Hi friends,
Welcome to another weekend road trip in the Balkans. This time, we’re heading to the Albanian Alps. In this blog post, we are spending the weekend at Valbona Valley National Park, discovering yet another one of the region’s remarkable natural wonders.
Just a 2.5-hour drive from Prishtina, I had no idea that such breathtaking landscapes existed so close to home. Seriously, Valbona Valley National Park serves up some of the most jaw-dropping mountain views I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
We visited during the first week of October, and you could feel fall in the air. The seasons were shifting, and the weather had that perfect crispness. It was getting cold, but in the most delightful way.
Our home for the weekend was Villas Jezerca, a family-owned gem that’s thriving in the region. It’s run by three brothers who know how to make you feel right at home. The cabins got a recent makeover and are just oozing with charm. They’re simple, with just a room and a bathroom – no kitchenette, but that’s all part of their plan. You’re meant to indulge in their restaurant, which has become quite the local sensation. The menu might be on the small side, but trust me, the food is delicious.
Our mission here was to completely disconnect from the world and ditch our cell phones. We spent our time lost in books and enjoyed some of the best quality sleep ever. If you’re like me, used to the polluted air of city life, spending a few days in the great outdoors feels like an oxygen cleanse that your body totally craves.
Hiking Destination
Valbona is a real hotspot for hikers, mainly because it’s the starting point for the famous Valbona-Theth hiking trail. This trail is like the holy grail of hikes in the Balkans.
The path follows an old mule trail and winds its way across the Albanian Alps, taking you over the Valbona Pass. It’s a landscape of rocky peaks and deep ravines that stretch between Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo.
This hike is a bit of an endurance test, clocking in at about 7 hours to complete. Now, I was five months pregnant at the time, so that wasn’t happening for me. Instead, we went for a shorter 2-hour hike to a nearby waterfall.
The trail was mostly uphill, so it did demand some fitness, but it’s still doable for anyone up for a good workout. We reached the waterfall, which, due to a lack of rain, was pretty dry. But it turned out to be the perfect spot to chow down on our lunch and catch our breath before the journey back down.
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Honestly, I’m not just saying this for hype, but Valbona easily became my all-time favorite place in the Balkans (so far). Sure, the beaches down south are stunning, but there’s no escaping the crowds there. There’s something incredibly liberating about being in a remote place like Valbona which I always prefer.
Check out this short vlog from my trip to the Albanian Riviera this past summer.
Top Rated Tours to Valbona with Viator
If you would like to join some guided tours to help you discover the region, here are some top-rated recommendations with Viator.
