The road to Thethi got blocked! Jan 2, 2015 | Blogs from Albanian AlpsDear friends of Thethi! Even this year, starting from 27th of December, the road Boge – Theth got blocked from the snow. From now will be impossible to reach Thethi by car from the tourists or from its local people. This year there are more than 25 families of Thethi that have done the choice to live there during the winter time. This number is just for Thethi’s families but there are still other more families in the next villages of Okol, Nderlysa, Kaprre and Breglumi that are blocked too.A lot of people wanted to spend Christmas or even the New Year eve in Thethi but the possibility of getting blocked there was big so they changed destination. Actually the quantity of snow is higher of one meter in ‘Qafe e Thores’ peak, the highest point of the trail (1800m), and around 50 cm in the valley. For those that still want to reach Thethi anyway there is another possibility too, that is through Dukagjini valley, the road Prekal-Kire-Shosh-Shale and then Theth. This road is though very difficult in its ninety kilometers without asphalt. Actually even this road have 40-50 cm of snow but the Comune have promised to open it very soon. At the first moment the road get open we will come to you with another news. For any other info you can contact us! Welcome winter and see you soon Spring 😉
The sotry of hospitality in Theth Dec 16, 2014 | Blogs from Albanian AlpsThe history of Thethi as a touristic destination starts from the 1890th from some groups organized by the Francescan ordin, which priests use to visit Thethi within their pastoral mission. Who use to visit Thethi once get a huge impression of its beauty. Year by year the word got spread and visitors start to come in a bigger flux. In 1905 Edit’h Durham describe the village as the most beautiful panoramic she have ever seen till that moment and got impressed from the hospitality of the local people, which accompanied her till next village Vuthaj, in Montenegro. At this time the first tourists start coming in Thethi as adventurer tourists, which got accommodated near the village Church. Year by year the number of tourists got bigger, mostly from the city of Shkodra, that use to come in Thethi for its health cure. At this moment start the tourist development in Thethi, where a lot of Thethi’s families straight friendship with Shkodra city families, mostly from Gjecaj and Okol quorters which give the availability of their rooms for guests from the city. First houses was the Vat Nika’s and Dede Ndrethi’s ones in Gjecaj and Sadri Luka’s one in Okol. This relationship was broken by the Communist regime that didn’t allow anymore the free choice for traveling or tourism. During the communist regime tourism got organized from the state and for this in Thethi got constructed a residencial house for the families of the high class of that time which use to come in Thethi previously organized by the state/government. During that time the local people use to work in agriculture and those ones who use to work at this residence was previously chosen by the government to have a ‘clear biography’. After 90’tis the camp guesthouse was closed and tourists forgot Thethi for a while! First signs of revitalization of Thethi tourism was in 1996 under the promotion of a organization from Netherland. This new start was interrupted again in 1997 when the civil war started in Albania and a chaos situation was created. This situation of the tourism in Thethi goes on til 2001, time when Antonia Young implemented a project tituled “Balkan Peace Park” that laced Thethi, Valbona, Plave and Guci and till Rugove in Kossovo. This project was a push for the restart of the tourism in Theth. Around the year 2005 the Cooperation and Development Office of the German Embassy (GIZ) implemented a project for the restructuration of some houses in the village to be adapted as guesthouses to host tourists. In this way started a beautiful road to the continuous development of the village of Theth as a touristic destination. From 2005 till now, in a period of ten years now, with the restructuration of the guesthouses and the infrastructures improvement there is a big change of the area. Now days in Thethi there are more than 400 beds capacity in the three village areas: Kaprre, Nderlysa and Thethi, which is the most preferred destination. In Thethi there are more than 20 guesthouses, most of them concentrated in the Thethi center. Actually, there are no hotels of a high standard but just traditional houses adapted as guesthouses for tourists, with the maximum capacity of 5 to 10 rooms each. Each one of them is investing year by year to improve its comfort and facilities.
