As Albania is being presented in the tourism field as “The last undiscovered stone of Europe” with its unique nature, history and cultural heritage, the unspoiled coastline from the industrial pollution, there is still to be discovered in this small country.
We are talking about the northeastern part of the country. That part where the mountains rise high, the forests are dense and roads are neither paved nor passable. This is what most impressed the journalist of “Lonely Planet” Tom Masters who travelled in these areas and in an article published at Lonely Planet, expresses his strong emotions about this “secret” and unexplored country.
Indeed, which is Albania’s internal territory? It’s the one that we get to know by the news or opinions, the one we have never stepped into, not because of us being unwilling to but because there exists no infrastructure and means to get us there.
If we opt for the ferry from Vau i Dejes and then head to Fierza and after that to Kukes city, on both sides of the river bans there are spectacular views of nature and somewhere there are abandoned old buildings, narrow pedestrian paths or species of animals, gullies and unexplored caves that would attract the attention to a nature explorer.
It is very difficult to visit these spots because there is no way leading there and no proper guides. Therefore, these pearls of our nature and tourism remain hidden and not valued.
In these areas there is not only a magnificent nature but also an unknown cultural heritage by visitors and curious people. We refer to alpine ‘kullas’ (old traditional houses built in stones by locals), lifestyle, customs, traditions, culinary, ethnography, ect.
Photo credits: Flickr: Peter Fend’a, UNDP, kaveman743, The hunter of light
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