Things to see and do Valbona

It's sad, but this is how financial aid from the European Union is sometimes used in Albania. This tourist office in the Valbona valley was created in 2019 as part of an EU integration program. Since then, the website has ceased to function and the pretty wooden chalet has been transformed into... a hotel (12 rooms, €50/140 for two, breakfast €7). Comfort and hospitality leave much to be desired. There's still a tourist information office here, but the staff are not at all competent.

This trail links the village of Valbona with the hamlet of Çerem, skirting Montenegro. The route is part of the Peaks of the Balkans network: their website is a mine of information on this and other trails in the region. It is not particularly difficult (541 m ascent, 382 m descent), except that it is long. The hamlet of Çerem is inhabited only in summer by shepherds who offer board and lodging, such as the Guesthouse Kujtim Goçaj. Çerem is also the starting point for two trails through the Gashi nature reserve.

It links the hamlet of Çerem (19.8 kilometers northeast of Valbona on foot) with that of Dobërdol, at the "three borders" with Montenegro and Kosovo. The route is detailed on the Peaks of the Balkans website. It passes through the Gashi nature reserve. Doable in summer, when both hamlets are occupied by shepherds. In Dobërdol, you'll find the Bilbil Vatnika guest house. From there, you can continue on to Kosovo (the route can also be found on the Peaks of the Balkans network website).