Theth is now accessible by normal car Aug 9, 2014 | Blogs from Albanian AlpsStarting from this Monday, 5 august 2014, the road was made accessible even for normal cars. A road that till now was impossible to do it without a out road car 4×4 whiles. These works are thanks to the last reconstructions made from Albanian Development Fund in its entire segment from the point where the non asphalted road starts, in Boge, for 22 km till the village of Theth in the National Park of Theth. Actually, the road of 72 km, from Shkodra is under construction for improvements with asphalt in 12 km and remaining 10 km are still going to be without asphalt. This last ten kilometers where filled on in its holes and some good improvements was done to guarantee the accessibility of normal low cars. Till now you could reach Thethi only by the 4×4 whiles cars or by the minivans that are used as a everyday public transport. From now and till the autumn rains damage the road this will be possible. This is good news for a lot of people and tourist that want to visit Thethi during this summer.
Road to Theth is going to be blocked for a restrict time from 10.00 to 16.00h for the touristic season 2014. Aug 5, 2014 | Blogs from Albanian AlpsThe road to Theth was first constructed on 1936 and is known as the first rural road with mainly touristic purpose. In the last 20 year no reconstructions was made and only last year 2013 was approved and started a reconstruction project for just a segment, Boge – Qate e Thores, that don’t give a definitive solution to the problem. Reconstruction works started in 2013 financed by Albanian Development Fund. The works started again this summer after the interruption of the last winter till to the works conclusion that will be probably by the end of this touristic season, in November when the roads get closed again from the snow. The road gets closed every day from 10.00h to 16.00h ad this will go on for all the season. The road Shkodra – Theth is 72 km long, done in a three hours trip, where the last 14km are the most difficult ones are still non asphalted and this part is not covered by the reconstruction project. Till now the road from Boga toward Thethi was asphalted in its first 5 km and the works are on progress for the other 7 km. Last 10 km are not going to be asphalted but for this touristic season they were reconstructed from Albanian Development Fund and actually Thethi is reachable by normal cars till to its village center.
Wandern in den Albanischen Alpen Aug 4, 2014 | Blogs from Albanian Alps“Peaks of the Balkan”, also Gipfel des Balkan, heißt ein neues Programm des DAV Summit Club. In abgelegenen Bergregionen soll ein nachhaltiger Bergtourismus aufgebaut werden. Nächste Woche startet die erste Reise dorthin. Es geht dabei um ein besonderes Projekt, das vom Ministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit der Bundesrepublik gefördert wird: In abgelegenen Bergregionen soll mit dem DAV Summit Club als fachlich qualifiziertem Partner ein nachhaltiger Bergtourismus aufgebaut werden. Die Balkan Peaks befinden sich im Dreiländereck Kosovo, Montenegro, Albanien – und somit in Gegenden, die einerseits durch den Kommunismus und dann durch den Krieg weitgehend unzugänglich waren. Das hat sich erst seit Kurzem geändert dank vieler Aufbauprojekte. Die Bergregion trägt auch den Namen “Albanische Alpen“. In erster Linie handelt es sich um den Südausläufer des dinarischen Gebirges, das von den Julischen Alpen, also Slowenien, parallel zur Adriaküste über Sarajevo bis in die Gegend nördlich von Tirana, der Hauptstadt Albaniens, verläuft. Die Landschaft