Lëpushë, the beautiful village of the Northern Albania

Lëpushë is a small village located in Northern Albania, the border between Albania and Montenegro. It is part of the Kelmend region, in Shkodër County. Lëpushë is very well known for its beautiful nature and as a great destination and as a great strategic point for hiking trails.

From there you hike to Theth, Vermosh, Maja e Vajushës (Talijanka) peak, Grebaje (Montenegro) etc.

How to get there

Getting to Kelmend is possible from Montenegro or Albania. From Podgorica (capital of Montenegro) you need to pass to the border of Montenegro – Albania (Hani i Hotit) then head to Lëpushë. The total distance is 79 km. From Tirana, first, you need to go to Shkodra, then follow the road to Hani i Hotit. After arriving there, turn right to go to Lëpushë. The distance is 189 km.

During the road, you will go through a very beautiful view called Leqet e Hotit. A stop there is “mandatory”.

Where to sleep and eat

In Kelmend region there are a lot of Guesthouses, which are cheap, traditional, cozy and they serve you very delicious food. During the summer, the Guesthouses are usually full of tourists, so make sure to book them early.

About the hike in Lëpushë

We went for a hike in Maja e Vajushës (Talijanka) peak 2’056 m/alt. Unfortunately, it was very very foggy so we couldn’t enjoy the view from the top, which is stunning.

The hike itself is an easy one and you will see some very beautiful views. The terrain is meadowy and you have water sources in 2 spots. In the first spot, you will see a very beautiful waterfall in a forest:

You will continue through the forest for around 1.5 km. Then, you will start seeing some very beautiful hills, which you need to climb to reach the peak.

The total distance for this trail is around 9 km. There are two water sources, therefore you need to take around 1.5-2 liters of water.

This trail is not very well signed, therefore in some parts you may be easily lost.

Points of interest:

Starting point: Lëpushë, Albania

Starting altitude: 1’279 m/alt

Highest altitude: 2’056 m/alt

Elevation gain: 878 m/alt

Check out the trail, you can download and follow it: