Peaks of the Balkans Route & Stages
The Peaks of the Balkans Trail was inaugurated in 2011 with the support of the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German Alpine Association and local people. The long-distance hiking trail connects Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro on traditional shepherd’s paths over a route of a total of 192 kilometres. The trail consists of ten stages that can be hiked in 10–12 days. There are different option of where to begin hiking – Theth, Albania, Plav, Montenegro or Peje, Kosovo. The start from Albania is my recommendation as this is the most convenient option in terms of accessibility and travel connection s from abroad.
The aim of this project is to provide local farmers with a second source of income and to bring the countries involved closer together in order to promote peace. The route runs partly through developed valleys, but also through remote high alpine regions and national parks.
The landscape is varied and ranges from barren, dramatic karst rock to vast coniferous forests and lush green high mountain landscapes as well as clear mountain lakes. A dream trail that promises a lot. But see for yourself and be inspired to hike the Peaks of the Balkans on your own!
Overview
Inhalt / Contents
Peaks of the Balkans facts
- Total Distance: 192km
- Highest point: 2300m
- Total Elevation gain: 9800m
- Total Elevation gain: 9800m
- Total Elevation loss: 9900m
- Countries: 3
Peaks of the Balkans Trail Map
| Stage | Start and finish point | Route length | Walking time | Elevation metres uphill | Â Elevation metres downhill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plav to Vusanje | 21.3 km | 8 h | 1,160 m altitude difference | Â 1,040 altitude metres |
| 2 | Vusanje to Theth | 21.1 km | 8-10 h | 830 m altitude difference | 1,060 m altitude difference |
| 3 | Theth to Valbona | 17.6 km | 8-9 h | 1,030 m altitude difference | 850 m altitude difference |
| 4 | Valbona to Cerem | 13.3 km | 7-9 h | 1,140 m altitude difference | 860 m altitude difference |
| 5 | Cerem to Doberdol | 16.4 km | 8 h | 970 m altitude difference | 370 m altitude difference |
| 6 | Doberdol to Milishevc | 18.4 km | 7-8 h | 810 m altitude difference | 930 m altitude difference |
| 7 | Milishevc to Reka Allages | 15.7 km | 8 h | 800 m altitude difference | 1,220 m altitude difference |
| 8 | Reka Allages to Guri i Kuq | 22.9 km | 8-10 h | 1,130 m altitude difference | 1,090 m altitude difference |
| 9 | Guri i Kuq to Babino Polje | 15.9 km | 7-8 h | 990 m altitude difference | 910 m altitude difference |
| 10 | Babino Polje to Plav | 21.2 km | 7 h | 640 m altitude difference | 1,200 m altitude difference |
Route description – Hike the Peaks of the Balkans on your own
Arrival day
The Peaks of the Balkans trail is a circular route and offers the option of starting the long-distance hiking trail in Albania, Kosovo or Montenegro. After extensive research, I decided to start the trail in Montenegro.
I managed to get a cheap flight from Germany, with a stopover, to Podgorica. The capital of Montenegro. I took a taxi from the airport to the bus station. From there, after a bit of a wait, I boarded the long-distance bus to Plav. The town is the starting point of the long-distance hiking trail in Montenegro. The bus took just under 4 hours to cover the 184 kilometres to Plav.
After arriving in Plav in the late afternoon, I checked into the Hotel LakeViews. It’s a lovely hotel, set in the countryside, close to the river and with normal rooms and dormitories.
Plav – Hotel LakeView
Plav itself has a beautiful location between mountains and a lake with a river. A good starting and finishing point for a long-distance hike.
Stage 1: Plav (Montenegro) – Vusanje (Montenegro)
After a restful night, a good breakfast and great weather, I set off full of anticipation for the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘. First, I visited the tourist information centre and the police to check in on the trail. More on this in the chapter on permits and border crossings. Then we finally set off.
Finding the starting point in Plav would be a bit tricky without a GPS device, as the path in the town is poorly marked. Once I had found it, I quickly left the town and climbed the first hill with a beautiful view of Plav and its surroundings.
