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6 days Peaks of the Balkans - self-managed

Country: Albania and Montenegro Duration: 6 days | Travelling style: Self-guided
Difficulty: Medium | Availability: June - October

Overview - Balkan Trail 6 days

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.

Route

Day 1: Arrival in Shkodra

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.

Day 2: Transfer to Theth. Hike Theth - Nderlyse - Theth

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

A small church in the mountains with a mountain range in the background

Day 3: Hike Theth - Valbona

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

Day 4: Transfer Valbone - Cerem. Hike Cerem - Vusanje

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 attacks, 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

Day 5: Transfer Vusanje - Grbaja valley. Hike to the Taljanka summit. Transfer to Vusanje

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

Hike, Peaks of the Balkans with peaks in the background

Day 6: Hike Vusanje - Theth. Transfer to Shkodra

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: 21.3 km, ↑ 1110 m ↓1440 m

Included

  • GPS tracks for use via a smartphone app or on your own GPS device
  • Accommodation for 6 nights in hotels, guesthouses and mountain huts. Rooms are shared in the mountains
  • Transfers from and back to Shkodra
  • 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
  • Our local office/representative offers round-the-clock customer support

Excluded

  • Luggage transport (can be offered on request)
  • Pick-up and return transfer from the airport (can be provided on request)
  • Travel insurance (should be taken out by the traveller)

SECURE YOUR

SPOT HERE:

  1. Select the date on the left
  2. Select the desired tour with "Book now"
  3. Confirm with "Continue" and follow the form
  4. You will then receive a confirmation by email, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have
  5. Payment is made by bank transfer 

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