RIVERS

Croatia's rivers belong to the Adriatic and the Black Sea basin.

The rivers in the interior are large and calmer:
Sava - length in Croatia - 562 km,
Drava - length in Croatia - 305 km and Dunav - length in Croatia - 188 km.

 

The coastal rivers are shorter and have a higher gradient.

The longest coastal rivers are:Mirna and Raša in Istria and Zrmanja, Krka and Cetina in Dalmatia.
Karst streams running partly underground prevail in Lika.

The Krka National Park and the town of Sibenik are symbolic of the contrasts that are found in central Dalmatia. There are the rugged limestone mountains of the mainland set against the intricate archipelagos of the Adriatic Sea. And there is the diversity and natural beauty of the various parks and reserves in combination with the rich and well-preserved cultural heritage of the ancient coastal settlements. It is a landscape that offers much to the interested visitor and which, thankfully, remains free from the concrete development of resorts. Mediterranean summers: Sibenik and the central Dalmatian coast enjoy a pleasant Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers coupled with cooling sea breezes and the temptations of the Adriatic. Inland, in the national park, the river and the waterfalls counteract the heat. In winter it is mild and wet, but note that much is likely to be closed.

Karst landscapes: Krka National Park shows the Croatian karst at its best. Karst environments are formed by the dissolving action of carbon dioxide and water on carbonate rock, which in Krka’s case is limestone. Over thousands of years this process has resulted in the formation of a series of distinctive geomorphological features, with the Krka river fighting its way through a long gorge and plunging over rapids. Karst landscapes also feature highly developed subterranean drainage systems, making them ideal territory for those interested in exploring potholes and caves.
The area is rich in Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean flora and fauna. The surrounding forest is mixed, with hornbeam, cypress, poplar, oak and willow represented, while over 200 bird species are found, including golden eagles, and the river is home to Visovac trout and Adriatic salmon.The Adriatic is also the Mediterranean at its best. Elsewhere polluted and crowded, in Croatia the sea is blue and clear and clean. It also provides the rhythm of life on the coast, with time being marked in the small fishing villages with the departure and safe return of the boats.

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Krka National Park: Established in 1985, the 142 sq km Krka National Park follows the line of the Krka river, from its source in the foothills of the Dinaric mountains on its short journey through the dramatic karst landscape to its finish in the Adriatic. The river flows through a limestone gorge, dropping over 220m in 50km, with eight sets of rapids. Only two falls – Skradinski buk and Roski slap – are in the park itself, although the former is the most impressive of all with a 46m drop over seventeen limestone steps.

