Via Egnatia

Part of the Via Egnatia in Albania. Author: Albinfo CC BY-SA 4.0
The Via Egnatia was an important part of the Roman road network mainly because it connected Rome with Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). It became a lifeline between the Western and Eastern parts of the huge Empire.

The need for such a road arose with the Roman expansion towards the east. At the time before the road existed, there was no infrastructure in the newly conquered provinces and communication with Rome was hard.

According to some written accounts, the construction of the road began in 145 BC, under the supervision of Gnaeus Egnatius, the newly appointed governor of the province of Macedonia. The road took the name of its builder.

Part of the Via Egnatia in Albania. Author: Albinfo CC BY-SA 4.0

Via Egnatia begins on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, near the ancient port of Dyrrachium (modern-day Durres, Albania) and it lays directly opposite Brindisi, at the end of Via Appia. Via Appia was one of the oldest and most prestigious roads in the ancient Roman Empire which connected Rome to Brindisi, on the western shore of the Adriatic.

The road then followed the River Genussus (Shkumbin) and went over Jablanica Mountain, from where it descended to the shores of Lake Lychnitis (today named Lake Sevan) and it passed near the ancient town of Lychnidos (modern-day Ohrid, Macedonia).

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Via Ferrata

Via Ferrata by Krishna Naudin
A via ferrata (Italian for “iron path”, plural vie ferrate or in English via ferratas) is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and certain other locations. The term “via ferrata” is used in most countries and languages except notably in German-speaking regions, which use Klettersteig—”climbing path” (plural Klettersteige).

There is a via ferrata in Rugova Mountains, Kosovo. It is located four kilometres from Peja city. The road starts from Queen’s Cave and need two hours to finish. It was built in 2013. This is unique in the Balkans.[31]

In Kosovo the first Via Ferrata was built in 2013 and then extended in 2014. It is called Via Ferrata Ari. Its construction was supported by the Italian experts. The Via Ferrata is around 100 meters vertical and the whole trail is around 3 kilometers.

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Peaks of the Balkans

In order to create income for local population, stop abandonment of the mountain region of Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania and to bring these parts of the region closer together, the national and local tourism organization and hiking clubs joined forces with the German Development Cooperation to develop “The Peaks of the Balkans” regions as one destination for mountain tourism.
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Dibër Trails & Traditions

Sopanik Waterfall D2T gallery
Thanks to the “Tourism as a Leading Edge” Program, in March 2017, the Albania Local Capacity Development Foundation partnered with the Municipality of Dibër and the Local Action Group, Dibër Turistike, to implement “Dibër: Trails & Tradition” (D2T), a $750,000 grant funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Swedish International Development Agency.
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High Scardus

Welcome to the Balkans newest long-distance hiking and mountain biking trail. It’s an extension of the Via Dinarica that connects Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia along theirs shared border.

The cross-border route follows a 495 kilometer long main trail intersected by a much greater network of secondary trails that provide alternative options as well countless access/exit points to the main path. On route you cross six national parks and various mountain ranges, peaking out at 2.756 meters on Mount Korab, the high point of both Albania and North Macedonia.

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Via Dinarica

The Via Dinarica is a mega-trail that extends through the entire Dinaric Alps from Slovenia to Albania up to North of Macedonia, eager to join the community. Avery Stonich from National Geographic has named it as one of the best new destinations in the world for 2017. Avery simply described the product as follow: That’s almost 2,000 km route along the spine of the Dinaric Alps throughout the Balkan peninsula. Combining a network of old shepherd paths, strategic war routes, established trails, and new connections, it weaves through dramatic limestone karst fields, high mountains, steep valleys, dense
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