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The Albanian Alps – a place far away from the 21st century

Writer's picture: Marion MuellerMarion Mueller

Why the Albanian Alps should be your next off-the-grid adventure destination?


In my first Blog we have wandered through the past and present of the buzzling city of Tirana – in the up-coming Blog we discover the more tranquil, however purely impressive mountain region of Albania. The Albanian Alps as they are called are a very scenic and spectacular part of the country. Admire sharp peaks with a respectable height up to 2600 meters in a dramatic mountain scenery, walk through green valleys and dense forests, try rustic farmer food in one of the many alpine pastures, explore emerald mountain lakes and take a refreshing bath in a rushing river.


In the Albanian Alps you can still find an unspoilt and wild nature with majestic mountains and quaint stone villages, in which time seems to stand still and old traditions are hold strong. Such a kind of purity and wilderness is hard to be found in Europe nowadays – travelling to these remote parts of the country is for sure not easy and time consuming, but with the right planning it will be a very rewarding adventure. The Albanian Alps can for sure be considered a hiker’s paradise.


Some places have already become more open and offer a basic touristic infrastructure, whereas in remoter places people still live in harmony with the rhythm of the nature and they follow their old rituals and traditions. In these villages foreigners are hardly seen and are still a kind of curiosity.


The crucial tradition of blood feuds, a dark and terrifying chapter in the history of Albania still exists after the fall of communism. Especially in the remoter parts of Albania this ancient code of honour and behaviour is still present and is considered to be the only option to restore the honour and reputation of a person and his/her family. A blood feud involves the members of one family killing members of another family in retaliatory acts of vengeance.


For us as we had a very restricted time for this part of the country as we were on a round trip through whole Albania and our mission was to get a taste of all the various regions. Therefore, you will find below mainly places in the Alps that are easily reachable and already with a certain infrastructure.


For more information on the Albanian Alps and hiking options, you can also check out the website of the Albanian tourism board


Shkodra – the entry gate into the Albanian Alps

The city of Shkodra in the north of Albania is situated in a beautiful setting amidst three rivers and with the Albanian Alps as a spectacular backdrop. Shkodra is very rich in history and looks with pride onto its unique cultural heritage. It also has a lively city centre with many shops and restaurants, which are attracting locals and tourists alike.


Where to stay

We were staying at the newly built Golden Palace Hotel a modern city hotel with cosy rooms and good facilities. From there it is just a short walk to the pedestrian area of Shkodra (www.hotelgoldenpalace.al)



What to do

The pedestrian area is a nice place to start a small walk through the centre. In this street you will find a large number of mainly modern restaurants and bars with some shops around. Most of the buildings in that area have been restored, but you will still spot some lost places in between.



If you get hungry along the way you find many options around – and just a small walk away comes a highly recommended local restaurantTradita www.traditagt.com. Located in a historical building you can experience very authentic food in an unique atmosphere. I really loved the outdoor seating area. Tradita also offers rooms for a real traditional twist on an accommodation.



Our Lady of Shkodra Church is also in that area and is worth for a quick stop as memories of Mother Theresa are held high over here.



The most popular site of Shkodra however is the impressive Rozafa Castle – or better what is left from it. Its ruins are majestically located on a rocky hill outside the city – from there you will have spectacular views onto Shokdra, the Albanian Alps and Lake Shkodra. Rozafa is also home to one of the most popular legends of the country about three brothers and a stoned-in wife. The myth tells that the poor woman´s milk still flows in the walls until today. For more info visit www.visitshkoder.org/rozafa-castle/



Another picturesque spot outside of town is situated in the little village of Mesi, 5km northeast of Shkodra. The ancient stone bridge spans over the Kir River – with the river valley and the mountains in the back it is a perfect picture point, however the bridge shows already great signs of destruction from devasting floods.



A further nice place to visit near Shkodra would be the Shkodra Lake, especially during weekends its shores and lake-side restaurants are flooded with people from the city looking for an escape of the busy city life. Lake Shkodra is one of the largest lakes in Southern Europe and lies on the border between Albania and Montenegro.



Last for Shkodra I have something very special for you. Ever wanted a real Venetian Mask? What this has to do with Albania you are asking for sure ….well, not all Venetian masks are really manufactured there. In the outskirts of Shkodra you find a real treasure box of Venetian masks – all hand-made. Venice Art Mask Factory, Rruga Inxh. Gjovalin Gjadri (www.veniceartmask.eu)



But let´s move over into the heartland of the Alps now – one village that was few years back difficult to reach became now the main touristic hub of the Alps – Theth. The hours long off-road approach is replaced nowadays with a pleasant drive on a scenic tar road inclusive of viewing spots and....



..... some roadside restaurants like for example the scenically located Buni Bajraktarit Restaurant (www.instagram.com/bunibajraktarit/?hl=en).



Therefore, it does not take much of an adventurous spirit anymore to reach Theth – but the drive and the stunning scenery of the Theth village is still an authentic experience that shouldn´t be missed.




We only paid a day visit to Theth – however I would highly recommend staying there for 1 or 2 nights to really enjoy nature, mingle with the locals, enjoy organic mountain food and to take off to some nice hikes around the area like to Grunars Waterfall or Theth Blue Eye.


In Theth you have quite a good choice of various guest houses of different size and quality.



Start a visit to the valley with a small walk around the village with a stop at the church and at the lock-in tower. If you are lucky, you might find a local of the neighbourhood that explains the century old history of these towers to you (well, but only if you know how to speak Albanian 😊😊). These towers that can be found also in the villages around played a vital role in the above explained blood feuds. In these lock-in towers men who violated the honour codex were imprisoned. The prisoner was only released when one of his family members was killed or when he was granted forgiveness by the affected family.



Around town you can explore many nice spots – the best recommendations you will receive through local guides. We had a small walk to some picturesque natural pools....



... with a delicious lunch of locally caught fresh river fish upon our return at the Restaurant Nderlysaj.



Unfortunately, with this our trip to the Albanian Alps already came to an end – I could have spent easily a week or two in that region.



Other popular places to visit are for example the Lake Koman, a spectacular 34 km long lake. It´s scenery with dense forested hills, vertical slopes, deep gorges and narrow valleys often reminds travellers of a Norwegian Fjord. The lake can be crossed by a rusty ferry – the journey takes 2 ½ hours one way. The road from Shkodra to the ferry harbour is still a quite rough off-road drive. For more info visit:



Beside Theth, Valbona would be a nice village to visit. This place is also very famous for its various hikes around and its beautiful mountain setting.


For us it is time to move on and to explore what Albania has on offer for all the beach lovers. Albania is a country of contrasts and we want to experience them all!

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