Valbonë Valley National Park is one of the most visited outdoor destinations in the Balkans. Surrounded by mountains, it looks like a wonderland, and it is a hiking paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. The name “Valbona” refer to the Valbona River which flows through the valley bearing its name.
How to get to Valbonë Valley National Park
It’s located in the Tropoja District of Northern Albania.This district, bordering Kosovo to the northeast, and Montenegro to the northwest. The Valley is 22 km from the city called Bajram Curri. Reaching Bajram Curri from Tirana takes around four hours. The bus station in Tirana is in front of Asllan Rusi Sports Center.
Another way to reach Bajram Curri is from Prishtina, Kosovo. First, you go from Prishtina Main Bus Station to Gjakova Bus station and then from Gjakova take the bus to Bajram Curri.
Where to sleep and eat
In Valbonë Valley there are a lot of Guest Houses, which are cheap to stay, traditional services, offering coziness and the most important will treat you with very delicious food. During the summer, the Guesthouses are usually full of tourists, so make sure to book them early.
About the Valbonë Valley National Park
Valbona Valley is a starting point for a lot of hikes to mountains around, so from there, you can reach the Kollata Peak, Rosi Peak, Cet’ Harusha Peak, Boshi Peak, Popluka Peak, Maja Jezerce 2’694 m/alt, the highest peak of the Accursed Mountains and a lot of other peaks which would take a lifetime to know them all. But, we are okay with these for now. What is really good to know, is that from there you can reach the very beautiful and isolated village called Theth, via Valbona to Theth.
If you are planning a brief visit to this Valley, there are two destinations I would suggest nearby, by which you won’t spend too much energy by walking, but instead will be filled with some joyous moments by their beauty. The first one is the lake Liqeni i Xhemës (James Lake). It is located 2-3 km from the Fusha e Gjes’.
Check out the picture of that lake:
The other beautiful destination is the Rrogam waterfall, which is a very beautiful spot where you can feel the freshness of a waterfall. The starting point is to Fusha e Gjes’. It takes around 1 hour to arrive at the destination, therefore it is a very easy hike. The distance is around 6 km.
Both of these destinations you can reach with little kids, a family who has decided to spent a beautiful day together and enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of nature nearby.
To summarize, visiting Valbona must be on your Travel Bucket List!
Leave a comment or a trail report