Valbona Valley, 28 September 2012

The Valbona valley is dominated by high mountains which offer fantastic views and varying colorful, seasonal panoramas. The name "Valbona" comes from a small village in the valley. Valbona Valley National Park is a national park in Albania declared by government decree in 1996. It covers an area of 8,000 hectares and is located along the Valbona Valley. A main attraction is the Valbona River flowing in the middle of the valley. The Theth National Park is adjacent to it and was declared a national park in 1966. It is proposed that the two parks, along with the areas in Montenegro and Kosovo form a tri-border the Balkan Peace Park. The Balkan Peace Park is a proposed park is located in the western part of Kosovo, north-eastern part of Albania and south-eastern part of Montenegro.The terrain is rugged and the park is home to the highest mountains in the Dinaric Alps including Maja Jezerce 2,694 m.

Autumn is approaching and the herders are driving the sheep’s down to their winter grazing.

View from our homestay

Our host at the small farm which had big business as a homestay and where we stayed

Our host with one of his sons (to the right) and our guide (to the left)

On a long stretches of the river is disappears between the stones on the river bed. Here it has just reappeared

After we had arrived we went up a Valley. The two elderly people from the nice little white house are working with their maize harvest.

Eurasian Jay Skovskade (Garrulus glandarius)

Valbona Valley does not offer landlines, internet connections, or mailing addresses. It is considered one of the most remote places left in Albania.