Without any doubt, the river Cetina is one of the nicest places in Croatia where you can experience the magic of a rafting adventure. It is situated in a luscious region surrounded by quaint little villages. There are lots of stories surrounding the naming of this river. Passed down through the centuries several theories on the naming of the Cetina River have emerged. One possibility is that some of the first Croatians that came down from Northern Europe towards the warmer Southern coast, finding the river and naming it Cetina because it reminded them of the river "Cetynia", in Southern Poland which was their last Nomadic residence.
A more likely possibility is that the Cetina river derived its name from the Latin word "Kentona" that was given by tribe Dalmates. Croatians over time changed this Latin word to Cetina.
This region is very important, both historically and archaeologically. Along the Cetina’s tall canyon walls real archaeological fortune can be found: bottle-axes from the stone-age, shields from roman soldiers, personal items from middle-age peasants... and many other interesting artefacts. These findings confirm that people from this region are descended from an historical-age...
As the years passed by, the surrounding regions Cetinska and Krajina developed. This area is surrounded by the mountains Svilaja, Kamesnica and Dinara. This is a very productive region where you can find many small towns and villages, grasslands and green meadows full of flowers, grass and life. During moist springs there are many colourful flowers in the meadows and bees in the air. The Cetina river itself is teaming with life, Supplying drinking water to much of Dalmatia.
The unusual Climate in this region is a result of its position between the seaside and mountains. The differing climatic influences are visible in the vegetation of the region. The average temperature in January is about 4 degress celcius and in July the average temperature is above 23 degrees celcius. The average rainfall for this region is about 1400mm per year, which highlights the difference between this region compared to Split, and Livno. This is the reason for its sub-Mediterranean climate.
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The Cetina river connects many fields and unites all the waters, both above and below ground. Therefore the Cetina river gets water from many regions including Livno, Duvno, Kupres and Glamoc. Therefore the hydrographical territory of Cetina is 3700 square meters. Just as the Cetina gets water from Bosnian regions, it also gives away a lot. Therefore colour thrown into Cetina will appear in springs Studenci, Jadro, and Zrnovnica. As can be seen, Cetina is a very complex system of hydrological relations and laws. The Cetina’s formation and intricate underground connections are miraculous! Its length is 105 kilometres and its flow is lower 385 meters when it comes to the Adriatic Sea from its source.
The source of the Cetina river is situated in a small village (called Cetina) 7 kilometres away from the town of Vrlika. Gospodarska pecina (Noble Cave) is situated 100 meters above the source. This cave has important historical significance as it has been used as shelter for many people throughout history. During the wars with Turkey local soliders (hajduk) Socivica hide thre. The Cave is deep but only a small section of it has been explored. At the end of the 18th century, Ivan Lovrenovic discovered and described it. He claims that accompanied by a couple of "Morlaks”, after initially having trouble entering the cave they came to a spacious hall ornamented with stalactites and stalagmites. While listening carefully, he recognized the sound of underground waters. Following the sound he came to a place he describes as a "royal underground river". Some people say that this is the place where underground waters divide to source both the river Krka and the river Cetina. But who can really understand the secrets of underground waters?
500 meters down from the start of the Cetina river where the stream is still fairly small, there is a bridge. This bridge has served people for centuries. The bridge has no name, no one knows who built it, or what year it was building. There are many of meadows, green grass and land flowers surrounding the bridge. Resting under a shady tree here listening to the sounds of the river is a wonderful retreat from both people and the hot summer sun. Right there under the bridge (Balecki bridge) is a great place to fish.
On Garjacka kosa, above the river, there are several vineyards. You can find grapes there that are different to all others. They make wine that is sweet and easy to drink. In the beginning of last century, Emperor Franz Joseph (Franjo Josip) came to Krajina, to drink "garjacko" wine. The house where he spent the night is called "Schonbrunn".
Cetina is an entrance to the Sinj fields. There are 60 square meters of fertile ground around town of Sinj, which makes it the biggest field in Dalmatia. There are lots of small towns and villages in that area. In the East are Gala, Otok, Udovicici, Ruda i Grab. In the West are Sinj, Brnaze, Turjaci and Kosute. In the North are Glavice, and in the South are Jabuka and Trilj. In the past after these areas flooded during wintertime, men would bring their animals to this fertile area to pasture. Today, this area is mainly used for corn and wheat.

Leaving the Sinj fields, the Cetina river flows into the canyon. Coasts are closer and higher, and the river is deep and slow. In the past the water in this area flowed quickly and was used to work mills, however, a Floodgate has been built which has nade the water slower and deeper. The floodgate at Djal place, redirects the river and makes the water flow to the hydro-electririty centre. This is one of three hydro-electririty centres in the region of Cetinska Krajina. There is a castle Nutjak above the canyon, which very silently challenges archaeologists and historians. In the town of Omis the river Cetina meets the Sea.

There's no doubt many conoisseurs of the natural heritage of Croatia will point out the Croatian karst as the most interesting, well hidden, attractive part of Croatia. From the experts point of view, who will point out karst as a habitat for many endemic species, space of most interesting geomorphologic and hidromorphologic phenomenons (caves, springs, falls and various trevertine shapes), or the tourists point of view, who come here because of preserved nature and peace and tranquility, everyone will agree that karst represents a unique and special part of Croatia.
Would this carved bare stone, with not much vegetation, draw our attention if it wasn't carved with green oasis' of karst rivers. Zrmanja with Krupa, Krka, Cetina and other rivers, left their trace in this area and gave life to many animal and floral species, but also to man.

