Albania🇦🇱Hiking the Peaks of the Balkan (Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo)

The Peaks of the Balkans trail runs through Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro — a spectacular loop of mountain passes, remote villages, and unpredictable weather. It’s also a place where the clouds have opinions, the roads test your patience, and every meal feels like a small victory. This is not the story of how long it took or where we stayed, but of everything that happened in between — the moments that made the hike unforgettable.

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Day 1: Valbonë to Vusanje — The Pass of Invisible Views

Our journey began in Valbonë, at a guesthouse run by an elderly couple. We’d already warned them we’d arrive late and tried desperately to match Google Maps’ estimated arrival time— while the Albanian roads worked equally hard to make sure we didn’t.

When we finally arrived, dinner was served on the rooftop terrace, where, without the mist, we would’ve had an incredible view. The couple presented our meal as if unveiling a family secret.

The next morning began with a healthy fear of the norovirus, rumored to make occasional visits. It seemed to be lurking on every doorknob, so we scrubbed our hands like surgeons and filled our 99.95% virus-purifying bottles. Ahead of us lay 14 kilometres, 1,120 metres uphill, and 1,040 metres downhill.

The weather, unfortunately, followed the forecast a little too well. Through rain and mist, we walked from one orange dot to the next, imagining the breathtaking views that existed somewhere beyond the white wall surrounding us.

After four hours, a tiny hut appeared — the only sign of civilization for miles — proudly selling cans of soda at prices that would make a Zurich café blush. But in that moment, it was the best deal we’d ever made. Even the sun shortly set aside the weather forecast, perhaps curious to see the fools who’d paid that much for a Fanta.

In Vusanje, our guesthouse awaited with a friendly outdoor table set for a summer evening. The weather noticed this optimism and immediately began to pour again. We retreated indoors, to a room where the beds alone already struggled to find enough space.

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Day 2: Vusanje to Theth — When Principles Meet a Spa

Breakfast was an exercise in logistics: two people in room one, two in room two, and the last one of us exiled to room three. Once fed, we began the long hike to Theth.

After the soaked first day, when we’d crossed the mountain pass shivering in our summer clothes, we decided to abandon our back-to-basics hiking principles and spend the final night in a luxurious hotel with a spa. The thought alone was a huge mental boost for facing the weather. The sun, clearly offended by our sudden betrayal of principle, tried its hardest to make us change our minds—but our decision was final. A win-win: whenever it managed to pierce the stubborn low-hanging mist, we were rewarded with brief, teasing glimpses of sunlight.

We marched on, dreaming of jacuzzis and 4 pillows on each bed. After 20 long kilometres, we finally reached Theth, only to discover that we’d booked the last guesthouse in the entire village. Our legs, already threatening mutiny, had to carry us another three kilometres.

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Day 3: Theth to Valbonë — Fear, Chains, and the Illusion of a Jacuzzi

The Valbonë Pass was our final challenge — and the mountains made sure we respected it. Only two weeks earlier, a hiker from our country had fallen there, so the name carried weight. Turning back, however, was not an option; we were already dreaming of steam rooms and luxury.

So, with a slight fear in our legs, we passed the two steep sections secured by steel chains, whose pins were no longer firmly anchored in the rocks, all the while drawn forward by the constant thought of the jacuzzi calling to us.

That evening, we met other hikers who had also abandoned their ideals for a bit of comfort. Together we played a game that escalated quickly — first describing, then acting, then one word, and finally, one sound. Since that night, none of us can see a rainbow without hearing the now-famous “whoeeei!” sliding from low to high to low pitch.

Golden tip: make sure to meet at least one person with ADHD. It guarantees enough chaos and rule debates this game really needs.

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day 1: Valbonë - Vusanje (over the Qafa Prosllopit mountain pass): 14km | 1,120m up | 1,040m down | 5:43h
day 2: Vusanje -Teth (over the Peja pass): 23km | 930m up | 1,160m down | 7:07h
day 3: Teth - Valbonë (over the famous Valbona pass: 18.7km | 1,120m up | 870m down | 5:20h

(original route which we had to shorten due to the weather: Valbona - Cerem - Dobërdol - Plav - Vusanje - Teth - Valbona)

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