Albanien

There might not be many places where you can be at a lake, hike to a castle on beautiful trails, and enjoy some of the most splendid views of the "front range" of Tirana and the Adriatic at the same time. We hiked this trail on an afternoon following a long rainy day, and the views stretched as far a to Montenegro. And we need to...

A light morning or afternoon hike in easy reach of Tirana, to the ruins of an old Ilyrian castle. Up mostly on dirt roads, down on a variety of foot paths. There are only some few remnants of the walls left, but the place of the castle provides very good views into all directions - including views of Dajti, Skenderbeut mountain...

This climb up to the Dajti Plateau takesa not-so-frequently used trail starting at Tujan village. Returning fromthe Dajti Plateau, our hike takes the more frequently (perhaps once every two weeks?) used route back to Shermini, and cuts back to the starting point in Tujan village. Both trails have been recently cut free from...

An old path leads from the village of Tujan to the village of Dajti, behind Dajti Mountain. The path travels high above the Tirana River, on its southern bank. The trail, once an important mule path connecting Tujan and Dajti, is no longer in active use and at risk of falling into disepair. In September 2011, it was still...

Mali i Shebenikut (Shebenik) is the highest mountain in the chain south of Korab along the border to Macedonia. It gave the Shebenik-Jabllanice cross-border national park its name. We are not sure how actively the idea of the park is still pursued. Shebenik may not be more remote than many other mountains in Albania, but it...

Pellumba Cave is - and should be - one of the top hiking destinations from Tirana, especially for those with little time to spare. Half a day can be sufficient, though one could spend many hours in the cave itself. The cave is cool during the hot summer months, and probably warm in winter (though we didn't try). The trail to...

Das Weltkulturerbe war geschlossen, am ersten Januar, also an dem Tag wo die Massen frei haben, um sich ein Kulturerbe anzusehen. Aber die Massen und die Tour Operators waren schlauer als wir, und ferngeblieben. Oder vielleicht waren wir schlauer, denn so zwängten wir uns durch ein Loch im Gitter, und hatten das Kulturerbe...

Razem is a nice place, cool in summer when the plains and beaches are hot. There are several hotels of all types, including the splashy Natyral Resort, with its good service, indoor swimmingpool and sauna. But then there is not much to do. Except there is Velecikut! And while many guests come with their 4WDs which never left the...

Thethi is often referred to as the Chamonix of the Albanian Alps, and it is said that it receives up to 10,000 visitors a year. The upgrade of Albania by the Lonely Planet to a top destination in 2011 has certainly contributed to Thethibecoming a "boom" tourist destination. . While Thethi certainly is a top destination for...

Nobody seems to know Maja e Popluks (2569 Meter). This is so because Maja e Jezerce is right next to it, and all eyes and attention seems to be on the highest summit entirely in Albania. Would Maja e Popluks stand alone, it would be an extraordinary mountain, with excellent views to most peaks of the Albania Alps and beyond. As it...