Croatia is known for its great wealth in the form of water, be it from the numerous rivers, lakes and springs or the beautiful Adriatic Sea. But did you know that one of the coldest and one of the smallest rivers in the world flows through Croatia?

Let’s start with the surprising fact that despite the mild Mediterranean climate, one of the coldest rivers in the world flows through Croatia. It is the Neretva River, which flows through Croatia for the last 20 kilometres before it flows into the Adriatic Sea. This green-blue river has its source at the foot of Mount Jabuka, a foothill of Zelengora in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at an altitude of 1,095 metres. As the water temperature at its source does not exceed 7 °C even in the summer months, it is considered one of the coldest rivers in the world.

A little further south, in the karst region of Komolac near Dubrovnik, lies the River Ombla, which, with a flow length of just 30 metres, deserves the title of the shortest river in the world. This tiny jewel of the southern region can also boast of having an endemic inhabitant. Its short course is home to the olm, also known as the “human fish”

We all know that the town of Karlovac lies on four rivers, but did you know that there is a town in the heart of Dalmatia that lies on seven rivers? This is the town of Knin, through which flow in this order: Krčić, Krka, Kosovčica, Orašnica, Radljevac, Marčinkovac and Butižnica. The most famous of these clear and water-rich rivers, Krka, has seven beautiful travertine waterfalls: Bilušića Buk, Brljan Falls, Manojlovački Falls, Rošnjak Falls, Miljacka Falls, Roški Falls and Skradinski Buk. Thanks to Jaruga, the oldest hydroelectric power plant in Europe and the second oldest in the world, which was built at the foot of Skradinski Buk, Krka secured Šibenik the title of the first city in the world with public lighting powered by alternating current.

We all know the two most famous lakes in the Imotski region, the Red and Blue Lakes. They are unique in Europe and together with Biokovo Mountain form a UNESCO-protected global geopark. But did you know that there is also a Green Lake in this karst region? This is the Ričice reservoir in the settlement of the same name. Although it was created artificially, it impresses with its beautiful colour and picturesque landscape. You may be surprised to learn that in addition to these three phenomena, there are seven other lakes in the Imotski field. These are: Two Eyes Lake, which is one of the sources of the Vrljika River, Postranjsko Lake, Provalija and Krenica Lakes, which merge into Prološko Blato Lake, and then Galipovac, Lokvičićko Lake (Mamića Lake) and Kneževića Lake. We can conclude that nature has done a really great job in this area.

If we drive a little further north, we come across another hidden gem with a world title. The spring of Una forms a fairy-tale blue-green lake surrounded by the slopes of the Plješevice and Stražbenice mountains. It is the deepest karst spring in Croatia and one of the five deepest in the world. It has already been explored to a depth of 248 metres, but the bottom has not yet been reached.

In conclusion, we can once again say: “If there is anything truly magical on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eiseley.