Zrmanja, though in some places of unstable flow, is by many, the most beautiful of the mentioned rivers. With its strength, and the strength of its tributaries, where we have to mention Krupa, Zrmanja found its way toward the sea for millenniums. Carving this hard limestone surface, it created one of the most monumental canyons and decorated it with numerous falls and travertine dams.
Lets go step by step, from the spring. Spring of Zrmanja is characteristic for its funnel shape on the bottom of which waters springs out abundantly, "boiling" among big moss covered rocks. When flowing along villages Bogunovići and Zrmanja Vrelo, the river formed a narrow bed whose bottom is covered with snow white stones. Through the narrow and long valley the river flows between fields to which it gives fertility, all the way to Kravlja draga. Here it enters a 200 meters deep canyon, through which it runs to the ruins of Keglevića gradine, where it again spreads through the valley of Mokro Polje. On the west end of Mokro Polje, large amounts of Zrmanja waters disappear beneath the ground toward the river Krka, and in the summer months this results in very low water levels, and even a dry bed of the river. We are not hiding our own surprise which we experienced looking for Zrmanja for the first time during the summer in Ervenik. We thought the dry bed was a macadam road. The bridge across the "macadam" solved the mystery of the missing river. The surface flow of the river, during the summer, begins at Crni bunar near the village Vujanići. The river goes on through a shallow canyon to Žegarsko polje. The flow is pretty wild here, during high waters, and cut with huge stone monoliths. On the exit from the canyon there are a few mills, which act as a dam covered with travertine. Although few are preserved, the fascinating roof on these mills is made of thin layers of stone plates.
Žegarsko field is on one side lined with the hills of Bukovica, and on the other side with river Zrmanja. The river has two stone bridges over it, one leads from Kaštela Žegarski to Nadvode, and the other to Krupa. Here Zrmanja receives its first tributaries, a creek from Mijića spring, and a temporary creek Suvaja with Suvaja spring and a spring in cave Velika Kusača, along with a creek with a spring in Milića cave. After Žegar Zrmanja gradually enters a deep canyon whose steep sides rise above 350 meters. This is probably the most beautiful part of the river. Under the spread out hips the river in some places formed beaches of pure white pebbles. On Panina hip, under which Zrmanja from the right receives its greatest tributary Krupa, you can see traces of an ancient fortress. Strengthened by Krupa, and mostly travertine, Zrmanja changes its face. 200 meters down from the mouth of Krupa, there is 11 meters high Visoki buk, the highest fall on river Zrmanja. The beauty which is attributed to the entire scenery, especially describes this travertine giant which will capture everyone's heart. The tragedy which happened in August 2001, when a huge travertine piece broke off Visoki buk and killed one person, warns us to be careful when found in the wilderness. On the part of the flow down from Visoki buk there is Obli kuk, completely round spikey rock on the left part of the river surrounded with water. An interesting sight is ten old travertine falls, 6-8 meters high, placed on the part from Visoki buk to the village Ogari. They also testify about natural changes which took part in ancient geological past.

At Ogari buk the canyon ends and the river flows along fields all the way to Muškovci fall and on to Berber buk. Downstream the river receives a tributary Dobarnica, and on the left bank there is a fort Klisina. From here the river spreads into the accumulation lake of the hydro electric power plant "Velebit". Underneath the dam the river flows through a mild canyon and down beneath the ruins of Stari Obrovac town it falls down Jankovića buk, in its last fall on Zrmanja. On Jankovića buk there are remains of old mills. This is a favorite vacation spot for visitors who come by tourist boats from Obrovac, but also those who come by speedboats from the summer spots on the shores of Novigrad sea, looking for refreshment in Zrmanja during summer heat. During low water levels beneath the fall itself you can feel strong sea influence. Underneath a thin layer of sweet water there is salty water, although there are 17 more kilometers of its flow to the mouth, and the water level changes depending on the tides. The city Obrovac is settled on the banks of the river, and the old and new parts of the city are connected with a bridge over which the road from Zagreb through Plitvice and to Zadar runs. On the left bank above the city there are ruins of a fortress of Kurjaković nobles (dukes), and a little further a vertical cliff Skočaj.