ähnelt der in den Alpen, die Gipfel sind bis 2.600 Meter hoch, teils Urgestein, das heißt Gneis mit Gletscherseen, teils Kalk mit Karstplateaus, aber auch richtigen Felswänden. Etwas bekannter ist der 2.217 Meter hohe Arapi in Albanien, in dessen 800 Meter hoher Südwand der Frauenkader des DAV extreme Felsrouten erschlossen hat. Interessant ist auch die Sprache: Das Albanische zählt zu den ganz eigenen und alten europäischen Sprachen. Der 39-jährige Ziegenbauer Arben Jelai zum Beispiel fasziniert, wie er durch seine Ziegen durch die Berglandschaft geführt wird. Seine Tiere entdecken die schönsten Blumen und so entdeckt auch er selbst die Besonderheiten der Flora, zumal sich hier in den Bergen die alpine und mediterrane Flora treffen. Auch die Kultur ist noch sehr ursprünglich, etwa so wie es im 19. Jahrhundert in den Alpen war. Bis jetzt gab es praktisch keinen Tourismus, dadurch ist alles sehr urwüchsig und natürlich geblieben. So wie einst Franz Senn mit dem Tourismus ein Einkommen für die arme Bergbevölkerung im Ötztal schaffen wollte, so versucht jetzt das Projekt des DAV Summit Clubs entvölkerte Täler wieder zu besiedeln bzw. die Bevölkerung zu halten. Die Tour führt in drei Länder: zu den Balkangipfeln im Kosovo, in Montenegro und in Albanien. Alle drei Länder sind sehr klein, Montenegro hat nur an die 600.000 Einwohner. Daher ist man meistens allein unterwegs, das größere Gepäck wird auf Maultieren transportiert und die Gästehäuser oder einfache Hütten mussten ebenso erst einmal aufgebaut werden wie die Wege. Genutzt wurden dabei alte Karawanenwege und Hirtenpfade. Nur über die Berge kommt man in die verschiedenen Gegenden und Täler, die zum Teil sehr schlecht erreichbar und im Winter oft monatelang abgeschlossen sind. Der erste “Balkan Peak” auf dieser neuen Tour ist gleich einer der höchsten Gipfel, der Gjeravica, 2.656 Meter, und eine Kombination aus einer sehr grünen Landschaft und Urgestein, eine Blocklandschaft mit herrlichen Seen und völlig einsam. Am Grenzkamm wird dann in einer Schäfersiedlung übernachtet, es gibt Buttermilch, Brot, Lammbraten, sauren Milchreis – das ist schon sehr nahe an der Lebenskultur. Die Hütten sind einfache Bauten aus Holz und Stein, etwas zugig. Die Pferche aus Ästen erinnern an die Mongolei. Nachts gibt es schon mal stundenlang Gebell der kälbergroßen Hütehunde, weil ein Wolf umher schleicht. Über einen weiteren Bergkamm geht es dann nach Montenegro an den idyllischen Plav-See, den auch Fliegenfischer schätzen. Hier stehen auch ein paar rustikale, aber gute kleine Hotels. Am schönsten aber sind die Guesthäuser in den albanischen Tälern: einfache, aber sehr gepflegte Gasthäuser mit ein paar Zimmern, meist mit Holzbalkonen. Die Gastfreundschaft wird großgeschrieben, die Menschen sind äußerst freundlich. Diese drei Länder haben bedingt durch den Krieg in der jüngeren Vergangenheit kein sehr gutes Image, aber das ist nicht gerechtfertigt. Nur die Verständigung ist schwierig, da nur die jüngere Bevölkerung gut Englisch spricht. Daher ist eine geführte Bergwanderung durchaus zu empfehlen. Vom Plav-See geht es dann nach Süden über die Grenze nach Albanien in eine Region mit steilen Kalkgipfeln, ähnlich dem Wilden Kaiser und mit jeder Menge Kletter-Neuland. Auch die normalen Gipfel sind bergsteigerisch interessant und die Anstiege teilweise ziemlich lang. Insgesamt ist das Gebirge hier ganz anders und ein sehr viel wilderes Gebirge als die mediterranen Küstengebirge weiter nördlich in Kroatien zum Beispiel. Mehr Informationen zu den “Peaks of the Balkan” gibt es beim DAV Summit Club unter www.dav-summit-club.de/peaks-of-the-balkan-trail.
