Okrugljak
Okrugljak is one of the Upper Lakes in Plitvice Lakes National Park in central Croatia, sitting near the top of the chain where the larger lakes spill into each other over travertine barriers. The draw here is the water arriving from above. Two waterfalls feed the lake, the most striking being the Labudovac falls, which drop around 20 m over a wide, mossy ledge into the turquoise pool below. Wooden boardwalks run right along the edge and across the shallows, so you can shoot the falls head on, frame them through the surrounding beech forest, or look straight down into water clear enough to show the submerged logs and fish. The pools shift through different greens and blues depending on the light and your angle, so move around and watch the colour change. Overcast days actually work in your favour. The soft light kills glare on the water and saturates the greens, and it lets you slow your shutter on the falls without blowing the highlights. There's also the Tomićevo Pogledalo viewpoint, opened in 2024 and reached by a short trail up from the lake, looking out over five of the lakes at once. The shuttle train stops nearby at ST3, so access is straightforward. Worth knowing: the Upper Lakes usually close over winter and reopen in April, and commercial photography needs a permit. (Plitvice Lakes, Lika-Senj, Croatia)