Down the stream from Obrovac, on the right bank, there is an old cemetary raised on the remains of a Benedictine monastery in Grkovac, and nearby is St. Nicholas chappel on the opposite left bank. The shallow waters near the banks are marked with red and green sea signs and are all in reed. From here the canyon grows deeper, and there is less vegetation on it. From the Fratri cliffs the river is much wider, and along the canyon there are steep sandbanks with rocks of limestone. This karst and heaps of stones would probably give a cold picture, if they were not colored with a spectrum of gentle gray, blue, yellow and red. Not far from the rocks called "Prince Mark's gate", there is on the left bank a fortress Pržunac whose tower can be clearly seen on top of the rock. The last 2 km of the flow, sandbanks replaced tall vertical cliffs which squeezed Zrmanja into a narrow passage right before its mouth in Novigrad sea. That passage along with the rock which peaks out of the sea on the mouth of the river, make a remarkable sight which stays remembered forever in the mind of every visitor of this beautiful river.

Known among fishermen, enchanted and silent, Gacka for thousands of years runs through the lives of inhabitants who live by this river since the dawn of man. To talk about Gacka as it used to be and as exists today, would not be appropriate. With the construction of the Hydro-electric system Senj in the sixties, man intervened in nature and changed its face. Therefore, it is hard to imagine how Gacka once looked, and to describe its parts, for example, waterfalls in Švica which were called Little Plitvice, over which Gacka dropped into a once big Donje Švičko lake. These magnificent sights can be seen only in stories from elders or on some old black and white photos.
Untouched, in its natural shape, Gacka springs remained safe from humans, and in those deep blue eyes of Gacka, we can still see the reflection of clouds and the blue sky. Tonković spring is just like that, and Vrilo Klanac from where the river starts to wind, as well. Majerovo spring is no less picturesque, and is a source of the right tributary of Gacka, Sinačka pučina. Due to geomorphologic elements and constant source of water, these places were convenient for building mills, and some are preserved and still working. Aware of this great heritage, we today restore these objects and take good care of them.
From the source Gacka runs through meadows between farms all the way to the Saint Francis chapel where it gradually enters reeds. After the mouth of Sinačke pučine the reeds are so wide that in some places you can’t look anywhere. Winding through reeds the river flows to Malinište, the mouth of the stream. There were, as the name says, mills and saws run by water here. The beauty of this location resulted in the construction of hotel “Gacka”, which was damaged during the war in Croatia and is shut down. Not far from here “Gacka” slowly comes out of thickets and runs under the bridge in Čovići. Underneath the old fortress of Karin, the left bank slowly rises and forms a hill Plasina. On this spacious meadows surrounded by coniferous trees on one side, and the Gacka river on the other, few cows find their peace there. A special characteristic of the Gacka river is its rich flora, from which you can’t see the bottom of the river. These long river weeds called resa, are a natural habitat of trout and other animals that live in Gacka, and it had an important role in feeding people as well as live-stock. In long winter months resa was used as a supplement for feeding live-stock. Resa was harvested from wooden boats which the local people called plavi. The harvested resa floated on the surface and was carried to wooden dams, where it was drawn out.
From Oreškovića bridge downstream, Gacka is often crossed by small concrete bridges which connect villages and Prozor town.
The natural flow of Gacka ends in Vivoze, and from there on Gacka was preserved in its old form in two backstreams, the left that ended in Donje Švičko lake and the Perinka abyss, and in abysses near the village Ponori, and the right one with which the river ran through Otočac all the way to Hrvatsko Polje where it disappeared in the deep abyss.
With its left backwater Gacka flowed through “Karlo’s channel” (1880) near Sinjal hill toward the Gornje Švičko lake where it passed underneath the old stone bridge in Švica and dropped over Švički waterfalls in Donje Švičko lake. Švički waterfalls, according to many, were the most beautiful on the Gacka river. On the waterfall itself there were around fifteen mills and several sawmills. In 1936 a small hydro-electric plant was constructed, which together with electric plants on the river Krka, and the power plant near Skrad and on Kupa in Ozalj are among the oldest technical objects in Croatia. The electric power plant once covered the needs of Otočac, and today, devastated, it testifies about optimal use of water power which does not ruin our beautiful rivers. Today Gacka flows in its left backwater through a channel, and before coming to Šemečica village it merges with waters of Lika from the tunnel Lika – Gacka. After a short surface flow these waters are lead into the accumulation lake Gusić field from where they go underground on HE “Senj”. Only a lesser part of the flow fills the Gornje Švičko lake.
The right backwater of Gacka divided Otočac on Gornji and Donji grad, and flowed through Drenov Klanac and Brloška Dubrava toward the abysses in Hrvatsko Polje. Although not as significant as the falls and lakes in Švica on the left backwater, the right backwater represented a stable water reserve for many villages. Water was grabbed from small wooden bridges or logs. Not only for drinking and agriculture. The Gacka river here moved heavy millstones in many mills in Babić Most and Brlog. There is not much left from the right backwater today. The water reaches Staro Selo and is lost underground. The situation is similar with the Gacka backwater through which the river once flowed to Poljice, and then dropped underneath Pakalj hill, and partly continued toward Šumečica where it again merged with Gacka. That is why this part of Otočac got the name Otok (island).
This partly sad story should not discourage us. The things man did not thinking about the consequences and not getting into the problem, should teach us a lesson and warn so this does not happen in the future. Still, no matter what it went through, Gacka remains one of the most beautiful rivers which flow in the Croatian karst fields, and as a real host is ready to enchant and welcome any visitor, fisherman or hiker who tells it his or her desires for enjoying the hidden secrets of karst waters.

