Country: Albania and Montenegro Duration: 6 days | Travelling style: Self-guided
Difficulty: Medium | Availability: June - October
Embark on this 6-day, self-guided journey to the Peaks of the Balkans. Experience wild nature, breathtakingly beautiful viewpoints and enjoy the hospitality of the local inhabitants.
The tour includes the first night in Shkodra after arriving in Albania. You can use this day to enjoy the rich cultural offerings of Shkodra.
The village of Theth is one of the most picturesque places in northern Albania. Characterised by wild nature and years of difficult accessibility, the village still has the kulla and other buildings from the Middle Ages. The village is 100 per cent Roman Catholic and has the most unique structure in the world. Kulla e Ngujimit, a three-storey rock building without windows. It served as a self-imposed exile for people involved in blood feuds.
Distance: 10 km, ↑ 266 m ↓ 435 m
Today you will undertake one of Albania's most famous hikes from Theth (728 m) over the Valbona Pass (1759 m) to the village of Valbona (995 m) in the heart of the national park of the same name. This 20-kilometre hike follows the route of an old mule track that connected the tribal regions of Shala and Nikaj.
Distance: 19.5 km, ↑ 1068 m ↓850 m
Today you start with a transfer to the starting point of the hike in the village of Cerem. Overall, the route is one of the shortest sections in the entire Balkan Mountains. You pass through a small Albanian seasonal shepherd settlement just a few kilometres before the Bori Pass, right on the border between Albania and Montenegro. The picturesque path winds its way through beech and birch forests. Many inhabitants of Cerem and Vusanje are related by blood and marriage.
Cerem itself was founded in the early 1950s when shepherds from Vusanje began to exploit pastures in Albania. Following these incursions, the Albanian state decided to send in the armed forces and seal off the borders. However, the inhabitants of the two villages of Cerem (Albania) and Vusanje (Montenegro) originally belong to the same Albanian ethnic group.
Distance: 12.8 km, ↑ 801 m ↓1015 m
Gerbaja in Montenegro was considered the most beautiful valley in Tito's Yugoslavia, now home to seven independent states. It is a detour from the classic "Peaks of the Balkans". We think it is a pity that this valley was not included in the classic "Peaks of the Balkans". To start the hike, a 20-minute transfer to the starting point is required. The hike then begins with an ascent to the "green sky" of the Taljanka peak with a view of Karanfil, a rugged rock massif.
Distance: 9.8 km, ↑ 834 m ↓908 m
From Vusanje in the Prokletije Gebrige, you start today's 21-kilometre hike to the historic Albanian village of Theth. The path leads along the most rugged part of the Cursed mountains or Prokletije/Albanian Alps, which was a forbidden zone during the communist era. In addition to the dramatic cliffs that form the backdrop to the day's hike, you will also see a military bunker and the old border crossing signs as you enter Albania.
After the hike, a transfer will take you to Shkoder.
Distance: 16.5 km, ↑ 1050 m ↓1000 m
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This hiking trail is characterised by many descents and ascents. The route leads over a relief that represents alpine terrain with steep slopes, river valleys carved into the mountain, rocky peaks, mountain pine belts etc. However, the paths chosen are mostly easy to walk on and safe.
For navigation you will receive either GPS files that can be downloaded to your own navigation device or alternatively links to routes stored in our app (these can be viewed offline after downloading, you do not need an internet connection in the mountains, only the GPS of your mobile phone must be active).
GMT +1
Albanian in Kosovo and Albania, Serbian/Montenegrin in Montenegro. Many people speak English in large cities, but this is often not the case in remote areas. Some people also speak German due to the large diaspora in German-speaking countries.
220V, 50 Hz, two-pole round plug (as in Germany). In most villages, the guesthouses have solar panels, which provide hot water and can be used to charge electrical appliances. In some villages or on the mountain there is also mobile phone reception. Especially in Valbona and Theth you can count on very good mobile phone coverage.
Euro (EUR) in Kosovo and Montenegro, Lek in Albania, although Euro is also frequently accepted there. ATMs are available in Shkoder (Albania), Peja (Kosovo), Plav (Montenegro) and Gjakova (Kosovo).
German, Swiss and Austrian citizens can enter Albania without a visa. All you need is an identity card or passport that is valid for at least 3 months.
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