RÉSERVE NATURELLE DE LA RIVIÈRE GASHI
Difficult to access, it is part of Albania's Alps National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Created in 1996, this 30 km2 protected area (Rezerva Natyrore e Lumit të Gashit) is part of Albania's Alps National Park. It is one of the best-preserved natural areas in the country: since 2017, almost half of its surface area (1,261.52 hectares) has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site among the 78 sites on the "Primary beech forests of the Carpathians and other parts of Europe" list. The reserve stretches from 700 to 1,900 m above sea level on either side of the Gashi River, and is home to a rich wildlife including bears, eagles and forests that have remained untouched by man for two centuries. The river rises on the Dobërdol glacier (2,238 m above sea level), on the borders of Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo. It then flows 27 km through the southern Albanian Alps. In doing so, it passes through completely uninhabited areas with narrow gorges and high peaks such as Mount Shkëlzen (2,404 m), before joining the Valbona River 4 km northeast of Bajram Curri. A relatively easy trail between Çerem and Dobërdol (15.6 km) takes you through the alpine meadows and part of the forest in the northern part. But to enter the heart of the reserve and follow the Gashi River, you'll have to walk 42 km between Dobërdol and Bajram Curri, necessarily with a local guide as this route is neither signposted nor mapped. There is no permanent accommodation.
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