The river Mrežnica is known to the general public as one of the four rivers of Karlovac. Although it is much shorter (64 km) than Dobra, Korana and Kupa, many people who know the rivers of Croatia will say, that Mrežnica deserves a special place among the rivers of the Croatian karst. What makes Mrežnica exceptional, are the 93 travertine waterfalls, which in some places of the flow make little lakes. It is not only the number of the waterfalls what makes Mrežnica exceptional. Although none of these waterfalls can't compete in height with the ones on Plitvice lakes or Krka falls, their picturesque shapes is what makes them unique, as spring as the river itself. What is especially interesting for this river is the position of these waterfalls. In the upper flow, from Čića's bridge to the Tržić bridge, in a length of only 5 km, there are 26 waterfalls, and there are as many in the lower flow from Generalski Stol to the place where it flows into Korana, but in a length of 39 km!
The spring of Mrežnica is in a cave beneath Popović peak (479 m). The spring, together with the 12 km of the flow is inside the military installation "Eugen Kvaternik". In the time when the installation was run by JNA, before the war in Croatia, the spring was damaged with a construction of a small hydro-electric power plant which was supposed to feed the installation with power in case it could not be obtained from the network.
After the first 7 km of its flow the river Mrežnica receives its first tributary Suvaća, and not far from here there is a bridge over it called Čuruvija's bridge. Mrežnica is mostly made of travertine, and in its upper flow there are numerous interesting travertine waterfalls and underwater dams. One of such waterfalls is Rončevića fall (4.1 m), which is about 2 km downstream from Čića's bridge, with three major travertine cascades over which water falls into a deep lakelike flow.
Immediately after Rončevića fall, under steep cliffs which form a narrow passage there is Milkovića fall (8m). This is the second largest fall on Mrežnica, and with its shape and the way in which, during low levels of water it practically delivers the water downward over a little "slide" formed on the middle of the fall, it belongs among the most beautiful falls on Mrežnica.
Several kilometers downstream the river goes into the narrowest canyon in its entire flow, and it runs through it all the way to Smoljanovića fall and to the bridge in Tounjski Tržić. In this part of only 1,2 km of flow, squeezed in a canyon full of vegetation, carved with white rocks, there are 9 waterfalls. In this part of the river there is a strong spring which brings down the temperature of Mrežnica in summer by 6-7 °C. The influence of this spring can be felt almost 5 km downstream, what is visible by different moss on the falls and the different shape of the falls.
Under Tounjski Tržić, Mrežnica is shallow and runs slowly. Reljića and Jagodića falls follow, and then Šušnjar. Šušnjar is the highest fall on Mrežnica with its 13 m. The fall surrounded a tiny, but deep lake between two cascades in a curve. On every side of the fall, entirely fitting into the landscape is one mill. Traces of the travertine rock on the right bank which is 4-5 meters high, and underneath which lies a cave, brings up the possibility that in the geologic past this fall was even higher, and the lower cascade was probably formed with the decay of the upper part.
