Albania > Kukës > Valbona
Valbona
N 42°27.54', E 19°55.366'
2011-09-12
http://www.journeytovalbona.com
Our rating: 7.40
Overall rating: - Rate this place - 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
We went to Albania because of this place. We found its description in a Russian blog . There's very few information about Valbona in the Internet. And at the time of our visit in 2011, the blog mentioned above was the only Russian reference in Google! Valbona valley is a nature reserve and a quite remote place in the "Albanian Alps" with unusually beautiful nature. Only a dirt road leads here, so not many tourists decide to visit Valbona. But we cannot say that the road is too complicated, the dirt road can be passed by any car. We were the first Ukrainians who visited this place.
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Thanks to an American, Catherine, who arrived at Valbona a few years ago and stayed there to live, online resource with information about Valbona http://www.journeytovalbona.com appeared. Together with a local handyman Alfred she organized a small Rilindja Hotel , where we stayed. In Valbona there are several places where you can spend the night. By the way, Alfred is somebody like a local chief. He is a native citizen of the area, but does a lot for development of the region, even makes roads by clearing rocks with explosions. Moreover, he's not rich, everything happens due to hard work and great desire.
Rilindja Hotel ©Yuriy Buriak
Map of the Valbona valley in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
The main thing why people come here is outdoor recreation and hiking. Catherine made hiking trails in the mountains and marked them. We walked along the two of them.
Catherine made the hiking trails. ©Yuriy Buriak
Each route is marked and described. ©Yuriy Buriak
This place is so "wild" that in 2011, when spider cameras were installed near the river, many animals were photographed, among which was even a bear. When we walked along the river, we constantly heard the noise of animals in the bushes, it was a little scary.
Just 20 meters from the house on the banks of the river you can find wildlife. ©Yuriy Buriak
We liked everything in Valbona: wonderful nature, nice people, homemade food, rabbit Shoq which came out of the woods and stayed to live near the house, trout which jumped out of the pond onto the ground. We often recall this place and compare it with other places. We'll try to get here one more time, in spring, when the waterfalls are full of water.
Rabbit Shoq ©Yuriy Buriak
Give the rabbit something sweet to touch it :) ©Yuriy Buriak
Pond with trout near the hotel ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Our traveling toy saddled the local wolf :) ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Our traveling toy helps us look for mushrooms. ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Even in such a lonely place you can find bunkers. ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
We had to cross the river to take a shortcut. ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Lizard in Valbona ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Valbona in Albania ©Yuriy Buriak
Getting there: You can get there from Shkodra and Tirana. Information is constantly changing, so check this page . We drove from Velipoja through Shkodra to Koman, then by ferry to Fierze . After that we went to Valbona through the town of Bajram Curri. Asphalt road ends on the turn to Valbona. And there is no pointer, just a wooden plaque, be aware of this.
Tags, Albania: animals , mountains , river Tags, all countries: animals , mountains , river
- Rate this place -
Location : ------------ 1 - Far beyond the settlements, you must spend minimum a day 2 - Near the small town, you need to walk long distance 3 - Can be reached only by car 4 - A small town with a poor public transport 5 - Outside the settlements, but with excellent transport links 6 - A small town with excellent transport links 7 - Medium-size city 8 - Suburb of the capital or major city, the ability to reach by public transport 9 - Big city 10 - Capital
Impressions : ------------ 1 - No point in visiting 2 - Boring, wasted time 3 - You can visit, if you have a lot of free time and nothing better to do 4 - A lot of things, but not so interesting 5 - It seems to be interesting, but hard way to spoil the impression 6 - There is something interesting, but the rest is not worth the attention 7 - Probably interesting, but for everybody 8 - Very cool, but difficult to see everything and long-distance trails 9 - Very cool, but there are similar facilities in other locations 10 - Very cool, this is not anywhere else
Number of tourists (weekend afternoon) : ------------ 1 - Crowds, impossible to see everything normally 2 - A lot of tourists, a long wait 3 - A lot of tourists, the organization is lame 4 - A lot of tourists, but good organization 5 - There are many tourists, but they are concentrated in one place and you can walk freely 6 - Many tourists everywhere, but the large space is compensated 7 - The average number of tourists. To photograph, you must wait 8 - Tourists are, but they do not interfere 9 - There are few tourists 10 - You are alone
State : ------------ 1 - Only title left 2 - Dull ruins 3 - On restoration 4 - The picturesque ruins 5 - Have not been restored, the state is poor 6 - Partially destroyed, but the rest of the normal state 7 - Have not been restored, good condition 8 - OK, but it is possible to make better 9 - Looks good from the outside, partial repair inside or without repair 10 - In excellent condition, well-groomed area
