Travel Guide Kukës

Kukës/Kukësi (pronounced "koukeuse"/"koukeusi") has a population of around 16,000. It is the capital of the municipality (45,000 inhabitants) and district (74,000 inhabitants) of Kukës. The town lies 38 km southeast of Prizren (Kosovo), 96 km southeast of Bajram Curri and 145 km northeast of Tirana (freeway). It can be reached by bus and minibus from Bajram Curri, Tirana, Prizren and Peshkopi.Kukës is an uncharming border town dating back to the Communist era, but it does have a few assets. For a start, it boasts an exceptional site dominated by Mount Gjallica (2,468 m). Situated at an altitude of 350 m, it was built on the shores of the large artificial lake of Fierza. It forms a peninsula at the confluence of the Black and White Drins, which give rise to the Drin, Albania's longest river (160 km). Kukës is also served by the country's freeway, which links Durrës to the beautiful Kosovar town of Prizren nearby. And it boasts an unlikely airport with flights to Italy and Turkey. Another surprise: beneath the town lies another city, underground and derelict, designed to house the entire population in the event of war. For the site is strategic. In November 1912, it was here that the Serbian army was halted during the First Balkan War, enabling Albania to declare its independence. And, during the Kosovo War (1998-1999), Kukës served as a rear base for the KLA, welcoming hundreds of thousands of refugees.