Travel Guide Bajram Curri

Bajram Curri (pronounced "baïram couri") has a population of around 5,000. It is the capital of the municipality of Tropoja (20,000 inhabitants) within the Kukës district. The town lies 39 km west of Gjakova/Đakovica (Kosovo), 96 km northwest of Kukës and 163 km northeast of Shkodra. Minibus connections to Valbona (1/day), Kukës and Tirana (5/day), Prizren and Gjakova/Đakovica (4/day), Fierza (Lake Koman, 1/day), Durrës (1/day) and occasionally Shkodra.Set on a promontory 380 m above sea level and dominated to the north by the Albanian Alps, this small town with its exotic name is by no means a tourist destination. It was built in 1957 on the site of the village of Kolgeçaj to guard the border with neighboring Kosovo, then a Yugoslav province. It was named after Bajram Curri (1862-1925), a Kosovo Albanian politician and activist who died fighting King Zog's troops in the area. Since 1982, a beautiful bronze statue of the hero, by sculptor Fuat Dushku (1933-2002), has stood in the heart of this sullen, Soviet-style town. A stone's throw away, the large municipal museum building has stood empty since it was looted in 1997. Suffice it to say, the town doesn't encourage visitors to stroll around. Nevertheless, Bajram Curri is the last stop before the Gashi and Valbona valleys. This is where you can stock up on provisions and withdraw cash before heading off into the mountains, far from towns and settlements.