The Albanian Alps: what to see and how to do it from Shkodër

The Albanian Alps, officially the Alpet e Shqipërisë national park, cover roughly 830 km2. They are also called Prokletije or Bjeshkët e Nemuna, the Accursed Mountains. They rise north of Lake Skadar and are among the last genuinely untouched places left in Europe.

From Shkodër they are closer than you would think: the first villages are an hour away, Theth two and a half to three and a half hours.

The crossing from Theth to Valbona

The defining experience of the whole range is the crossing between Theth and Valbona over a pass at around 1,800 metres. It is 17 kilometres and, depending on your pace, 6 to 9 hours of walking. Nothing technical, but a long day. The route is waymarked in both directions and in season plenty of people walk it.

Everything you need, including how to combine it with the ferry and the minibuses, is in our article on the Valbona to Theth hike.

Theth, Grunas and the Blue Eye

The area around Theth is full of gorges and water. Two things you should not miss:

• The Grunas waterfall, about 30 metres high, an hour and a half there and back from the village centre on an easy path.
• The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër), a small pool of crystal clear turquoise water. Half an hour by car from Theth plus another 25 minutes on foot. You can cool off in summer, but the water is cold all year.

When Theth makes sense and when it does not is covered in Theth with Shkodër as your base.

Kelmend and Lepusha

Kelmend is the northernmost and most remote corner of Albania, where you go for traditional countryside rather than attractions. The hamlet of Lepusha is the typical target: pastures, wooden houses, silence. In winter most of the area is unreachable.

Curraj i Epërm

The semi-abandoned village of Curraj i Epërm is for those after real quiet. Only a handful of people live there now, no road leads to it, and you either walk in or arrange a boat and a lift. The atmosphere is unlike anywhere else nearby.

The ferry across Komani Lake

The easiest way to see the Alps without walking is the ferry across Komani Lake. Two and a half hours between sheer walls, waterfalls and villages with no road access. Exact times, prices and the operators’ WhatsApp contacts are in our Komani Lake guide.

On foot and by bike

Trails run through forests, along mountain rivers and over passes, and they stretch from a morning walk to a multi day trek. By bike you can ride the lower sections and the river valleys; the high passes need experience and time. We give our guests bikes for free, so shorter loops need no rental at all.

For a flatter and easier day out, there is Lake Skadar.

What lives and grows here

In the Alps you will come across roe deer and red deer, wild goats, foxes and many bird species. Bears and snakes are genuinely present, so in remote sections it pays to make your presence heard and to stay on the trails. The flora changes with altitude and month, with the peak of flowering in June.

When to go

• June to September is the main season, the passes are walkable and the guesthouses open.
• May and October are quiet and cheaper, but snow can linger higher up and the crossing to Valbona may not be possible.
• November to April usually means the mountain roads are closed and the Qafa e Thorës pass sits under snow.
• The Komani Lake ferry runs from 15 April to 5 November.

How to plan it

The Alps work as a day trip (Theth, Boga, Komani Lake) and as a two or three day undertaking with the crossing. A full week with everything laid out day by day is in our northern Albania itinerary.

Where to stay

From Shkodër you leave for the mountains in the morning and come back to your own place in the evening. Leave the big bag with us when you head over the pass for two days, and the bikes are yours at no cost. Have a look at availability.