Plitvicka Jezera National Park Off the Beaten Path Tips by dioclet ...

Easter 1991 was the "Bloody Easter" in Croatia, and is usually referred to as the start of the war in Croatia in the 1990s.

On Easter morning, March 31st 1991 a bus of Croatian policemen was sent to deal with Serbian rebelion in Knin. It was here in Plitvice where they were caught in fire and it was here where the first causalty fell. Josip Jovic was 22-years old policeman killed on this spot, and what will follow is five years of Serbian rebellion that caused thousands of killed, thousands refugees, hundreds of destroyed towns and villages and five years of broken communications, including this road.

For five years Plitvice lakes were occupied, and what was found afterwards were destroyed hotels and doubts about possible landmines. No mines were found, but all paths had to be examined centimeter by centimeter and in fact there are still some paths that are not opened because the Park authority wants to be sure they are OK.

At the place where Josip Jovic was killed, next to the Entrance 2, a small monuments is erected to the memory of the first victim of war in Croatia.

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