Downstream from Šušnjar, in several smaller waterfalls there is a complex of Korać falls, and then there are Glavaš, Benić and Žara falls. There is a wooden bridge by Žara falls which connects the villages Dizdare and Vidovići. Although it lost its function a long time ago, an old bridge leaves a deep impression in its simplicity. Klarića fall, in its amphitheatrical shape, cuts the flow of Mrežnica in almost half of a circle. On a steep cliff on the left bank of river Mrežnica there was once the city Ključ which was owned by the Frankopan family. The city was devastated a long time ago, and today it is hard even to find the ruins.
From the river Mrežnica, on the right bank of the river there is a beautiful view of Tounjčica running into Mrežnica. Although someone who is not familiar with the view, would think Mrežnica is a tributary of Tounjčica because Mrežnica falls over junction falls and there it receives Tounjčica, and suddenly changes its direction. Strengthened by the waters of Tounjčica, Mrežnica continues its way through a mild canyon toward the north. After several falls there is a channel called Čikina luka, under which there are two smaller falls before Rebića fall. Rebića fall (4,5 m), also called Milin mill, is a wonderful third in its size, travertine giant which made a huge bow across Mrežnica. Then, there is the, twelve years ago, by dynamite heavily damaged Vitas' fall, which is luckily, through the process of travertine build-up, recovering.
The village Katići together with the weekend town of the same name, is the first larger inhabited area on Mrežnica and it is a sign of the beginning of more inhabited areas in the lower part of the river Mrežnica. On the bank of the river beneath the fall Malinice next to the village Mlinci, in the time of Austro-Hungarian reign, a steam water-pump was built, just like the railroad from Zagreb to Oštarije and further on. The pump was feeding water to the railroad station in Generalski Stol where the steam locomotives got their water supply.
Then there is a bridge in Keići which was destroyed in World War II, so a hundred meters downstream there was a ferry. The ferry on Mrežnica can be seen at Jankovo Selište where people use the ferry every day to reach the railroad station in Gornji Zvečaj. An interesting traffic object is a pontoon bridge, downstream from Puškarića fall in Gornji Zvečaj.
Several kilometers downstream the river again runs in a short but steep canyon. On the left bank not far from the village Novo Brdo there is a quarry. Under the vertical cliffs there is Kosov fall, under which Mrežnica reaches its greatest depths.
Downstream the river falls over several other falls, over Polović fall (lower) there is a picturesque wooden bridge which connects Belavići with Mrežnički Brig.
In the Duga Resa area Mrežnica has two more bridges crossing it. Above the northern bridge, on the river there is a small hydro-electric power plant of the small cotton industry of Duga Resa. From here Mrežnica puts on another face, which it holds until running into Korana in Turanj. You can feel the urban environment and there are more polluted places with trash to be seen. This "tamed beauty" remains in the memory of everyone who has seen it at least once, even from the old "Josephine road" on the way to the coast.

