, and blue that shift with the light and the season. The colour comes from the minerals and organisms in the water reacting with sunlight — the explanation is scientific, the result looks supernatural.

Go early in the morning, before the tour buses arrive, and take the longer walking route rather than the boat-and-train option. The park is most beautiful when it's quiet enough to hear the waterfalls properly. Book tickets in advance — in summer they sell out days ahead.