Walking the Borderlands of the Balkans
In 2017, I walked from Kosovo to Albania, via Montenego, using a new trail system called 'Peak of the Balkans. I wrote about the journey for Suitcase Magazine (read it here.)
Here's an Extract:
“Why am I two thirds of the way up the western flank of the highest mountain in Montenegro?”
The mountain is called Maja Kolata, and I’ve come here on a slight detour while walking from the Rugova Valley in Kosovo to the village of Theth in Albania. The route I’m following has been christened “Peaks of the Balkans” and runs across three countries as a loop of about 190km through the Prokletije mountain chain. It was scouted and mapped by a German development organisation in 2012, to acknowledge the unspoilt beauty and wilderness in this relatively unheralded part of Europe. The trail seems to have been inspired by the ongoing work of the Balkan Peace Park Project, which seeks – through development and cross-border co-operation since 2003 – to empower local communities by encouraging people to experience the region’s food, hospitality and scenery. A combination of these elements in this area of changing borderlands was the reason behind my journey.
Here's an Extract:
“Why am I two thirds of the way up the western flank of the highest mountain in Montenegro?”
The mountain is called Maja Kolata, and I’ve come here on a slight detour while walking from the Rugova Valley in Kosovo to the village of Theth in Albania. The route I’m following has been christened “Peaks of the Balkans” and runs across three countries as a loop of about 190km through the Prokletije mountain chain. It was scouted and mapped by a German development organisation in 2012, to acknowledge the unspoilt beauty and wilderness in this relatively unheralded part of Europe. The trail seems to have been inspired by the ongoing work of the Balkan Peace Park Project, which seeks – through development and cross-border co-operation since 2003 – to empower local communities by encouraging people to experience the region’s food, hospitality and scenery. A combination of these elements in this area of changing borderlands was the reason behind my journey.