Korana is a river in central Croatia. It rises in the eastern parts of Lika, creates the world-famous Plitvice Lakes (an UNESCO World Heritage), touches the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina for a few kilometers and flows northwards where it finally reaches the river Kupa at Karlovac.

The soil of the karst region, through which this river flows consists of limestone. Under certain physical and chemical conditions the river is constantly creating new soil from plants

 

Kupa (Slovenian Kolpa) is a river in Croatia and on the border with Slovenia.

The Kupa originates in the mountainous region of Gorski kotar, northeast of Rijeka, in the area of Risnjak National Park.It flows a few kilometers eastwards, receives the small river Čabranka from the left, before reaching the Slovenian border.

It then continues eastwards, receives influx from the river Lahinja from the left, passes Vrbovsko, and eventually detaches from the Slovenian border. It then reaches the city of Karlovac, where it receives influx from two other rivers from the right, Dobra and Korana (which in turn is joined by Mrežnica).

It continues flowing to the east, where it merges with Glina from the right as well as Odra from the left, and proceeds to the city of Sisak where it flows into the Sava.

Una is a river in the western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina; in its lower course it borders Croatia. Una is a right tributary of the Sava river. Its river basin has an area of is 10,400 km² and it is inhabited by around a million people.

Una springs from the northeastern slopes of the Stražbenica mountain, and flows through: Martinbrod, Kulen Vakuf, Ripac, Bihać, Bosanska Krupa, Bosanska Otoka, Novi grad (Bosanski Novi), Kostajnica (Srpska(Bosanska) and Hrvatska), Bosanska Dubica ((Kozarska Dubica)). It flows into the Sava river near Jasenovac in Croatia. The main tributaries are the Unac, Sana, Klokot and Krušnica rivers.Over 170 types of medicinal herbs grow by the Una River; a rare plant called Campanile unensis, the Una blue-bell, was named after the Una river's bright blue colors. 28 kinds of fish live in this river and the biggest of which is the huchen .

Sava also Save (in German: Save; in Hungarian: Száva) is a river in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, a right side tributary of Danube at Belgrade. It is 940 km long and drains 95,720 km2 of surface area. In Roman times the river was named Savus. It is often considered a northern boundary of the Balkans.

The Sava has two main sources, both in the north-western, Alpine region of Slovenia. The spring of Sava Dolinka is in Zelenci near Kranjska Gora. The other leg of the river originates as Savica ("little Sava") and then flows into Lake Bohinj, which it leaves as Sava Bohinjka. "Krst pri Savici" (in English: Christening at the Savica) is a heroic epic poem written by the most influential Slovenian poet France Prešeren. Both legs of meet at Radovljica, and the river is known as the Sava past that point. The Sava flows through the Sava valley.

Its main tributaries, sorted from the source downwards, are the Ljubljanica (flows through Ljubljana), Savinja, Mirna, Krka, Sotla/Sutla, Kupa/Kolpa, Lonja, Orljava, Bosut, Una, Vrbas, Ukrina, Bosna, Tinja, Lukovac, Drina and Kolubara rivers.Towns on the Sava include Kranj, it flows next to Ljubljana, then through Zagorje ob Savi, Trbovlje, Hrastnik, Radeče, Sevnica, Krško and Brežice in Slovenia, Zagreb, Sisak, Slavonski Brod and Županja in Croatia, Bosanski Šamac and Brčko in Bosnia and Herzegovia and Sremska Mitrovica, Šabac and Belgrade in Serbia.

Neretva is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The total length is 225 km, of which 203 km in Herzegovina, while the final 22 km are in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia.

The upper stream of Neretva has water of Class A purity and is almost certainly the coldest river water in the world, often as low as 7-8 degrees Celsius in the summer months. Neretva also has some endemic and very delicate, fragile life forms that are near extinction.

Neretva originates deep in the Dinaric Alps and flows through them creating a large gorge. It eventually expands into a wide valley which provides valuable agricultural land. There exists a large accumulation lake near Jablanica, created on the Neretva and at least three hydroelectric dams between Jablanica and Mostar.

