The Peaks of the Balkans

We have been musing about this hiking trail for 3 years - 2 years ago we postponed our plan to do this hiking trail due to Covid-19.

Right before starting the trip we heard there were still loads of snow on the track – a hiker slipped to death on the steep snowy Valbona pass 2 days before.

We waited another 10 days and visited the beautiful Bay of Kotor and the amazing Skadar lake. In Shkodër we finally decided to face this trail but we left out the Valbona pass.

It were beautiful days of green grass coloured with a thousand flowers, singing cuckoos, flocks of sheep, snowy mountain tops. We saw 2 bears in the 1 second they crossed the path.

There were some steep ascents and even steeper descents – but with the most rewarding views.

For the panoramic part of the hike, we would leave out the part from Milishevc to Te Liqeni, as it takes mainly rather uninteresting 4x4 and asphalt roads.

But… that is without taken into account the delicious food and truly spontaneous, friendly people we met in the guesthouses in Kosovo.

The stay in the guesthouses during the whole track is one very interesting part that also gives its glance to this hike – you catch some glimpse of how these people live, they tell you stories of the past (pre-and post war) and drag you into their lives.

More pictures to be found @ Photocorner!!

I need to say we felt that the tourism in this Accursed Mountain region has begun to boom. Thus, if you want to do the Peaks of the Balkans, now might be the time to do it.

P.S.: a hike and icy-cold dive in the Blue Eye is a rewarding refreshment when you finish in Teth! Highly recommended!