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...

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...

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...

Dajti Mountain with 1665 meters dominates Tirana (at 160 meter elevation). It is visible when one approaches Tirana from any side, and often maintains a snow cap in the colder months. There is a road leading up to a plateau at about 1050 Meter, or one can take the cable car. There are many restaurants and it is nice to simply...

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...

Most visitors to the Komovis are intent to climb one or more of its three peaks. On a nice summer day, they are likely to meet many likeminded climbers. An alternative is the roundtrip around all three peaks, which offers good views to all of them. But don't be fooled: this is not an easy stroll - in fact you are likely to climb...

Seen from the distance, all the Komovi peaks seem to be reserved for expert climbers only. They are an extraordinary group of mountains, for their isolation and excellent views into all directions. Kom Vasojevicki is the easiest of the three, and qiote frequently climbed. Route-finding is easy in good weather. Shortly before...

Most visitors to Budva prefer to stay at the seaside, and Budva itself is indeed a good place to spend some time. However, for the more energetic, a little hike up an escaprment to a small old church, with fantastic views to Sveti Stefan and the coastline up and down, is the right thing to do. From the car park, walk along the...

Petrela is best known as an afternoon drive for a lunch or coffee. Here,we walk from the artificial lakein Tirana through the park and over the hills to the restaurant at Petrela castle. The hike is easy but long. The trail ends at the restaurant in Petrela castle, which offers refreshments and meals. Take the bus back to...

What looks like something from one side may look a different matter from the other side. Mali i Lunxherise is one of those two-faced mountains. Lunxherise is the mountain range east of Gjirokastra. It looks not like much from Gjirokastra - more or less like a humangeous loaf of bread - but from the Zagoria valley it becomes...

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...

There might be as many Guri i Zi's (black rocks) in Albania as there are white rocks or red rocks. To our knowledge, this 'black rock' is the highest, topping out at way over 2000 Meter. Guri i Zi is one of the prominent highpoints on the western side of Shkumbin valley. Its striking formation is only recognized from...

Everyone seems to have heard of the fabled Lure Lakes, but not many people seem to venture there. Lure village is considered remote, the road to the Lure Lakes is rumoured to be impossible, nobody talks about climbing Maja e Kunora e Lurës (the "Crown of Lure"). The park is said to be destroyed by excessive logging, the hotel...

Mali e Dejes dominates the landscape between Burrel, Peshkopi, Puka and Rreshen. It is visible even from further afar, weather permitting, such as from Dajti Mountain and Mount Korab. Most likely, it is one of the most striking mountains of Albania, because of its good visibility and position. It has a steep eastern side, dropping...

Allamani mountain is not overly prominent, and more people climb it to look for minerals than simply enjoying its beauty and fresh air. There are many beautiful lakes on the plateau near the summit, inviting the visitor to stay longer. Allamani remains a great mountain, and the described combination of a 4WD track to some mines...

A hike to Maja e Bukanikut, the highpoint of the Mali i Shpatit (Shpat Mountain Range), From the summit of Bukanikut, one can see down to Elbasan and - depending on weather and visibility - the Adriatic Sea. Bukanik is for Elbasan what Dajti is for Tirana. It should be possible, in case no 4WD is available to reach the...

We are not too sure about the correct name of this mountain, in the hinterland of Tirana. While it seems to be close to Tirana, it takes almost two hours to drive there. Mali i Snoijt can be seen - and it always visible as a distinct pyramid - from any part of the Martanesh area, and from mountains much farther away. The...

Mali me Gropa (the mountain with holes) is a major mountain in the hinterland of Tirana. Behind Dajti mountain, there are few villages and travel is generally difficult. New asphalt roads around thehighlands made travel through the mountains unncessary, and the old dirt roads are falling into disrepair. Mali me Gropa is a...

A perennial favorite for many people in and an around Tirana. The hike starts at the south end of Priske Mountain (the mountain south to Dajti, or right from Dajti when seen from Tirana). It climbs the south-end of the mountain, which affords good views towards Pellumba Cave which also is a worthwhile outing. From the top...