Peaks of the Balkans experience: what it’s like to hike the remote cross-border trail

Hi Rudolf, can you tell us about the Peaks of the Balkans Trail and what makes it special?

The Peaks of the Balkans is a hugely rewarding cross-border trail through a little-known part of Europe, linking Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. The 192km route is waymarked and can comfortably be completed in under a fortnight. It winds through remote valleys, over dramatic mountain passes and across terrain ranging from 670m to 2300m in altitude. You’ll find spectacular scenery throughout, and the chance to stay in small village guesthouses that feel largely untouched by time.

What drew you to this route and inspired you to write a guidebook about it?

I first hiked in the Prokletije mountains more than a decade before the Peaks of the Balkans Trail was created. At the time, I was working on one of my earlier Cicerone guides, The Mountains of Montenegro, and I remember thinking that the nameless, intermittent lake at the head of the Ropojana Valley — now on Stage 10 of the Peaks of the Balkans — was one of the most beautifully remote-feeling places I'd seen in Montenegro.

Later, I came into contact with the Balkan Peace Park Project, which had a vision of creating a transborder peace park in these mountains. Then, the Montenegrin side of the Prokletije was designated a national park. I’ve always been drawn to lesser-known routes, to long-distance trails, and to this part of Europe — I’d been living in Croatia a few years before all this — so it felt inevitable that I’d pitch the idea of a guidebook to Cicerone.

How would you describe the landscape and scenery along the route? Does it feel different from other well-known European treks?

Rugged and remote. It’s limestone country, but not quite like you might know it from the Alps — and without the broad trails, large mountain huts or cable cars you’d typically find there. The landscape varies noticeably as the trail crosses the Prokletije mountains' western and eastern sides. In the west, the terrain is higher, rockier and more jagged, while the eastern side tends to feel gentler, greener and more pastoral.

At times, the scenery brings to mind other mountain ranges in Europe — the Carpathians in Romania, or even the Picos de Europa. But the mountains here are lower than the Alps, generally much more remote, and far less developed for tourism. That makes for a very different experience.

The route passes through three countries — Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. What’s it like crossing borders on foot?

On the ground and landscape-wise, no different from crossing a border in a range like the Pyrenees, where you might hop between France and Spain without noticing. That said, you are required to have a transborder permit, and you may encounter border police at a couple of points along the route checking passes, such as at the head of the Ropojana Valley. You can apply for the transborder permits yourself, but it’s much easier and more reliable to go through a local tour operator for a small fee. Zbulo in Albania, for example, offers this service.

Can you share a particularly memorable moment from your time on the trail?

Well, there are quite a few of those! The brutal, first-thing-in-the-morning climb from Dobërdol up to a nameless pass and the view that awaited. The warm welcome and delicious dinner in Milishevc at the end of a very, very long day. Or the time I spent quite a while trying (and failing) to find the correct trail (any trail, in fact) down from a 2200m pass into the Rugova Gorge… until a small black dog appeared out of nowhere, tongue lolling and ears flying, and revealed the existence of a path.

How challenging is the trek, and what level of fitness do you need?

Anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and some experience hiking in the mountains should be able to walk the Peaks of the Balkans. There are no technical difficulties, but you do need a little more self-sufficiency than you might on more established trails in the Alps, particularly as some sections are quite remote. Stages with around 20km of distance and 1,000m of ascent and descent are fairly typical. Trails can be rough, steep and narrow in places. The days are often long, and there’s usually no option to split them into two, as guesthouses tend to be spaced far apart.

When is the best time of year to walk the route?

Mid-June to early October. Any earlier, and you’ll need to be prepared for snow on the Valbona Pass. Snow can turn what’s usually a straightforward descent — with just a moderate degree of exposure on its northeastern side — into something quite dangerous.

What kind of accommodation can hikers expect along the way?

Small, family-run guesthouses — generally quite simple, but always welcoming, with home-cooked food. Accommodation tends to be a mix of dormitory-style rooms with shared bathrooms, and the occasional double room or small pod-style cabin. Plav is the only town of any size on the route (and even then, it’s still pretty small), while Theth and Valbona have more guesthouses than most other villages along the trail. Wild camping is possible, of course, but given that this is limestone terrain, water can be hard to come by — and you’d miss the interaction with locals in guesthouses, which is one of the highlights of a trail like this.

