As in Scandinavia there are no restrictions on free camping in Albania, you can camp wherever you want. And I have yet to see the sign “private”, or a road that is blocked for driving. That, together with fantastic scenery and challenging roads, makes Albania an utopia for off-road enthusiasts. Here are some impressions from the mountains in the north. In the article albania-roadtrip you can find more general information about traveling in Albania, also for those who do not have four-wheel drive
Theth
Theth is a large national park in the mountains to the north of Albania known as the Balkan Alps. There are two roads to the village of Theth which is at the top of the valley that continues all the way down to Shkodër, the north and the south road. The north consists of a good tarmac road, SH21, up to the 1,800m pass, then two hours on a narrow dirt road down to Theth which is at 750m. The dirt road is particularly narrow in the beginning, and it does not make it better that there are vertical drops in the 100 meter range on the right side as you drive downhill. It should only be driven by cars with good ground clearance, but four-wheel drive is not really necessary. We met some normal cars, but that is not recommended as you risk and turn down, and puncture is also likely.
We drove down the road Sunday afternoon. It was a bad choice as we met all the cars that was on the way home after spending the weekend in Theth. At the narrowest we met 4 cars, and backing to a meeting place was not very fun.
Coming down to Theth is like coming to a magical place. The valley is relatively flat at the bottom, with a turquoise ice-cold river, and surrounded by snow-capped peaks in the 2000 meter range.
Teeth is quite busy in the summer with about 10,000 tourists. Many come with their own cars, but most come with small shuttle buses. The valley has a quite a few houses, and many rent out rooms, and have a small campsite. We stayed at KonaK which is below the closed turquoise school, down to the right when you come across the bridge. It has plenty of space for campers, and a small bar / restaurant with decent food. In an exotic destination as this it is easy to get in touch with other travelers, and we became acquainted with Germans and Swiss people with whom we had dinner together.
Thet’s settlement is a mixture of vacated and dilapidated houses, and houses in use, most only in the summer season. There is no road connection in winter. The most interesting thing is a tower from the blood revenge era, where you could imprison men who were in danger of being killed. This is one of the few remaining in Albania.
Southern Road to Shkoder
There is, as mentioned, another road to Theth also, the so-called southern, which we drove down again. It is much worse and a struggle to get through as it takes 7 hours. It requires four-wheel drive and good ground clearance. One of the cars in our group was a Subaru without any kind of lifting, and that it came down well without breakdown was only due to a skilled driver. However, the smell of burnt clutch was all over the National Park afterwards.
The road has many drops and you have to use two hands to count the number of crosses along the road. At two places were memorial stones with about 10 names. Probably minibuses that had gone over the edge. But it is not dangerous if you know the car, have experience and take it easy. The most dangerous thing is when you meet cars and have to back, perhaps a good distance on the narrow road. But fortunately the road is little used and we only met a few cars. It should also be noted that the locals drive very fast taking the road standard into account, not to mention what conditions it must be in winter. Generally speaking, that is. This road is closed in winter time.
On the way you pass a “Blue Eye” fresh water spring at the village of Nderlysaj. It takes about an hour to walk up to it, but you will not meet the hordes of tourists that you find at the second and more famous Blue Eye in southern Albania near Girokaster.
The Albanians are very hospitable and welcoming, perhaps because they have so far been spared the mass tourism you find in other Mediterranean countries. As an example, we stopped at a restaurant along the bad road down from Theth, a place that passes a handful of cars a day so turnover is hardly the biggest, and asked to buy a loaf of bread. We got bread, but there was no way we should pay for it.
Hiking opportunities Theth
There are many opportunities for hiking in Theth.
To the Valbona pass.
Many hikes from the Valbona valley to Theth, a trip of about 7 hours. The luggage can be carried with horses. From Theth it is popular to walk up to Valbona pass at 1800 meters. It is a steep walk that goes solely uphill. But it is not dangerous and nature is wonderful. From about 1000 meters it passes through old forests, probably primeval. Higher up there are partial threes and grass plains which provide a fantastic view of the mountains and the valley. At 1500 meters there is a small cafe that sells soft drinks and other snacks. Everything carried up on horses. Here you can also refill the water bottle. Calculate 3-4 hours up to the pass.
To the waterfall
To view the valley you can hike for a 2.5-hour to the waterfall which is a little tucked away from the trail. It is an easy route, but through incredibly beautiful scenery along the crystal clear river where horses graze on the riverbank. The waterfall itself is really not that much to see.
South of Albania lies and mountainous areas that are exciting to drive in if you have a four wheel drive. And a couple of cities worth a visit. See separate article on this: albania-roadtrip
There are many websites with detailed route descriptions and gpx files
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