Travel Guide Sheper

Sheper/Sheperi has around 100 inhabitants and is part of the municipality of Libohova, within the Gjirokastra district. The village lies 13 km southwest of Përmet (which can only be reached on foot), 30 km north of Libohova and 42 km northeast of Gjirokastra (via the Çajupi plateau or 45 km via Libohova). Minibus connections: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing from Gjirokastra at 11 a.m. (check with the tourist office).This village is the center of the beautiful Zagoria valley, between the Drino (Gjirokastra) and Vjosa (Përmet) valleys. If you love beautiful landscapes and nature walks, you'll love it here. The valley is rich in hiking trails, stone houses, old Ottoman bridges and beautiful Orthodox churches. It comes alive especially in summer, when the diaspora returns to the ten villages and hamlets scattered along the Zagoria River, a tributary of the Vjosa wedged between six mountain ranges, the highest of which, Mount Nemërçka, rises to 2,485 m. From Gjirokastra, Sheper can be reached via the superb Çajupi plateau, perched at 1,250 m above sea level. This area is part of the Zagoria Natural Park. Although well preserved for the time being, this small, isolated region is threatened by the recent discovery of vast oil slicks in the subsoil. Shell has hypocritically installed tourist information panels all over the area.