Batinovac

Batinovac is one of the Upper Lakes in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, sitting at roughly 610 metres above sea level. It's a modest link in the sixteen-lake chain, but its quiet setting under old beech trees makes it a memorable stop on the Upper Lakes trail.

Where does Batinovac sit on the Upper Lakes route?

Batinovac lies in the middle stretch of the Upper Lakes chain, between Lake Okrugljak and Lake Galovac. It's one of twelve lakes forming this upper system, alongside Prošćansko Lake, Ciginovac, Veliko and Malo jezero, and Kozjak, among others. Batinovac covers about 1.5 hectares, stretches 140 metres in length and up to 80 metres in width, with a maximum depth of around 5 metres. By elevation, it ranks as the fourth-highest lake in the entire park system.

What will you actually see at Batinovac?

The lake's edges are lined with a series of small waterfalls where the ongoing formation of tufa (travertine) is easy to spot — the process by which moss and aquatic plants trap dissolved limestone carried in the water, gradually reshaping the terrain. This is the same mechanism that keeps Plitvice's lakes and barriers in constant, slow transformation. Tall beech woods surround Batinovac, giving it a more secluded, forested feel than the wide turquoise expanses of Kozjak or Veliko jezero. A well-maintained boardwalk runs close to the water, putting the small cascades within easy view.

Where does the lake's water come from?

Batinovac is fed by water flowing down from the higher lakes — Okrugljak and Prošćansko — through an old, partly man-made channel. Part of that water then drops over a waterfall into the lower-lying Galovac, while the rest spreads into smaller pools to the north of Batinovac. This chain of interconnected basins is typical of the whole park, which is why water levels and flow patterns between the lakes keep shifting.

Where does the name come from?

"Batinovac" (sometimes recorded as "Bakinovac") has two competing origin stories. One traces it to a local farmer named Batinić, said to have worked land in the area. The other, a folk tale, links the name to "baka" (grandmother) and tells of an elderly woman who reportedly drowned in the lake.

How do you get to Batinovac?

The lake sits along the walking route through the Upper Lakes, reachable from either park entrance (Ulaz 1 or Ulaz 2). Touring the Upper Lakes combines wooden boardwalks and trails with the park's internal transport — shuttle buses and the boat across Lake Kozjak — which makes it easier to reach the more distant sections of the route, including the area around Batinovac.

Most common questions

Is Batinovac a large lake? No, it's one of the smaller lakes in the system — about 1.5 hectares, 140 metres long, and no more than 5 metres deep.

Are there waterfalls near Batinovac? Yes, the lake is ringed by a series of small cascades where tufa formation is clearly visible.

Which lakes connect to Batinovac? It receives water from Okrugljak and Prošćansko Lake upstream, and feeds into Lake Galovac via a waterfall.

Where does the lake's name come from? Most likely from a farmer named Batinić, though a folk legend also ties it to the word "baka" (grandmother).