The infrastructure is less developed than in other trekking regions. How does this affect planning and logistics?

Getting to the trail is surprisingly easy by public transport, and you can approach it from any of the three countries it passes through. Theth (in Albania) and Plav (in Montenegro) are generally the most convenient places to start or finish your trek. That said, the first thing you’ll need to do is apply for your transborder permits — ideally around six weeks in advance. It’s also best to book your accommodation and meals ahead of time rather than hoping for the best, especially in summer, when guesthouses are more likely to be full. Wifi is now available along the route which makes it easier to contact some of the more remote guesthouses if you need to.

The trail is becoming more popular with younger travellers. Why do you think it’s particularly appealing to them?

It’s a subjective opinion, but these mountains have an element of the undiscovered and the unknown, which makes them an exciting place for younger hikers to explore. Even the name — Prokletije means ‘the Accursed Mountains’ — has a certain exotic allure. Over time, it’s become part of an established travel itinerary in southeast Europe, and it’s no longer just seen as a challenging hike for seasoned hikers. Personally, I think it’s great that a wider range of people are coming to experience hiking in this part of the world.

Have you noticed any shifts in where visitors are coming from in recent years?

Yes, definitely. The trail now attracts a broad range of hikers in terms of origin, age, and experience. When I first hiked in the Montenegrin part of Prokletije back in the early 2000s, the only other hikers I encountered were mainly locals, or Polish and Czech trekkers. A couple of years after the Peaks of the Balkans trail was launched, the majority of hikers I met were from Germany, with some groups from the Netherlands. But when I returned to re-hike the trail in the autumn of 2024, there was a noticeable shift. I met trekkers from the UK, New Zealand, Canada, France, Israel, alongside those from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Spanish trekkers, in particular, have become very drawn to the route.

There’s also been a rise in people opting for a shorter version of the trail that bypasses Kosovo, with many doing the Valbona Pass as a one-day hike. In recent years, large groups have started to frequent the trail, often through overseas tour companies. This has had a detrimental effect, as the Peaks of the Balkans simply isn’t equipped to support groups of that size. The infrastructure and accommodation aren’t designed for it, which alters the experience for everyone — from the food served in guesthouses (often simpler and easier to prepare) to the sense of remoteness (there have been instances of loud parties in what would normally be a peaceful mountain pasture).

What is it like staying in the villages along the route?

With the exception of Theth and Valbona — the only villages of any significant size along the entire route — and Plav, which is a small town, you have to replace the notion of a ‘quaint village with a couple of shops’, with something rather more minimalistic — generally just a few houses and guesthouses, or a summer settlement.

What role does tourism play in the communities along the trail?

Hikers can directly support the local community and economy by staying in small, family-run guesthouses in the villages and summer settlements along the trail and making arrangements through local tour operators who know the mountains intimately. Most of the guesthouses along the trail opened as a direct response to the Peaks of the Balkans, providing a reliable source of income in an area that previously had little tourism. This way, your money stays within the local community rather than going through large international tour operators.

Are there any lesser-known detours or extensions you’d recommend for those with extra time?

From Plav or Vusanje, make a trip to the Grbaje Valley – the trail to Popadija is a good one, with amazing views.

If someone only had time for a short section, which part of the trail would you suggest?

Bear in mind that doing some shorter sections might mean finishing in a different country from where you started. The best “short” version of the Peaks of the Balkans that remains a circular route is to cut across from Milishevc to Babino Polje, which makes for an eight-day trek. For a three-day hike, the “Three Passes” route, which takes in the Pejë, Valbona, and Prosllopit passes, is hard to beat.

What advice would you give to someone planning their first trek on the Peaks of the Balkans, and what do you hope they take away from the experience?

Travel light (but ensure you’re properly equipped for a hike like this), don’t underestimate the weather, and be prepared for long days in remote areas. And of course, make sure to buy the Cicerone Peaks of the Balkans guidebook!

I hope the journey dispels stereotypes about this part of the Balkans, which are often wildly inaccurate. Ultimately, I’d love for it to introduce hikers to this little-known but extraordinarily beautiful part of Europe, and inspire them to return.

Thank you!