Plav – Lake Plavsko
Shortly afterwards, I was surrounded by the green, blooming mountain landscape. The trail ran over ridges and became a real high-altitude hiking trail. Great views of the characteristic karst mountains and the lush landscape were a great introduction to the remaining stages of the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘.
The first herds of sheep were not long in coming and on this day I experienced the most dangerous situation of the entire hiking tour. The encounter with the shepherd dogs. At first, of course, I was delighted to see the cute four-legged friends.
Watch out for the shepherd dogs – they take their job seriously. However, the shepherd dogs were in protective mode and naturally wanted to keep me away from the herd. And they did. Three dogs approached me aggressively and made sure that I didn’t get any closer to the flock of sheep. This meant I couldn’t get any further on the trail.
Fortunately, I had my walking poles with me and was able to keep the animals at a distance. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been sure what would have happened.
After what felt like an eternity (10 minutes), the shepherds appeared and called their dogs back. I got away with a fright and was able to carry on walking.
I arrived relaxed in Vusanje (Vuthaj) Montenegro in the late afternoon and settled into a nice place to stay. The family was very nice and cooked a traditional meal especially for me, which I was able to enjoy in the garden. An outstanding first day.
Stage 2: Vusanje (Montenegro) – Theth (Albania)
The next day gifted me with summery weather again. The first part of the route ran through a beautiful, green valley with the typical karst rocks on either side.
On the Way Vusanje to Theth
The trail was lonely and I came across the huts of lonely farmers and one of the many border crossings, in this case to Albania. Soon the trail continued upwards to a pass where bunkers could be seen that were used as border defences during the war.
Bunkers on the Way Vusanje (Vuthyj) to Theth
Passing some small green mountain lakes, we continued over the pass plain. Finally, of course, I had to go downhill again. Before that, the long-distance hiking trail rewarded me with a fantastic view over the valley.
Meadows along the trail
After the descent, I walked a short distance to Teth. A fairly scattered village with lots of accommodation for hikers.
Stage 3: Theth (Albania) – Valbone (Albania)
The third stage runs through the most popular section of the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ trail. Past the summit of Maja Valbone.
Today’s section starts directly with a steep climb to the most famous point of the trail. In between, there are one or two cafés where tired hikers can refresh themselves.
Theth-Valbona
After a while, I reached the famous viewpoint with one of the most beautiful spots on the entire long-distance hike. Take a look for yourself 🙂
Valbone valley
After that, the trail continued for some time as a mountain path. Of course, it also went downhill again, which ended with a long run in the valley to Valbone.
Stage 4: Valbone (Albania) – Cerem (Albania)
Today was only a half-day stage to Cerem, which my body gratefully accepted as a rest day.
There is the option to hike a different route on this section. Over the Perslopit Pass. I skipped this as I wanted to take it easier and needed a break. You can find this variant in the Komoot link at the bottom of the article.
The route to Cerem was very unspectacular and not worth mentioning. On the other hand, my accommodation in Cerem was a lovely place to stay. A hospitable family and a great property. A perfect place to relax and prepare my tired limbs for the rest of the long-distance trail.
Meadows on high altitude
Stage 5: Cerem (Albania) – Doberdol (Albania)
Day five started in fog and the trail ran steeply into the forest and up the mountain directly from the accommodation. Along the way, nature kept providing me with little treats in the form of raspberries and blueberries.
Cerem (Albania) – Doberdol (Albania)
After a while, I slowly reached a plateau, the fog lifted and gave me a good view of the surrounding countryside.
A beautiful trail continued through forests, small settlements and meadows on the hillside. This scenery accompanied me all the way to my destination for the day, Doberdol. It is spectacularly situated in a high valley between the mountains.
Cerem (Albania) – Doberdol (Albania)
In Doberdol, I stopped at one of the many accommodations and had a great time with the family and their daughter.
Doberdol
Stage 6: Doberdol (Albania) – Milishevc (Kosovo)
The next day greeted me once again with bright sunshine. The long-distance hiking trail started steeply up the hill and gave me one last beautiful view of Doberdol as I said goodbye.
I then turned to the other side and the trail turned into a fantastic high-level path along the mountain slopes. See for yourself.
The beautiful trail stretched almost all the way to my destination for the day, Milishevc. Another truly magical part of the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘.
