Peaks of the Balkans Tour 10 days

Day 1: Arrival in the region (Saturday)

Arrival in Shkoder and overnight at the hotel. Meeting with the guide and the group for a short briefing from 20:00 - 21:00. Podgorica Airport (1 hour 30 minutes from the starting point), Tirana Airport (1 hour 30 minutes from the starting point), Tivat International Airport (2 hours 40 minutes from the starting point) (3 hours 40 minutes from the starting point), Skopje International Airport (4 hours 40 minutes). Transfer from the airport and back can be provided on request.

Day 2: Transfer to the starting point of the trail. Short hike to Blue Eye Theth (Sunday)

Length of the hike: 11.5 km
Metres of ascent ↑: 266 m
Altitude metres descent ↓: 435 m

Your first day on the Balkan peaks begins with a transfer from Shkodra to the village of Nderlyse, a small hamlet at the foot of the Balkan peaks. The village is home to the Shala River, which has created waterfalls and rock formations similar to baths and pools. After a short exploration, you start your journey towards Theth with an easy hike.

Cultural note: Ndërlyse and Theth are two Roman Catholic villages that are home to several small churches. In Ndërlyse there are the small remains of the church of Saint Veneranda, where the locals still go to honour the saint every 25 July. Theth is home to a spectacular building - the Blood Feud Tower (Kulla e Ngujimit). The tower served as a self-imposed prison for wanted murderers wanted for revenge killings under the Kanun law.

Day 3: The famous hike over the Valbona Pass (Monday)

Length of the hike: 19.5 km
Metres of ascent ↑: 1068 m
Altitude metres descent ↓: 850 m

On this hike, you will get a real taste of the Cursed Mountains and the peaks of the Balkans Trail. You can expect a varied hike with mountain villages and picturesque views. You will hike across high meadows, forests, rocky terrain and peaks and see the southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere.

Cultural note: Valbona is a predominantly Muslim valley with some Catholics who have migrated from Theth. There is a legend that the village was founded by an orphan who had moved there from Vuthaj/ Vusanje, in today's Montenegro.

Day 4: Hike over the Perslopit Pass to the summer village of Cerem (Tuesday)

Length of the hike: 14.9 km
Metres of ascent ↑: 1200 m
Altitude metres descent ↓: 950 m

Today's hike takes you to the Montenegrin border and the country's highest peak, Kollata e Keqe. For a strong group, the summit can be included in the itinerary, otherwise we are happy to choose an easier route. Balkan Natural Adventure has adapted this variant from the classic peaks of the Balkans to avoid the gravelly, dusty gravel road to Cerem. From the highest point of the hike, you can see mountain ranges stretching into all three countries. Adding the summit would make this the highest and longest hike of the trip (to add the summit in the hike, we require advance notice).

Cultural note: Cerem is a small village, largely abandoned, and at the moment is only inhabited by shepherds during the summer season. In winter, the village is empty due to the poor conditions and the road connecting the village to Valbone is blocked by snow.

Day 5: The remote village of Doberdol below the border triangle (Wednesday)

Length of the hike: 15.5 km
Ascent altitude metres: 1030 m
Altitude metres descent: 440 m

After two days of mixed hikes in different environments, this route is dominated by greenery. The entire hike to Doberdol will familiarise you with the rich flora of the region that fills the mountain meadows. The villagers along the way will offer you homemade food, drinks and refreshments.

Two temporary cafés under a canopy of trees give this part of the trail a unique charm. The landscape will also be filled with sheep, goats, cows and horses that support the local economy. Along the way, you will pass some of the oldest forests in the world.

Cultural note: The Gashi Valley begins in this region. The forests have been under UNESCO protection since 2017 as part of the primeval beech forests of the Carpathians. The forests are also part of the original ancient beech forests of Germany, which now extend across 12 countries.

Day 6: From Doberdol to the highest point in Kosovo (Thursday)

Length of the hike: 18 km
Metres in altitude ↑: 915 m
Metres in altitude ↓: 915 m

Today you can climb the highest peak in Kosovo, Gjeravica, or optionally take a rest day and spend the day on the plateau above the tree line with shepherds, goats, sheep and cows.

The hike leads through lakes, small streams and ridges with unobstructed views of the mountains. The special feature of this part of the hike are the glacial lakes where the Triton salamander lives, whose existence clearly confirms the purity of the water.

Cultural note: Today's hike is a circular hike that takes you into Kosovo, a border that is almost unprotected. However, during the communist regime in this part of the world, this was the border between Albania and Yugoslavia and one of the most protected borders in the world.

Day 7: On the border ridge towards Kosovo (Friday)

Length of the hike: 15.8 km
Metres in altitude ↑: 915 m
Metres in altitude ↓: 980 m

Today the route takes you to Kosovo for an overnight stay. The hike takes you past the three-country summit. Here we enjoy the view from the place where the three borders meet. The special thing about this stage is that both Doberdol and Milishevc are not villages, but rather a summer camp for shepherds. They are also the most remote places on the trail and make this hike something very special.

Cultural note: Milisevc is a small remote summer settlement that is well connected to the town of Peja in Kosovo and where more and more mountain huts in the village are being used for tourist purposes.

Day 8: Hike to Montenegro, Babino Polje (Saturday)

Length of the hike: 14.6 km
Metres in altitude ↑: 957 m
Metres in altitude ↓: 790 m

This section of the Peaks of the Balkans is a slight diversions from the classic trail. We use this alternative to save you from some parts of the hike that are less attractive. It also avoids some car transfers. The hike today takes you along some of the least frequented hiking trails in Kosovo. Later in the day, we will rejoin the classic trail that leads from Liqenat via Ravno Selo to Babino Polje.

Cultural note: Babino Polje (meaning 'grandma's fields') is a picturesque village on the Montenegrin part of the Peaks of the Balkans trail. The village's Muslim population is known for its hospitality. But don't forget to have a glass of rakija with them.

Day 9: Highlight Grbaja Valley (Sunday)

Length of the hike: 9.8 km
Metres in altitude ↑: 834 m
Metres in altitude ↓: 908 m

Gerbaja is another variation of the classic version of our Peaks of the Balkans Trail. However, our guides agree that it would be a shame to come to the region and miss out on the spectacular views from Gerbaja. The Monenegrin valley is considered the most beautiful in Tito's former Yugoslavia. We start the day with a 20-minute transfer to the valley to climb the Taljanka peak on today's circular hike.

Cultural note: In Gerbaja there is a Bronze Age rock engraving of a mother and father protecting their child from wolves, called "The Great Mother". The locals believe that the rock has healing powers and protects the fertility of women.

Day 10: The loop closes, hike back to Theth (Monday)

Length of the hike: 21.3 km
Metres in altitude ↑: 1110 m
Metres in altitude ↓: 1440 m

From Vusanje (MN) or Vuthaj (AL), the 21 kilometre hike back to the historic Albanian village of Theth begins. The trail leads along the steepest part of the Cursed Mountains or Prokletije/ Albanian Alps, which were a forbidden zone during the communist era. In addition to the dramatic cliffs and rocks that form the backdrop to the day's hike, you will also see an old military bunker and disused border signs.

The hike leads past Lake Ropojane, which marks the border between the two countries. This hike is the rockiest of the entire trip. However, it also offers some wide mountain meadows and beautiful valley views. The descent into the valley will eventually lead us to Theth, where I will complete our loop. After a short break, a transfer will take you back to your hotel in Shkodra for a farewell dinner with lots of great memories. (Overnight stay included)