Kosovo and Albania enchant their visitors with their extraordinary mix of nature, culture, food, people, outdoor attractions, high peaks, and MOUNTAINS of course. In this article, we have tried to list down the top best valleys and mountains to visit in Kosovo and Albania that let you experience each aspect of the country.
Thethi & Valbona Valley National Park, Albania
Surrounded by high mountains, “Valbona Valley National Park”, considered as the miracle of the Albanian Alps. It is located 26 Km from the Tropoja District of Northern Albania, including four villages that are located within the park (Dragobi, Valbona, Cerem and Rragam) with 850 inhabitants.
“I think no place where human beings live have given me such an impression of majestic isolation from all the world. It is a spot where the centuries shrivel; the river might be the world’s well-spring, its banks the fit home of elemental instincts–passions that are red and rapid”.
These words are said by the traveler Edith Durham when she visited Theth in the early 20th century. She had travelled almost everywhere in the Balkans, but there she found something that made her wanted it all and marvelled at the hospitality of the natives, who rightly respected and called the Queen of Males.
Both, Valbona and Theth are parts of Peaks of the Balkans trail which crosses in both National Parks.
Mount Gjeravica, Kosovo
Rightly people call it the heart of Kosovo. Gjeravica seems almost from all parts of Kosovo, as a giant mountain that stands alone and fearless, as the highest peak in Kosovo. It is the highest peak in Kosovo and the second highest of Albanian Alps with an altitude of 2656m.
Doberdol, Albania
Located at the root of the border with Montenegro and Kosovo, this wonderfully unspoiled conservation area is home to a few families in summer. A steep hundred metre climb at the head of the valley brings you out at the base of the beautiful meadows of the Valley of Dobërdol. Here, there are horses, sheep, cows and ponies everywhere in summer as the traditional farming families bring their animals up from the lowlands to graze and the human population swells to up to hundreds of people.
Vuthaj, Montenegro
Vuthaj is a small town in Montenegro, located southwest of the town of Plav, below the town of Gusinje. The village is Albanian-inhabited, one of three Kelmendi settlements. The majority of families hail from the nearby village Vukël in Kelmend across the border in Albania. The Albanians are native inhabitants in this region and Muslim by religion.
Vuthaj valley is rich with green pasture, large, well-watered fields, and large, well-built kulas, with high, shingled roofs. In the middle stands a small mosque, with the wooden minaret.
Kelmend, Albania
One of the largest settlements of Malesi e Madhe, Kelmend is home to some 6,000 residents stretched in an area of 353 km and boasts some of the most impressive landscapes in the Albanian Alps. This valley represents the northernmost part of Albania. It is situated 95 km from the city of Shkodra and is in the region called Kelmendi. This name comes from the Latin word “climens” which means wise, simple, and good.