The Bosnian government has recently made serious plans to allow foreign investors to build several more dams in upper stream and destroy the canyon by flooding it. This is protested by environmentalists who wish for the canyon, considered at least as beautiful as the Tara canyon in the nearby Montenegro, to remain untouched as it has so far.

The smaller rivers of Rakitnica, Rama and Trebižat flow into Neretva from the right, while Buna and Bregava flow into it from the left. The last 30 km of Neretva's stream form an alluvial delta, before the river empties into the Adriatic Sea.

The biggest city on the Neretva is Mostar. Other towns on the Neretva include Konjic, Metković, Jablanica, Čapljina as well as the historical village of Počitelj.

Mura (German Mur) is a river in Central Europe, a subsidiary of the bigger Drava and subsequently the Danube.

The source of the river is in the Austrian national park Hohe Tauern. The source is 1,898 m above sea level. Its total length is 465 km, of which 295 km is in Austria, 98 km is in Slovenia and the rest constitutes the border between Hungary and Croatia. The biggest city on the river is Graz, Austria.

The Mur passing through Graz.The river gives its name to the Slovenian region of Prekmurje ("Trans-Mura-land") and the Croatian region of Međimurje ("between-Mura-land").

In the area of upper Međimurje, in the western part of the region, the Mura floods and change its course rather often, moving slowly toward the north on its left. Here, the biggest forest along the river, the Murščak, is located between Domašinec and Donji Hrašćan, (hrast is oak in the Croatian language).

Since the 4th century BC, there have been reports of floating mills powered by the streams of the river. The ancient technology was adopted later by arriving Slavs and then by Magyars. Several decades ago, in the 1920s and '30s, many of these mills were still operating along the river. The last one, in Mursko Središće, was in use in the 1970s.

The river ends near Legrad in the Varazdin county of Croatia, where it flows into the Drava river. The town used to be part of Međimurje but a change of the river's course set it to another bank of the river.

Mura is known to carry small quantities of gold, not enough to be suitable for exploitation today but was the focus of activity for many people since ancient times. Organized research and exploitation of gold and other local resources was encouraged for the first time in 1772.

The Drava or Drave (German: Drau, Slovenian, Croatian and Italian: Drava, Hungarian: Dráva) is a river in southern Central Europe. It rises in South Tyrol, Italy and flows east through East Tyrol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia (145 km), and then southeast, passing through Croatia and soon forming most of the border between Croatia and Hungary, before it joins the Danube near Osijek. It has a length of 725 km (450 mi). The Drava flows through Lienz, Spittal an der Drau, Villach, and Ferlach in Austria, Dravograd, Vuzenica, Muta, Ruše, Maribor, Ptuj, and Ormož in Slovenia, Varaždin and Osijek in Croatia, and Barcs in Hungary. The Drava is navigable for about 90 km from Čađavica in Croatia to its outfall.

The main tributaries of the Drava are: the Gail in Austria, the Mislinja and Dravinja in Slovenia, and the Bednja in Croatia from the left; and the Gurk in Austria, and the Mur (near Legrad) in Croatia from the right.

The most significant surface water-flows in the area of the Istrian Region are the Mirna, the Raša, the Boljunčica, the Dragonja Rivers, and the underground Pazinčica. In the water supply sense, there is a significant function of the surface accumulations Butoniga and Boljunčica.

The Mirna River is the longest and the richest Istrian river. Its length is 53 km, it springs near Buzet, and it empties into the Adriatic Sea near Novigrad.

The Raša River is 23 km long, it springs in Čepićko Polje, and it empties into the Raša Bay. The river-basin of the Raša River is very complex – the upper part, also known as Boljunčica, abruptly diverts from Čepićko Polje westwards and it unites with the Raša, continuing through a narrow valley towards the sea. In the continuation of the Boljunčica is a long Plomin Bay, reminding of other canals the Istrian running waters end in.

Similarly to other running waters, the Pazin stream in the first phase flowed towards the Limska Draga, cutting this complex valley – in flisch layers a wider and more open valley—and a narrow canyon through limestone. Along the rift in limestone, the abyss of the Pazinska Cave was opened.