Nearly no one knows anything about this country right in die south eastern part of europe. It's small, it's sunny, it has beaches, mountains and friendly people, nice things to eat and wine and beer too. We try to discover Albania, a small ghost under the all the nations on earth. By feet, of course.
It wasn't too long ago that travel to the Balkans was only for the brave. And only the craziest among them dared to go to Albania, a small state on the Adriatic Sea that was sealed off from the whole world like North Korea nowadays in the decades after World War II.
No one was allowed in, no one was allowed out. That has changed in the meantime. But still the country with its population of not even three million is a piece of mysterious terra incognita in the middle of Europe.
Part 1 of the story is here
It looks like paradise. And it's even called that. The "Paradise Beach" hotel in Radhimë has everything that beach tourists are looking for. Clear water, a wide beach, a cozy nightclub next door and, above all, yawning emptiness. No one is here, no one at all, just us.
Radhimë is just a small village in Albania, a small town directly on the sea with just 1,130 inhabitants. In summer there are ten times as many tourists here, but in the off-season there is no one. At dusk, the Adriatic Sea lies as smooth as glass in the twilight, the cliffs rising to the central massif of the Ceraunian Mountains, the way on the beach is empty a the moon.
Welcome to the moon
The next day it isn't different. We're on the way to the mountains, all alone. Old shepherds' paths wind along the mountain slopes that lead steeply upwards. In the past, only shepherds with their goats wandered along here, in search of pasture and water.
However, the modern trend of trekking to the most remote corners of the earth is transforming even the hidden paths of the Albanian mountains into hiking trails. But no one would reach their destination here without a local guide, because there are hardly any signposts.
But a trek through Albania is exotic and obvious at the same time: no one understands a word of this strange language, the writing remains a mystery for everyone. In the village of Dukat, which lies in a small side valley at the foot of the Llogara National Park, (in Albanian "Llogara National Parku Kombëtar i Llogarasë,") we start our first stage to the and over the St. George Pass to Terbac. To the left and to the right of the route jagged peaks rise.
Only those who turn around can have another look at the rushing sea. From the top, there are wonderful views of the Karaburun Peninsula and the historically rich island of Sazan. In the sparse forests, however, it immediately becomes very quiet. Hardly once do you meet other hikers or even villagers on the way. Only in the lively mountain villages this changes.
On an old caravan route
We follow an old caravan route that used to connect the Roman port of Aulon (Vlora) with the inland colonies. Across meadows and through fir forests we climb up to the St. George Pass, which lies at 1,132 meters. It doesn't sound high, but every step is hard work.
The paths are full of scree, no thought of the hiking trails in Germany, the USA or even in Nepal that clean swept away. On the narrow ridge that forms the watershed between the inland and coastal areas, overlooked by a high rock and with an build in pool, we take a last look back at the sea. Then we descend on donkey trails into the Shushica valley, which now lies wide open before us.
A sight for gods, once admired even by the Roman Legions, which makes clear how important was the foundation of the park to protect the mountain forest of numerous species of trees, shrubs and many old pine trees. These plants and trees grow at altitudes ranging to just over 2,000 meters above sea level, which can always be seen on the horizon when walking through the highlands. The words has not going yet so far around the world.
Meager infrastructure
So Albania with its largely untouched natural beauty is still considered an insider tip for nature and hiking enthusiasts. Few tourists, meager infrastructure. At least there are some restaurants and a visitor center in the park itself, which can be used as a good starting point for hiking and trekking tours into the interior of the Llogara National Park.
Soon after entering the park, a unique nature reveals itself. Besides the extremely rare snakeskin pines, Latin Pinus heldreichii, and black pines, Latin Pinus nigra, which are sometimes up to 1,000 years old, numerous Bulgarian firs, so-called flag pines, beech and ash trees grow here. Local residents have even given names to specially shaped old trees.
The fauna in Llogara National Park is also very impressive. There are wolves, foxes, stone martens and wild cats. But you don't see them, of course, because they hear you when you are still hundreds of meters away. In the near surroundings of Llogara National Park there are even caves with prehistoric petroglyphs, which prove that Albania was already discovered by people as an ideal settlement area thousands of years ago. Always pleasantly warm, never cold, breezily populated, with rich harvests and blooming nature.
An ancient forest
Through an ancient oak forest and past the abandoned village of Pirgu we reach Terbac, a place that the communists had wanted to modernize. We spend the night in the guest house of a shepherd's family, which wants to live up to the old custom that no guest should go hungry. This custom has survived the communist era, unlike the buildings that were hastily erected then and now seem to be falling apart almost as quickly.
After an extensive time with everything the country has to offer in fresh fruit, fresh fish and home-butchered meat, the evening descends over the landscape. The kilometers are in everyone's bones, every gravel stone of the paths now once again announces itself as a satisfying pain.
And tomorrow it goes on.
(to be continued)
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A few more pictures for you:
Walking on the moon
I hope my leg don't break
Walking on the moon (The Police)