Outstanding mountain trail to Milishevc
Stage 7: Milishevc (Kosovo) – Reka e Allages (Kosovo)
Today’s stage began with another ascent to a mountain lake, about 1.5 hours to Milishevc.
After that, the descent to Rugova Camp begins. The following ascent to Reke e Allages is hell and not worth any photos. Unfortunately, the path leads along a tarmac road. You can save yourself this section by booking a taxi at Rugova Camp.
Stage 8: Reka e Allages (Kosovo) – Gur i Kuq (Kosovo)
Today I passed many small villages. At first, however, the long-distance hiking trail ran through a forest until a beautiful plateau opened up in front of me and the trail continued across green meadows.
Gur i Kuq
This part of the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ generally runs at a lower altitude, so I tended to walk through forests.
Beware of the bears and wolves that have recently re-established themselves there. You can find out more about precautions and behaviour below in this article.
Stage 9: Gur i Kuq (Kosovo) – Babino Polje (Montenegro)
On the penultimate day, the trail from Gur i Kuq ran up a steep section to Lake Leqinat. A nice stopover to dip your feet in the cold water and relax.
Lake Leqinat
The long-distance hiking trail then led me further through forests and back up into more alpine terrain. I went via the Shkodra Valley to the Jelenka Pass at an altitude of around 2255 metres.
Another spectacular section of the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘. Wide meadow slopes and once again a wonderful high-altitude hiking trail with great views.
A few hours later, I arrived in Babino Polje and checked into the Triangle Woodhouse. Fantastic accommodation with a great host who even speaks German and helped build the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘. He has a few stories to tell.
Stage 10: Babino Polje (Montenegro) – Plav (Montenegro)
After the Triangle Woodhoose, the next day continues to the mountain lake Hridski Jezero. The lake is beautifully situated in the forest and invites you to linger.
Hrdski Jezero – The mountain lake Hrdski Jezero invites you to linger
The last section to Plav is relatively unspectacular compared to the rest of the long-distance trail and is a bit of a drag. I used this section as a run-out to reflect on the great experiences I had on the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ trail.
Departure day
After a few days‘ rest in Plav, it’s time for the return journey. Similar to the outward journey, I took the bus at the bus station in Plav and thus the same route back to Podgorica.
Peaks of the Balkans Packages
Conclusion: Hiking the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ on your own
This long-distance hiking trail made a lasting impression on me. An incredible combination of beautiful karst mountains, high-altitude hiking trails, green forests and wide meadows.
The trail is still so unspoilt that I naturally came into contact with the locals and was able to spend most of my nights with local farmers. Another highlight was the tasting of local produce and food.
With these facets, the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ offers a varied experience that is simply something special and is also very well possible on your own. 🙂
Information on planning the trip
The core source of my planning was the following travel guide:
Peaks of the Balkans – Adventure Balkans! Breathtaking mountain landscapes and genuine wilderness, unspoilt nature and warm hospitality can be experienced on the trekking route „Peaks of the Balkans“. (Bergverlag Rother, Max Bosse)
In this book you will also find all the information you need to plan the tour. I also saw the red book with many other German hikers on the trail. In principle, there is also the option of guided tours.
In addition to the information below on planning this hiking tour, there are a few basic things you should bear in mind when planning a long-distance hike. You can find a detailed article on this under the following link:Â 12 tips for planning your long-distance hike
Arrival and departure
The ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ is a circular hiking trail in a border triangle. It is possible to start in all three countries. I chose Montenegro because it was the easiest for me from Nuremberg and Plav is a nice start and end point.
You can look up most bus routes in the Balkans via the following links:
An overview of the various travel options:
Travelling is possible via the airports in Tirana (Albania), Podgorica (Montenegro) and Pristina (Kosovo). The corresponding starting points for the long-distance hiking trail are located in each of the three countries.
Starting point Shkodra in Albania:
From Shkodra you can easily get to the starting points in Theth (3 hours drive) or Valbona (with the Koman ferry).
- Tirana – Shkodra (1.5h) – Theth (2h)
– Bus timetable from Tirana to Shkodra
– Minibus from Shkodra to Theth - Or with the Koman ferry near Shkodra to Valbona
Starting point Peja in Kosovo:
Start in the Rugova Gorge. From there it is a 45-minute drive to the village of Reka e Allages.
