Albania - north direction

Albania has recently become a popular destination. There’re many reasons: beautiful beaches, interesting monuments, good food and even better prices. During my 10-day stay, I managed to visit a large part of this country. I must admit that Albania has enormous potential, which the country seems to have not fully exploited. There is no investment in tourist infrastructure and no waste management. Rubbish seems to be an inherent element of the Albanian landscape.

However, the main problem for me was the dramatic condition of the roads, which significantly limited the number of places I could see in such a short time. Despite everything, I believe that Albania is a country worth visiting. First of all, because of its diversity, which is especially visible in the northern part of the country.

I started my tour of northern Albania from the castle in Kruja, also known as Skanderbeg’s Citadel. It is a medieval fortress located on a high hill. Kruja is a historical place on the map of Albania and a symbol of the heroic fight against the Ottomans. The city is known mainly because of the figure of Skandenberg – the national hero of Albania. Under his leadership, the fortress withstood the siege of Ottoman troops three times in the 15th century. Ultimately, the Ottomans managed to capture it after his death. The massive structure with a round tower is impressive, but the fortress in its present shape is arises a lot of controversy among Albanians. It was reconstructed according to the design of the daughter of the dictator Enver Hoxha, and apparently its current appearance differs significantly from the original. Inside the fortress there’s a museum dedicated to Skandenberg.

Sari Salltik’s Shrine

Near the castle in Kruje there’s an interesting religious building dedicated to the Turkish dervish -Sari Salltik, who is said to have brought Islam to the Balkans. This place is located only 7 km from Kruje. A picturesque mountain road unexpectedly ends at the top of the mountain. Right next to the parking lot there’s the entrance to the temple.

The small temple is actually located inside a cave. Ther’re quite steep stairs leading to it. The temple consists of a small chapel carved in the rock and a vestibule where you can see the tombs.

I didn’t see any tourists there. This place seems to be well – hidden from the mass tourism. This is surprising because the nearby Kruja Castle was literally besieged by tours during my visit.

Rozafa Castle

Near the town of Shkodër there is another castle known from a rather dramatic legend. Its name – Rozafa comes from the name of a woman who was bricked up alive within its walls. Apparently this was to prevent them from collapsing.

The fortress is located on the top of a mountain, where you can see an amazing view of Shkodër.

Lake Shkodër

Lake Shkodër is the largest inland reservoir in the Balkans. It’s the border area of Montenegro and Albania, while the most part of it is located on the territory of Montenegro. The lake is very popular among tourists due to its picturesque mountain location and the habitat of many bird species.

A popular destination for a one-day trip from Shkodër is Lake Koman. Lake Koman is a “side effect” of the construction of three hydroelectric plants on the Drin River. The hydroelectric plants in Koman, Fierza and Vau i Dejës are the largest in Albania and cover most of the electricity demand of the entire country.

Even though Lake Koman was artificially created, it delights with its wild character. What’s more interesting, there are practically no tourists here. This is probably related to the lack of tourist facilities, not to mention the poor quality of roads. The asphalt on the route from Shkodra seems to be a distant memory. What is also disappointing is the large amount of garbage floating on the lake, which definitely spoils the overall impression of this place. I cannot understand the Albanians’ approach to these issues, especially in a place with such great tourist potential.

Albania – paths

One of the most picturesque places in northern Albania is the town of Teth and the Thethit National Park. Even though Teth is only 75 km from Shkodër, it takes 2 hours to get there. However, the long journey is compensated by the beautiful mountain landscapes.

The town of Teth seems to be almost at the edge of the world, and it actually looks that way. This is an excellent starting point for hiking in the area.

One of the most interesting routes is the trail leading to the Blue Eye – a crystal clear mountain lake. This place is especially visited by crowds in the summer, both by locals and tourists. In addition to bathing in cold water, an additional attraction is watching jumpers jumping into the water from a wooden footbridge.

The path to the lake is moderately demanding and it’s itself an attraction of this trip.

Another argument that it’s not the destination, but the journey that matters, is the trail to the Grunas waterfall. The 30-meter-high waterfall looks amazing, especially in the afternoon when the sun rays create a beautiful rainbow on it.

However, in my opinion, the Grunasit Canyon is much more impressive. The canyon is 2 km long and 60 meters deep. There’s a small bridge suspended between the rocks, where you can cross the canyon. Apparently this is the narrowest part of the canyon, because its walls are almost at your fingertips.

On the way back to Teth, in addition to the amazing views, you can also see the isolation tower – Kulla e Negujimit. Such towers were once a kind of refuge for people seeking shelter from bloody ancestral revenge.