Natyral Attractions in Theth Jul 3, 2014 | Blogs from Albanian AlpsNatural beauties of Thethi valley begins once you have passed Boge village and do not end at any moment you will stay in Theth. The first point you will meet is Qafa e Thores peak on the way to Thethi valley, of 1800 meters altitude on the sea level and a cottage used as a coffee bar to stop, relax and have an wanderful view of all the peaks in the area. After 3 km drive there is the monument of Edith Durham monument that gives you the chance to see two valley Thethi’s and Shala’s valley view; Valbona’s golf, the Pejse golf, the Vizhens circle, the sheeps path pastures, the golf of Derza, etc. Blue Eye of Kaprre 3 days hiking Tours to Thethi National Park The location of this beauty is down on Kaprre, one of the most beautiful villages in the Alps. To reach the Blue Eye you must pass one of the rare beauties that are the Grunas Canyon of Theth, one of the pearls of the canyons in the entire country. If you are descended from Thethi, once you pass the Grunas canyon, down to Electric Plant of Ndërlysa and walks straight over the side village of Kaperre until you reaches the Black Well, which is formed by the Black River which comes down from Kaprreja. If you drive, you must stop and park there, because from Nderlysa to the Blue Eye of Kaperre there is no automobile road. Once you have parked the vehicle near the ruins of the School, appear before you the Black Well. From this place you should depart on foot to visit the Blue Eye. Once you have passed the bridge and take the road to Kaprre, it appears before you one of the most wonderful landscapes formed by the erosion of the cliff by the river, where some bathtubs and waterfalls are created, which are the most beautiful sights in Albania. From the place where the car is parked, until to the Blue Eye is a pedestrian route and takes about 40 minutes for the person who walks with a normal walking. The Blue Eye is one of the rare beauties of entire Albania. It is formed from the Black River, which flaw out from the Black Top. The Blue Eye is formed by the erosion of rock by the water that descends from the mountains. The Black Well is about 100 m2 and about 3 to 5 meters of depth. The Black River is entirely formed from the melting snow in the Alps. Any tourist (of any age) can go to the Blue Eye because the road lay in a plain valley. Along the way you have to bear in mind to follow the signs that are made by local residents. Waterfall of Thethi in Grunas 3 days hiking Tours to Thethi National Park One of the most exceptional natural beauties in the Albanian Alps is the Grunas waterfalls, which by the Government Decision Nr. 676, dated 20.12.2002 has been declared as a natural monument under state protection. The Grunasi waterfall with its thin body over 30 meters high, together with circuses around the Flour Mill, form one of the most interesting places to be visited by every tourist who visits Theth. The waterfall of Thethi has a particular feature, the fact that all its water derives entirely from a rock and snow water. For mountain climbers who can visit the source is a special miracle that is not found in any waterfall in Europe. Grunas canyon 2 days Tour to Theth National Park The Grunas Canyon, a natural monument, can be found on the south side of the Thethi park. The Grunas Canyon has vast carbon formations. The canyon is around 2 km long and 60 meters deep and varies from 2-3 meters to 30-40 meters wide. There is an incomparable beauty and all the time there is enough water to canoe sailing fans. The water of the Thethi River is crystal clear at any time and very cold. The visits to the site are not advised without local guides or it is advisable that the visit is in groups. The Grunas Canyon was and remains a challenge for all foreign and Albanian tourists that are passionate about canyons. Exploring Caves speleology / rocky climbing Thethi has other natural monuments such as caves. The speleologist can see some small caves of extraordinary beauty in Theth such as Cuckoo Cave, Cave of Shakujve Valley, the “Red” Cave, the Cave in between the stones in the Thethi field “over Ulaj”, Pepes Cave in Okol and Water hole in the neck of Pejë. The Water hole in the neck of Pejë at times of rains issues water, which is supplied by underground glacier lakes: the lakes of Jezerca and Vuthaj. But those that have attracted the attention of many specialists, climbers, speleologist, geographers, and geologists, are the enormous caves of Harapi over the Okol and the Cave of Circles over Ulaj. The large size and the interesting phenomena of these caves like underground lakes, siphons, stalactites galleries, and stalagmites, etc.., in centuries have been the cause of creating legends by residents. Ethnographic Museum Ethnographic Museum At the valley of Thethi, one can see buildings made of stone, standing tall and strong, which are known for their defensive character. One of the more unique towers is the tower of Lulash Keq Boshi, which was built at the top of jagged rock, 9 meters tall, which is connected to the rock in an organic and functional way. The tower is placed near the fertile soil with minimal construction which is a helpful environment for the growth of cereals. The tower is a semi floor with a horizontal expansion of 87 m2. On the north-west side, it’s the way to the underground floor where the cattle are kept. On the surfaces of the first floor is the floor where you enter the building through some stone stairs. On the south-west side of the wall is found the small window called frangjia, which is built functionality and architecturally wise. Frangjia is a solid construction that worked with the sculpted rock that comes out of the tower walls. In addition to the below floor, where is the room where the family stay, it’s also found the guest room, which is higher up from the floor where the family lives? An unusual element of the guest room is the fact that it has a fireplace, wooden ceiling and is treated with a lot of care. Usually, this room is nicer than other areas of the building. This shows the Albanian tradition of preparing the best for guests.
