Cycling in Albania Kosovo and Macedonia

The group arrives in Albania they will be transferred to Kruja, where they will visit the castle and Scanderbeg museum. Kruja was the most important town for the Albanians during the 15th century which withstood successfully at least 3 major sieges by the Ottoman Empire. The museum we will visit is dedicated to the Albanian medieval hero Gjergj Kastrioti called otherwise as ‘Scanderbeg’. He is considered the most important figure for all the Albanians wherever they live. After this, we cycle from the Zogu Bridge until Rubik. When in Rubik we visit the Franciscan Church which dates back to the 12 century.

We drive on the secondary road of Rubik – Shpal – Gjegjan – Fushe-Arrez. In Fushe Arrez we will have lunch. From Fushe-Arrez to Qafe Mali – Dardhe the road is mostly rocky terrain.

Cycling continues on roads, which were used before the construction of Fierza Power Plant. We make a break for lunch in Bajram Curri. Bajram Curri is a small city situated on the foot of Shkelzen mountain. The name of the city comes from the national hero Bajram Curri which was an outstanding fighter. In honor for his patriotism there is a 7 m high statue of him erected in front of city’s museum. The museum has a typical northern Albanian architecture. After lunch we continue toward Valbona Valley.

Today we cycle from Valbona valley to Qafe Luzhe – Pac – Helshan – Qafe Prush – Gjakovë. In Gjakovë, we will have a walk through its old bazaar, one of the longest in the Balkan, a beautiful testimony of Ottoman Architecture and visit Hadumi’s Mosque.

We drive toward Prizren, with some short breaks during the road to visit interesting places. From Prizren we continue through highland roads following this trail: Prevalle – Brezovice – Jazhince (pkk) – Tetove (Mac). Lunch will be in Brezovica. Brezovica is a ski resort situated between 900 m and 2,500 m above sea level. There is a combination of mild valley climate in the lower parts and Alpine climate in the higher regions. When we will be in Tetovo we will visit the Colored Mosque and Bektashi Tekke.

We cycle today through secondary roads from Tetovo to Gostivar -Mavrove – Diber e Madhe (Mac). Lunch will be organized in Mavrovo. Mavrovo is a region of Macedonia where Mavrovo National Park and winter sports center is located. The Mavrovo Lake lies at an altitude of 1220m. It is 12 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide. After Mavrovo we cycle to Dibra we will relax in the thermal baths of Dibra.

We drive toward Struga along the banks of Black Drini River. In Struga we will visit the city and have lunch. We resume cycling afterwards to reach the city of Ohrid in the afternoon. The UNESCO city of Ohrid since 1979 is one of the most interested places to visit in Macedonia. We will take a walk in the afternoon to visit some of the most interested sites.

From Ohrid we cycle toward the border of Qafë Thanë between Albania – Macedonia to enter Albania. We continue cycling along Shkumbini river toward the city of Elbasan. In Elbasan we take a break to visit the castle of the town and have lunch as well. In the afternoon we cycle toward the city of Berat enlisted in the UNESCO heritage list.

Today we cycle toward Kucova airbase. There we can see the old military airplane, which are a relic of the cold war. Our next break will be in Durres, a city that dates back to the 7th century BC. In Durres we will visit the amphitheater of the 2nd AD and have lunch. In the afternoon we arrive in Tirana, capital of Albania.

Before the departure we will have a walking tour of Tirana. The group departs from Mother Theresa Airport.