Accursed Mountains · Albania, Montenegro, KosovoPeaks of the Balkans
Three countries, one wild mountain loop
About Peaks of the Balkans
The Peaks of the Balkans is a circular trail of 192 kilometres through the Prokletije, the Accursed Mountains, the limestone range on the border of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Opened in 2012, the route follows old shepherds' and mule paths that a closed military border had cut off until 1990; the project came about with support from the GIZ and the German Alpine Club, in cooperation with the mountaineering clubs of the three countries. The variant worked out here runs in ten stages from Theth back to Theth, 172 kilometres with over 10,700 metres of climbing.
The route crosses the three countries repeatedly on their inner sides. From Theth it climbs over the Valbona pass into the Valbona valley, framed by the limestone towers of the Albanian Alps, and via Cerem and the Doberdol high pastures crosses into Kosovo towards Milishevc and Reka e Allages. The pass on the line of the Rugova gorge, with its near-vertical limestone walls, brings the route to Liqenat i Kuqishtes, and via the tri-border point at Tromedja onto the Montenegrin side with Babino Polje, Plav and Vusanje beneath the walls of the Karanfili group. The final stage returns over the Qafa e Pejes to Theth. Passes above 1,900 metres, glacial cirques with lakes and long limestone traverses define the character: no technical climbing, but long, rocky, solid mountain days.
The overnight stays are half the trek: family guesthouses in the villages and katuns, the seasonal huts of the high pastures, with home-cooked food and hosts who are often the same shepherds whose paths you walk. The border crossings run over green paths; your passport must be stamped in advance through the guesthouses on both sides, and this is arranged when you book.
Practical. Ten stages of six to nine hours walking, over 10,700 metres of climbing in total, on terrain that is strenuous but not technical; trekking poles help on the steep descents. Reserve guesthouses well ahead for July and August, carry your passport at all times for the green border crossings, and expect weather that can turn quickly at this altitude. Water is plentiful from springs and village taps. The circuit can also start in Plav or Peja, and logistics usually run via Shkoder in Albania, the city with the airport closest to Theth.
Stages Peaks of the Balkans
The Peaks of the Balkans is split here into 10 stages of 13 to 22 km, 173 km in total, a loop hike from and to Theth. The stages below are a sample itinerary: in the planner you put together your own days and choose where you sleep.
Theth - Valbonë
Leave the stone towers and church of Theth on an old mule track, climbing through pine forest past the small Blue Eye spring. The trail tops out at the Valbona Pass, where shepherds sell honey and wild mountain tea in summer, and the whole Valbona valley opens up in one long view. A zigzag descent leads to the river and the scattered farms of the valley floor.
Valbonë - Çerem
Follow the turquoise Valbona river deeper into the national park, past the historic water mill at Rrogam and the open meadows beneath the towering cliffs of Maja e Harapit. The valley gradually narrows into forest, and the final climb brings you to the tiny border settlement of Çerem, a handful of stone houses surrounded by beech woods.
Çerem - Dobërdol
A gentler high-valley day. From Çerem the path climbs steadily through beech forest, passing the seasonal katun of Kukaj, then breaks out into wide open pastures where herders still live in stone huts all summer. Dobërdol, one of the most isolated villages on the whole route, sits in a green bowl of mountains; cows and horses wander freely between the guesthouses.
Dobërdol - Milishevc
Cross from Albania into Kosovo over open mountain pasture, passing shepherd dogs and flocks on the Peja side. The view back over the Bogiçevica peaks stays with you most of the day, and the descent ends at Milishevc, a seasonal settlement of stone katuns that serves hikers in summer with simple food and a famous warm welcome.
Milishevc - Reka e Allagës
Rolling shepherd paths through Kosovo’s western mountains. The day passes several working katuns where you can stop for fresh cheese and buttermilk, and the trail follows the contours of the Rugova highlands, with glimpses towards the gorge country around Peja before dropping to Reka e Allagës.
Reka e Allagës - Liqenat i Kuqishtës
The longest stage: from Reka e Allagës the trail climbs the Kuqishtë ridge with the striking red cliffs of Guri i Kuq overhead. Near the top lies the small glacial lake of Liqenat, fringed by pines and a fine place for a (brisk) swim, before the day ends at the inn on its shore.
Liqenat i Kuqishtës - Babino Polje
The wildest day. From Liqenat the path climbs past mountain lakes on the Montenegrin side of the border ridge, crosses high karst slabs near the tripoint where Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro meet, and then drops steeply through beech forest to the village of Babino Polje.
Babino Polje - Plav
A softer day through old-growth beech forest towards the Lim valley. The route passes the waterfalls of the Grlo canyon before reaching Plav, a small town beside its glacial lake, where the mosque and lakeside promenade feel like a different world after a week in the mountains.
Plav - Vusanje
The longest day, so start early. From Plav the trail climbs over Vrh Bora, then winds through the forests of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna national park to the hidden mountain lake of Hrid, a perfect lunch spot ringed by pines. The final descent follows pastures down to Vusanje at the head of the Ropojana valley.
Vusanje - Theth
Follow the Ropojana valley back into Albania, beneath the sheer 800-metre cliff of Ujëvara e Okolit, passing its dramatic spring waterfall in the rocks. The trail joins the old mule track over the meadows of Okol and descends through the village fields of Theth, closing the loop at the church and lock-in tower where it all began.
FAQ
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