British newspaper The Guardian has listed 25 different European countries that writers have visited and described as “exciting” destinations, including Kosovo and Albania.
During the summer, writer Stuart Kenny visited the Via Dinarica hiking trail, recently re-mapped, where he spent an entire week in an isolated cabin with mountain views. His evenings were accompanied by börek and rakia.
While history books provide important context for hiking in Kosovo, they “don’t prepare you for the beauty of the mountains”, according to him.
“We hiked past edelweiss flowers on the border ridge with Montenegro; craggy and sheer on one side and vibrant green on the other, sloping down to pink and yellow wildflower meadows. Choughs flew around high rocky outcrops, while brightly coloured bee-eaters perched on branches lower down. Wildlife lost to much of Europe still thrives here (bears, wolves, lynx) in a mosaic of oak and beech trees, blueberries and shrubs, deep valleys and high plateaux. Mountain lakes make for dreamy swim spots beneath the high peaks near Albania,” the article notes.
Meanwhile, writer Holly Tuppen visited Kosovo’s neighboring country, Albania, which left a “profound impression” on her. She stayed two nights in a guesthouse in Lëpushë, surrounded by orchards, beehives, and small farms stretching toward the Accursed Mountains. According to her, the village is not heavily frequented by tourists.
“Arriving at dusk, the children (aged 10 and 12) were playing with kittens on our cabin’s porch while we chatted with the owner about life in Lëpushë. Migration out of the village or toward cities is an issue (the local school has only one student), and tourism is a lifeline for those who remain. Fortunately, Lëpushë has much to offer. On the first day, we jumped off rocks into a brilliant-blue swimming spot and gorged on homemade cheese and bread in a shepherd’s hut. On the second day, we hiked to the top of Maja e Nagvacit (2,412 meters) on near-deserted trails, scoffing wild blueberries along the way. Despite all this, Lëpushë receives a fraction of the visitors that nearby Thethi and Vuthaj welcome, because it isn’t on of the popular ‘Peaks of the Balkans’ hiking itinerary,” the article states.
