Albert grew up in Fushe-Arrez, Albania, so we visit his family there at least once a year. It is a very small town but the nature around it is beautiful! It is a valley in the middle of the mountains. Fushe-Arrez actually means Valley of Walnuts. When we go there, it is the perfect getaway from the urban noises!

A little about Fushe-Arrez… Fushe-Arrez is a small ex – industrial city surrounded  by mountains. Directly in the town, there aren’t many things to do or places to go. If you just walk on the main road, it’s just bars and bars and bars! In Albania, like most of Europe, a bar is a place where you can have a coffee, a beer, or anything to drink, unlike in America where bars are usually just for drinking alcohol. From the outside, it looks like the only way young people pass the time is by sitting at the bar!  However, if you venture outside of the center, there are so many beautiful hikes because Fushe-Arrez is surrounded by such beautiful nature. You can walk just ten minutes and feel like you are in the middle of the wilderness!

There are also a river that flows though the town. It’s called Fan I Madh (The Great Fan) that rises near the village of Kryezi. The whole region could offer a lot more than it actually does. There are no plans from the central government or the local administration for the development of tourism which is a disappointment because with a little bit of work, it could be a gem for tourists trying to explore a town with tons of nature surrounding it off the beaten path!!

Sometimes we spend time just wandering around the mountains – you can walk on a dirt street as a path or make your own hike. The decision is yours! We love that no matter what, there is always something to see around every corner.

When we were there this past August, we decided to do some exploring nearby! We decided to go to Prizren, Kosovo as a day trip because why not! It is about two hours away by car, more or less. One of those hours is on an extremely curvy road, and then the other hour is on Rruga e Kombit which is the highway that connects Albania with Kosovo.

Once we got to the border, there was a small line of cars for a passport check (imagine the same idea as when you drive from the US to Canada!). They checked our passports, and we were on our way!! Prizren is the first city you reach once you cross the border, about 20 minutes into Kosovo. We got there at 10 am. The temperature was perfect, hot but not hot enough to feel sweaty! The first thing that we noticed was the architecture- it was different from other cities that we have visited. The Lumbardh River flows through the heart of the city and there are many bridges that connect both sides of the city.

The old part of the city is called Shadervan and is considered the most famous neighborhood in town. The streets are lined with cobblestone and plenty of restaurants. The Sinan Pasha Mosque is the oldest mosque of Prizren and probably the most beautiful. There is a  fortress at the top of the city which would be the perfect spot if you want to admire the breathtaking panoramas over the city. We didn’t go to the fortress but we walked around and explored a lot!

Another thing that we liked was the decor of the trees! They were covered with crochet – it was an interesting way to make the city more colorful! We ate lunch at one of the restaurants, tasting the local food. 

While we were eating lunch, we decided that our next stop would be Valbona Valley National Park, Tropoje. Valbona Valley National Park is considered the gem of the Albanian Alps! After lunch, we headed there. To get there, we drove through Kosovo and crossed the border back into Albania though Gjakove. The trip was about two hours long, but the views just driving there were breathtaking!

Once we got there, we drove around a lot to enjoy the scenery. We kept stopping on the side of the road every time we saw a great view… which was pretty much all the time!! One of our favorite stops was at this part of the river on the side of the road.. we had to climb down rocks to get there and it was so worth it! The water was crystal clear and really cold, but it was so pretty.

We kept driving and at one point did a short hike. Normally we would have loved to hike more, but since it was a last minute idea we weren’t prepared enough for it. One thing that we noticed that made us sad was that a lot of the tourists left their trash everywhere. It’s a shame seeing nature destroyed that way! 

If you want to help keep the Valbona River as beautiful and natural as it is, please sign the petition below!

“The Valbona River needs YOUR HELP!

Hydropower destroys rivers. Not only is the flow and integrity of the river bed changed, but silt backs up, water and ambient temperatures rise, and surrounding humidity drops. Despite assurances from the developers that they will create “fish ladders” to allow species like our native mountain and marble trout to swim upstream to spawn, current international studies question the effectiveness of these measures even when properly constructed, and practical experience questions whether the organizational infrastructure exists to carefully monitor their ongoing effectiveness.

Locals have been fighting for 2 years against these plants. The plants bring no benefits to local people, and are planned to operate less than 2 months of a year, meaning they create very little power or profit, even for outside interests. To date the struggle against hydropower has been conducted entirely peacefully, while pursuing legal methods to stop the hydropowers. The struggle of the local people has been supported by the population and civil society throughout Albania and also internationally, as an excellent example of local people fighting for the respect and dignity of their communities. “

On the way home we drove on a curvy road through the moutains and we saw the Liqeni I Fierzes (Fierza Reservoir). The Drin River as well as parts of White Drin River and  Black Drin River run through the reservoir.  The views while driving were spectacular and the view felt fake!!

Unfortunately there was some traffic along the way.. lots of goats and some cows were hanging out!! We passed a small waterfall on the way home on the side of the road and stopped there too. As we drove home, the sun was starting to set so it was beautiful watching it light the mountains in all different ways!