TIRANA, Oct. 6 – The Valbona Valley in northern Albania has been recommended by prestigious National Geographic portal as one of the top nine great outdoors globally.
The Albanian paradise, where residents and activists have recently been protesting dam construction plans along the crystal clear Valbona River worried about the future of emerging tourism industry in the local area, is described as Albania’s equivalent of Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
“Nestled into what’s known as the ‘accursed mountains,’ the highlands are a remarkably wild region—Albania’s equivalent of Zion—with many yet to be discovered climbing sites,” says the National Geographic.
The prestigious magazine which suggests visiting Valbona from June to September, recommends staying in one of the family-style lodge rooms or camp along a sparkling river nearby.
“Either way, you should definitely indulge in one of their five-course, traditional Albanian dinners—stuffed peppers, fried cheese, and local, homemade brandy are the perfect way to watch the sunset turn the valley gold,” says National Geographic.
“The cragged peaks are formed from spectacular white rock, while the fir and beech forests form a deep green contrast. Now a national park, the valley is part of the Albanian Alps and a stretch of a 10-day loop called the Peaks of the Balkans. The trail climbs steep summits and winds along quiet river valleys, past summer grazing areas in mountain highlands and glacial lakes,” it adds.
The National Geographic has also previously rated Albania as among the top ten places that deserve more travelers.
“A burgeoning tourist industry—centered around its meticulously preserved UNESCO-listed Ottoman towns, including Berat and Gjirokastra, and the stretch of land now known somewhat archly as the Albanian Riviera—now brings in almost 3.5 million tourists a year,” says the portal.
