The Peaks of the Balkans Trail

Alex our store manager at Stratford spent 9 days exploring the Peaks of The Balkans Trail.

About Alex

My passion for the outdoors led me to join Ellis Brigham almost 8 years ago. Over the past 20 years, I have explored many mountain ranges in Europe and Asia. From hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc, wild camping in Romania, via ferrata in the Dolomites, ice climbing in Rjukan or conquering new heights on Pik Lenin.

I first thought of hiking in the Balkans in 2020, but it wasn’t until this past winter that my friend Cosmin and I revisited the idea. The Balkans is a general term with more geographical meaning than anything else, so we looked deeper into it. We found a hike that covers three countries, goes through tiny remote mountain villages, and allows you to explore the area—The Peaks of the Balkans Trail.

This circular 192km hike through Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro offers an opportunity to go back in time and experience nature unspoiled and unaltered by human activity.

The trail was built with the help of local volunteers to support the local economy and promote tourism in an area far less popular for hiking.

Planning

The next stage was booking the accommodation. The initial plan was to mix wild camping with sleeping in guest houses it turned out to be a lot more challenging than we thought. There are restrictions in some areas, local wildlife to contend with and Plav was the only place to pick up supplies on the route. In the end, we decided to stay with the locals. It’s affordable and offers an opportunity to learn about their culture and sample traditional cuisine.

We booked most places online while some only had a Facebook page with a phone number. Everyone only accepts cash and no payments in advance. An average of 30-40 euros per night per person offers accommodation, dinner and lunch.

What you need for hiking in the Balkans

On the trail

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