Travel Guide Vermosh

Vermosh/Vermoshi has around 500 inhabitants and is part of the municipality of Malësi e Madhe ("Great Highlands"), whose seat is Koplik. The village lies 20 km east of Plav (Montenegro) and 97 km north of Shkodra (SH 20 via Koplik, Tamara and Lepusha). A minibus from Shkodra stops here every day (except in winter).Located at an altitude of 1,055 m in Albania's Alps National Park, Vermosh is the country's most northerly village. Surrounded by bunkers, mountains and Montenegro, it's still a very wild place. Founded by Catholic Albanian shepherds in the 19th century, the village is cut off from the rest of Albania for much of the winter because of the snow. But the inhabitants maintain close ties with the neighboring country: Vermosh belonged to Montenegro until 1926, and the small town of Plav/Плав is mainly populated by Albanians. This is the center of Montenegro's Prokletije National Park, which attracts hikers from all over the world with its marked trails and beautiful "Ali Pasha springs" (the fearsome governor of southern Albania attempted to subdue the region). Around Vermosh, there are few places to visit and few marked trails. But there are a few places to stay. Vermosh is especially lively in mid-August for the Miss Bjeshka ("Miss Alpine Pastures") competition, where some of the contestants still wear the xhubleta, a thick traditional dress that has been listed as a Unesco intangible heritage site since 2022.