Dajti Mountain is so close to Tirana, but many visitors remain baffled on how to climb it - aside from taking the cable car and enjoying the views from the balcony and a good lunch. We have a few trails to the Dajti balcony and also to the summit on this website. This traverse from Qafe Priske to the summit of Dajti is among the...

An easy but interesting loop hike from the tourist town of Kruja. Most foreign visitors to Albania and also Albanians end up and one time or the other in Kruja town, to shop for souvenirs or visit the Skenderbej Museum. The mountain behind Kruja town looks almost vertical, and few visitors know that there is an easy pilgrim's path...

There is somewhat of a mystery as to the real name of this mountain. We call it Gamnit. It is very close to Tirana, and it stands in a row with Kruja Mountain, Gamnit, Brari Mountain and Dajti. Of all those, Gamnit looks somewhat forbidding, and it is the most diffcult of those to climb. As for the others, the views from the top...

Korabi is the highest peak of Albania, with 2764 Meter. It is also the highest peak of Macedonia. It is on the list of all those with an ambition to climb high mountains, or to scale the highest points in each country they visit. Korabi has a "primary factor"or prominence of 2169 meter, which means one has to walk down for...

There are two main summits of Brar Mountain. The South summit is the higher one. We went there on Mother Teresa day 2011, which is in October, and a good time to attempt the summit. Much of the loop hike is exposed to the west, and can get very hot in summer. We elected to start the hike in Priske e Vogel, but it can also be done...

Pashtrik is the "third" high mountain near Kukes (next to Gjallica and Koritnik - see separate trails). The other two are higher, but the views from Pashtrik are as dramatic. The upper reaches of Pashtrik are more rocky than those of the other two. Pashtrik is more often climbed from the Kosovo side; there is a shrine on the...

The bulk of Koritnik (2397 Meter) lies in Kosovo, but its summit sits on the border of Albania and Kosovo. It doesn't look as dramatic as Gjallica, but it certainly is an imposing mountain near Kukes. It has a steep rock face on the Albanian side, but appears to be benign in Kosovo. Indeed, there is some good driving on forest...

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...

The road across Qafe Shtame used to be the main link between Tirana and Burrel, but the top of the pass and especially the way down to Burrel has now fallen into disrepair. Most people, including visitors have heard about Qafe Shtame because of the mineral water of the same name. The drive across the pass is one of the recommended...

Maja e Rakshanit lies in the shadow of the big four mountains near Tirana (Dajti, Brar, Gamnit and Kruja). Barely topping 900 Meters, it does not seem to be a top destination. This is wholy unjustified, as it makes for a wonderful outing, involving a roundtrip, the most fantastic view of Kruja Mountain that is to be had, and the...

Priskë lies in the shadow of Dajti - it doesn't have a cable car, no restaurants on the balcony, no television towers on top, it doesn't have an interesting shape, it has three hundred meter less altitude than Dajti, and - most importantly - it doesn't have a path to its top. This is, probably, what makes the mountain rarely...

Rosavere is a somewhat fabled village near Krrabe, which is only available by foot. (We saw an old Mercedes Benz parked in the village, and there might be times in the year when a vehicle can ford the river and reach the village. It is unlikely, however, that driving to Rosaveres would be faster than walking from Krrabe)....

Not very high-altitude, but a hike in very unspoilt environment with some challenging bits. From the reservoir of the village Fushas near Baldushk the trail it climbs to the highpoint of the area, Mal Zajs. Mal Zajs is heavily wooded, and the summit has no views, so you may as well skip it. But then, when will you be as close...

Vrap means hurry. East of Vrap are three summits that can be connected to an exhilarating ridge hike. To climb all three mountains east of Vrap, you need to hurry, three times. But don't hurry too much, as some of the sections are fairly steep, particularly those descending to the notches between the summits. Albania is a land...

If you want to see remote village life close to Tirana, this hike is for you. Gracen lies on the road from Tirana to Elbasan. Few travellers stop to look down on either side of the ridge. Rarely any traveller will venture down from the ridge to visit the lower lying villages, well knowing that it is harder to get back and up than...

Many visitors come to Petrelë, primarily to visit the restaurants and the "Petrelë Castle", and this is good so. But Petrelë has other secrets awaiting the more intrepid visitor. The hill behind Petrelë is the site of the ancient City of Përsqop, and some ruins have recently been freed from shrubs and overgrowth. Moreover the...

Mali i Hajmelit is the very visible ridge to west of the Lezha - Shkodra Road. Part of this ridge looks very rocky (and is indeed very difficult to follow). The highest point, on the northern end of the ridge, on a roundish looking summit, can be reached in a short but very rewarding hike. Walk through some farmhouses for...

Rumija is both a good drive and a good climb. Both are exciting in their own ways, and neither is particularly long or exhausting. Rumija is a very prominent mountain range, with the highest point around 1589 Meter. Views - if not shrouded in fog, must be marvelous, both towards Skader Lake and the Adriatic Sea. In trun, Rumija...

We are not prone to exaggeration, but this is one of the most engaging ridge walks on offer near Tirana. There are always great ridge walks, but this one can beat many others hands down. More than 10 kilometer long, and almost every meter is a pleasant and often engaging hike. But beware, just when you are proud of yourself of...

When days become short and cold, the wider Tirana region still offers short and interesting hikes. Mali i Gallushit, though relatively close to Tirana, will always instill a feeling of remoteness, especially when approached from Tirana. The villages on the western and southern slopes, facing the Adriatic Sea, orient themselves...