The Plitvice Lakes are the oldest and largest national park of the Republic of Croatia. With its exceptional natural beauty, this area has always attracted nature lovers, so it was declared the first national park in Croatia on April 8, 1949. The process of sedimentation, which forms travertine barriers and creates lakes, represents a unique universal value for which the Plitvice Lakes received international recognition on October 26, 1979, by being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.