The Baby Sister of Plitvice Lakes: Her Majesty, the One and Only
Its pet name is the Queen of rivers and according to one legend, it was named after a Roman soldier, enchanted by the beauty of its crystal clear spring shouted out "Una!", Latin for "the only one". For that's what it really is. One of the five rivers with the deepest spring in the world whose bottom hasn't been reached yet, for the divers managed to dive as deep as 248 metres. Its 210km long journey starts at a remote and poorly inhabited part of Croatia, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It wells out in a quiet turquoise greenery of its spring, from the endless depth of a quiet lake. In August 2016, at the International Cave Diving expedition called "Rock Galaxy - the Zrmanja river, 2016", organized by Society for the research and recording of karst phenomenon, an Italian cave diver Luigi Casati dived as deep as 248 metres setting the new world record, thus making the Una spring the deepest researched karst phenomenon in Dinaridi area.
A Natural Border Between Croatia and Bosnia
The Una is a natural border between Croatia and Bosnia, it used to be famous for Una railroad, its bridges were crossed by many armies, but what it still owns today is its clarity, beauty admired by all of those who set off from the spring at Donja Suvaja in Zadarska county.
For a few years now you can reach the spring by a path with wooden handrails which are a bit of a drag since you can't grip them, as if they were made by somebody not knowing much about hand ergonomics. By the path leading to the spring, there is a hut and a board with basic information on the river which, besides carrying eight billions of cubic metres of water to the Sava river every year, is a huge, but unused potential. The entrance fee is 20 kunas.
Štrbački buk, one of the most outstanding Una destinations, dominated by a 24-metre tall waterfall and a number of smaller ones, should soon be reached by a road. Several powerful machines,
trenchers and excavators are breaking the rocks and are broadening the existing trail to turn it into an asphalt road for cars. Once it's finished, it is expected to give a real swing to new visitors ready to enjoy the wilderness of the Una.
The Calm Flow of the Una River
From the vantage point on Croatian side, there is a beautiful view of the river flow, surrounding mountains, Una railroad, and the gurgle of water can be heard even without having seen it yet. On hot summer days, thick wood is a true refreshment. More and more rafting fans discover the Una, and since Bosnian rafting excursions are much better organized, many go rafting at the Bosnian side of the river where one can come across numerous villages, hotels and villas with pools, particularly in Lohovo and Ripče, where the Una has a more calming flow again.
The potential of Una as a tourist destination has been recognized at Plitvice Lakes national park which has launched the project of the integral economic development of Lika, the aim of which is to brand Lika and Primorje counties as tourist destinations with protected areas and as gastronomic destinations.
By branding Lika as a unique destination, this beautiful river opens to the public, and being relatively close to the Plitvice Lakes, there is a strong possibility of a clearer presentation of the Una to a more global market. Because out of all natural beauties, water is most appealing to tourists. By enhancing infrastructure, primarily local roads and facilities, the Una area can become a new unforgettable destination which also makes new opportunities for the service industry and the employment of local citizens, primarily in food preparation service, which is an additional motive for the economy revival of this area - thus we were told at Plitvice Lakes national park.
At Plitvice national park, the Una and its tourist contents are not seen as a competition, on the contrary, by being a socially responsible institution,it makes itself available to development since, by involving the Una into tourism, it opens numerous opportunities.
| 1. Štrbački buk | 2. The Una River