- Pristina – Peja (1.5 h) – Reka e Allages
– Bus journey Pristina to Peja
– Several buses run daily from Peja’s bus station to the Rugova Gorge
Starting point Plav in Montenegro
More information in the chapter Arrival day of this aerticle.
Overnight stay / Accommodation
On the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ it is possible to stay in guesthouses, huts and in your own tent.
Beware of bottlenecks on the route! There are often groups travelling here who occupy entire accommodations. But don’t worry. Thanks to the hospitality of the locals, you will always find somewhere to stay.
The standard of the accommodation varies. There are very rustic and simple huts with shared rooms, without electricity or showers. Mostly in the higher areas. But there is also very professional accommodation with double rooms and private bathrooms.
Recommended stage order, markings & GPS track
In this blog article I have walked the recommended sequence of stages. It is a good mix of longer and occasionally shorter stages. You can find these well described in the Rother hiking guide mentioned above or in Komoot.
As a three-country trail, the Peaks of the Balkans leads 185 kilometres and over 11,500 metres through Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. A trail through the dreamlike and often untouched mountain worlds of the Balkans. Here you will find beautiful campsites and warm hospitality. The route is therefore feasible both with a tent…
💡The trail is marked with red and white signs. However, these are often not reliable as they are also used for other paths.
There is also road construction in some regions of the Peaks of the Balkans, which affects the route.
A GPS device is therefore a must in order to always be safe and find the right route on your own.
Peaks of the Balkans
Permits and border crossings
For the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ you have to walk through three independent non-EU countries. You will need permits for the border crossings. This is relatively complicated and involves bureaucracy. I was not confronted with this on my hiking tour and was not checked. To be on the safe side, I still recommend organising all permits. You can of course do this yourself or use a provider who will take care of the organisation for you:
Border Crossings Permits for Peaks of the Balkans | Abenteuer Albanien
A very reliable and affordable service. Even if you want to do it yourself, you will find all the important information on the website.
Note on bears
Bears live in the area of the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘. They are sighted extremely rarely and the probability of encountering them is very low. However, you should be aware of what to do if you do encounter a bear.
The recommended time to visit the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ is mid-June to mid-September, with July to the end of August being the most stable in terms of weather.
Peaks of the Balkans Weather
I was there for the first two weeks of September and had fantastic weather and top conditions. The following historical weather graph from Doberdol, a relatively central point on the trail, gives you an insight into the weather conditions throughout the year:
Requirements and condition of the trail
The ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘ Trail is not a technically demanding long-distance hiking trail, but it is extremely strenuous. The many ascents and descents are very challenging. There are days with ascents of 1,200 metres and the same down again.
A good level of fitness and the usual surefootedness are required to have a good time on the trail.
I can’t remember any really dangerous places. The well-trodden wide paths are very safe, especially if you use a GPS device for navigation.
Equipment
Your own sleeping bag should definitely be part of your equipment. Even if you are not travelling with a tent. As you will be sleeping in shared rooms in some of the more rustic accommodation.
Hiking poles were also a lifesaver on the tour. They simply take a lot of strain off your joints, especially with so many ascents and descents.
Otherwise, the usual components of a packing list should be taken into account.
You can find a detailed article on my packing list and equipment for a long-distance hike at the following link:Â Packing list for trekking and long-distance hiking with a tent
Food and water
As each stage is linked to a location and its accommodation, you will of course always have the chance to be well supplied with food. In addition to the restaurants and accommodation, it is possible to buy food from the farmers. Every now and then there are also small shops.
I would also recommend always starting a stage with at least 3 litres of water. I found the supply on the trail from rivers, lakes or locals to be rather patchy.
Costs and cash
On the Peaks of the Balkans, you will need euros in Kosovo and Montenegro and the lek currency in Albania. You won’t actually find any ATMs on the trail, only in the towns. For example in Plav and Peja.
So cash is a must on the ‚Peaks of the Balkans‘. There is no way around it. Card payments are rarely if ever accepted. Accommodation on the long-distance hiking trail varies between 20-45 euros per night and person with dinner and breakfast.