Legends from the Plitvice Lakes Municipality are just as magical as the area where they were born. For years, the beauty of this region has inspired people`s imagination and today legends are one of the most important reasons for choosing a tourist destination. It is always nice to know stories related to an area, legends passed down through generations, and the mysticism surrounding them.
One of them is a legend about Gavan’s treasure and lake Gavanovac in Plitvice Lakes National Park. So here is what happened here a long time ago…
During the time when the Black Queen lived in Plitvice area, there was a Gavan, a mighty master. He had many faithful servants, and because of his goodness, they all loved him. Gavan kept his treasure chest in a castle, which was home to fairies and other creatures. They lived there for centuries, hiding from the Black Queen.
Only his dearest servant and friend Juraj knew about the treasure chest location. But one day, the Black Queen sent a spy to find out where the chest is. When Gavan saw that he was approaching, he sent the servant Juraj to save his greatest treasure.
Juraj ran into a forest with a treasure chest under his hand, but as some weird force pushed him toward the Lake he decided to swim over. He was already deep in the water, in the middle of the lake, when soldiers came out of the woods. A mysterious stream suddenly began dragging him to the bottom of the lake but then the chest in his hands began to shake and shine – the fairies wanted out. They felt they found a home.
Juraj quickly unlocked the chest and all the fairies immediately ran out. They threw away the mighty Queen Army and rescued Juraj from the danger. The Black Queen could never reach the lake again because it was filled with goodness.
Gavan soon built a castle near the lake and the fairies still live there. During the night, if you listen well, you can hear them singing.