Plitivice Lakes in new seven wonders of nature

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Plitvice Lakes, a Croatian national park ,  has entered the second round of the competition for the new seven wonders of nature.

It was among a competition of 261 natural beauties from 222 countries and 77 natural attractions and entered the semifinals based on the votes cast by visitors to
the www.new7wonders.com web portal.

The campaign has begun in 2007 and votes can be cast via the website until 7 July. After the vote counting, an expert jury will elect 21 finalists and leave the final decision to another round of Internet, telephone and SMS voters who can make their final judgment on the seven world wonders of nature until 2011.

Often referred to as the most beautiful European garden of preserved beauty, Croatia has eight national parks, Plitvice Lakes being the most popular among them. It consists of sixteen lakes connected by falls. Due to the characteristic karstic base, the waters of Plitvice Lakes are rich in calcium bicarbonate, which is decomposed into calcium carbonate due to water breaking on the barriers.

Calcium carbonate is then deposited with the presence of algae, moss and other organisms. All this enables growth of gypsum barriers with magnificent falls splashing over them, their beauty leaving no one indifferent.

The national park, located in the interior of the country but easily accessible from the coastal area thanks to the modern roads, stretches over almost 30 thousand hectares, its prehistoric dense forests accounting for over 22 thousand hectares.

The exceptional beauty of the lakes and falls, strolls around the forest paths and over wooden bridges, comfortable hotels and restaurants offering local delicacies attract visitors from across the world throughout the year. Plitvice Lakes are on the UNESCO’s list of world heritage.