Picturesque (for the photographer) : ------------ 1 - - 2 - - 3 - Horrible background, normal pictures only from the top 4 - wires and cars do not allow make normal photo 5 - Interfere with foreign objects 6 - In the city, but more or less normal photo can be made 7 - Beautiful, but you can take pictures with just one point 8 - Very nice, but you can only shoot at a certain time 9 - Very nice, but hard to get to the good weather or permanently interfere with tourists 10 - Very nice, but occasionally interferes with the weather or tourists
* - Note: Description of the evaluation is not always appropriate for a particular object, it's just a little help
Our rating - 7.40
Location : ------------ 1 - Far beyond the settlements, you must spend minimum a day 2 - Near the small town, you need to walk long distance 3 - Can be reached only by car 4 - A small town with a poor public transport 5 - Outside the settlements, but with excellent transport links 6 - A small town with excellent transport links 7 - Medium-size city 8 - Suburb of the capital or major city, the ability to reach by public transport 9 - Big city 10 - Capital
Impressions : ------------ 1 - No point in visiting 2 - Boring, wasted time 3 - You can visit, if you have a lot of free time and nothing better to do 4 - A lot of things, but not so interesting 5 - It seems to be interesting, but hard way to spoil the impression 6 - There is something interesting, but the rest is not worth the attention 7 - Probably interesting, but for everybody 8 - Very cool, but difficult to see everything and long-distance trails 9 - Very cool, but there are similar facilities in other locations 10 - Very cool, this is not anywhere else
Number of tourists (weekend afternoon) : ------------ 1 - Crowds, impossible to see everything normally 2 - A lot of tourists, a long wait 3 - A lot of tourists, the organization is lame 4 - A lot of tourists, but good organization 5 - There are many tourists, but they are concentrated in one place and you can walk freely 6 - Many tourists everywhere, but the large space is compensated 7 - The average number of tourists. To photograph, you must wait 8 - Tourists are, but they do not interfere 9 - There are few tourists 10 - You are alone
State : ------------ 1 - Only title left 2 - Dull ruins 3 - On restoration 4 - The picturesque ruins 5 - Have not been restored, the state is poor 6 - Partially destroyed, but the rest of the normal state 7 - Have not been restored, good condition 8 - OK, but it is possible to make better 9 - Looks good from the outside, partial repair inside or without repair 10 - In excellent condition, well-groomed area
Picturesque (for the photographer) : ------------ 1 - - 2 - - 3 - Horrible background, normal pictures only from the top 4 - wires and cars do not allow make normal photo 5 - Interfere with foreign objects 6 - In the city, but more or less normal photo can be made 7 - Beautiful, but you can take pictures with just one point 8 - Very nice, but you can only shoot at a certain time 9 - Very nice, but hard to get to the good weather or permanently interfere with tourists 10 - Very nice, but occasionally interferes with the weather or tourists
* - Note: Description of the evaluation is not always appropriate for a particular object, it's just a little help
Visitor's rating - 0.00
Location : ------------ 1 - Far beyond the settlements, you must spend minimum a day 2 - Near the small town, you need to walk long distance 3 - Can be reached only by car 4 - A small town with a poor public transport 5 - Outside the settlements, but with excellent transport links 6 - A small town with excellent transport links 7 - Medium-size city 8 - Suburb of the capital or major city, the ability to reach by public transport 9 - Big city 10 - Capital
Impressions : ------------ 1 - No point in visiting 2 - Boring, wasted time 3 - You can visit, if you have a lot of free time and nothing better to do 4 - A lot of things, but not so interesting 5 - It seems to be interesting, but hard way to spoil the impression 6 - There is something interesting, but the rest is not worth the attention 7 - Probably interesting, but for everybody 8 - Very cool, but difficult to see everything and long-distance trails 9 - Very cool, but there are similar facilities in other locations 10 - Very cool, this is not anywhere else
Number of tourists (weekend afternoon) : ------------ 1 - Crowds, impossible to see everything normally 2 - A lot of tourists, a long wait 3 - A lot of tourists, the organization is lame 4 - A lot of tourists, but good organization 5 - There are many tourists, but they are concentrated in one place and you can walk freely 6 - Many tourists everywhere, but the large space is compensated 7 - The average number of tourists. To photograph, you must wait 8 - Tourists are, but they do not interfere 9 - There are few tourists 10 - You are alone
State : ------------ 1 - Only title left 2 - Dull ruins 3 - On restoration 4 - The picturesque ruins 5 - Have not been restored, the state is poor 6 - Partially destroyed, but the rest of the normal state 7 - Have not been restored, good condition 8 - OK, but it is possible to make better 9 - Looks good from the outside, partial repair inside or without repair 10 - In excellent condition, well-groomed area
Picturesque (for the photographer) : ------------ 1 - - 2 - - 3 - Horrible background, normal pictures only from the top 4 - wires and cars do not allow make normal photo 5 - Interfere with foreign objects 6 - In the city, but more or less normal photo can be made 7 - Beautiful, but you can take pictures with just one point 8 - Very nice, but you can only shoot at a certain time 9 - Very nice, but hard to get to the good weather or permanently interfere with tourists 10 - Very nice, but occasionally interferes with the weather or tourists
* - Note: Description of the evaluation is not always appropriate for a particular object, it's just a little help