Top 10 National Parks in Albania

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Top 10 National Parks

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Burtrint National Park is a UNESCO site of heritage that is based around the antique town Butrint in the South of Albania. The national park boasts high diversity of habitats including natural, semi-natural, and artificial habitats. Examples include freshwater marshes, reed beds, Mediterranean forests, and Maquis and fruit tree terraces.

The park is internationally regarded as a must-see site in Albania. Yet somehow, it’s not crowded and tourists can visit and take walks freely and peacefully across the national park. Historically, what’s special about Butrint is that its many gorgeous, wellpreserved monuments reflect each distinct stage of its rich history, starting from the Hellenistic period and continuing on to the Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian periods.

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Easily the most accessible national park on this list, Dajti national park, located 26km east of the capital, is a popular destination for many locals hoping to take a break from the stress of city life. The journey to the top of the mountain is a sky-high, Austrian-made cable car, Dajti Express, that takes 15 minutes to make the scenic trip to the top (1611m).

There are some 'family-friendly' activities such as shooting things with toy machine guns and hitting things with swords, or you can ride about a patch of rubbish-strewn wasteland on a pony. The mountainside is covered in lovely, shady beech and pine forests and a number of walking trails wend up and down the mountain. There are some very hit-and-miss trail markings, so it's wise to try and find a guide. Many of the hostels in town can arrange a day's hiking or mountain biking up here.

Dajti Mountain together with Priska Mountain (1353m) to the south and Brari Mountain to the North consists of the national park which has an exact coverage area of 29,216 hectares.

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Divjaka national park offers a variety of experiences to its visitors but especially a memorable experience for the birdwatchers. The Park gathers some fifty thousand birds, belonging to 250 different species, among the wonderful natural monuments it houses inside.

Approximately 230 different species of birds populate the area spanning the four lagoons of Karavasta, Godulla, Godulla e Pishës, and Spiaxho. Among them, the most popular is the Dalmatian Pelican, a very rare and beautiful bird. The population residing in the Karavasta Lagoon represents about 5% of the entire global population of this particular species. As such, if you are in the vicinity of the lagoon, be on the lookout for these majestic creatures. The famous curly pelican, as well, is responsible for one of the most beautiful spectacles in the lagoon! Often, a massive flock of white and grey birds overtakes the lagoon. Their reflection is beautifully mirrored in the water as they fly over its surface.

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Among Albania’s many natural parks, the Shebenik-Jablanica National Park, located near the city of Librazhd, remains relatively unknown. The main reason behind this obscurity is that entrance to the park was strictly forbidden during Communism. Yet, this has served the park well! Its 34,000 hectares are all covered by untouched and absolutely gorgeous forests, meadows, and blooming flowers.

The sheer variety of mountain ranges and bodies of water is simply astounding! The many mountain ranges within the park include Shebenik Mountain (2,253 m), the park’s namesake, Kallkan Mountain (2,189 m), and Katrafil Peak (1,760 m) among others. Depending on their preference, visitors can partake in various organized hiking and climbing expeditions. Water sources of all kinds as well as 14 glacial and 3 artificial lakes only heighten the spectacular beauty of the park. All these natural elements combine to create stunning reflections and light effects along your hike.

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Fir of Hotova National Park is a nationally protected stretch of natural land in the southern part of Albania. The park is a continuous stretch of forest land and grassy heaths. The park is named after the Hotova Fir which is a very important endemic Mediterranean plant species. The park has several scenic trails for hiking and is full of significant endemic species of flora and fauna. People often come here to camp out in the great outdoors.

Due to its favorable ecological conditions, it is characterized by exceptionally rich and varied fauna. The forests are the most important habitats for mammals like wild cats, roe deer, wild boar, and red squirrels. The old growing trees throughout the park preserve a wide variety of bird species. Most notable amongst them are the golden eagle, eagle owl, barn owl, sparrowhawk, Egyptian vulture, kestrel, lanner falcon, and so on. Popular activities for tourists include hiking and backpacking, and white water rafting in Langarica Canyon.

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The only marine national park in Albania, Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park, protects an area of almost 2 kilometers into the sea. You’ll find this beautiful coastal park near Vlore in the southwest of the country. It encompasses both the Karaburun Peninsula and Sazan Island, which is Albania’s largest island.

This exceptional park’s main features are underwater ruins of a variety of ships, dating from Greek and Roman times and from World War II. There’s also abundant marine life here, including corrals, three sea turtle species, and dolphins. Snorkeling and scuba diving are popular things to do here. On the peninsula, you may come across chamois, roe deer, otters, and wild boar.

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A park boasting an outstanding variety in scenery, from the sun-soaked Ionian Sea coast to the Ceraunian Mountains’ peaks, Llogara National Park is a superb destination for hiking in Albania. While exploring the park’s trails, you’ll see vertical cliffs, pristine forests, and gorgeous alpine meadows. It’s a truly sensational getaway from the busy Albanian Riviera below.

Named after the Llogara Pass, which splits the mountains into a western and eastern range, the park offers stunning coastal views. From the pass itself, you can look down onto the white beaches of the Ionian coast and the town of Dhermi. The pass has a parking lot and a few restaurants,

Another interesting feature of Llogara National Park is Caesar’s Pass, a mountain pass used by Julius Caesar himself to pursue his enemy Pompeii.

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Lurë National Park is densely populated in vegetation. Higher plant life consists mainly of both coniferous and deciduous trees, particularly around the shores of the lakes. The most common tree native to Lurë is the European beech along with silver fir, black pine, red pine, and Bosnian pine. Especially protected is the Balkan pine, which is threatened with extinction and only common in the west of the Balkan Peninsula. The southern section of the park has a meadow of multicolor flowers and several coniferous trees, which is called the Field of Mares, offering pristine views over the landscape.

The most important wildlife inhabiting the park includes the European brown bear, Eurasian lynx, Eurasian wolf, European pine marten, roe deer, and western capercailzie. However, the twelve glacial lakes within the national park were formed during the ice age. They are located in the northeastern part of the nation in the Dibër County at an elevation between 1,200 and 1,500 m (3,937 and 4,921 ft.).

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Snow-covered, jagged mountains, so beautiful that it hurts, lush green forests, circling eagles, lonely mountain villages, and bumpy pistes that undoubtedly set your eyes ablaze with wonder. The approach to the beautiful national park and its beautiful main town is very long and arduous – but incredibly beautiful! For the route Theth – Shkodra you need about 4 hours including photo stops. From Shkodra to the spectacular winding curves of the Thore Pass (1,786m), the road is well paved but narrow and often literally single lane. From the top of the pass, the road descends into the Theth valley to a stony, narrow runway, which is at best only cruised by off-road vehicles.

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The park, which is Albania’s largest protected area, encompasses the forested Valbona River and its surrounding mountains, with their alpine landscapes, glacial springs, various rock formations, and waterfalls. The valley of Valbona is fondly called the ‘Miracle of the Alps‘.

Inside the park, there are many caves and grottos, the most prominent being the cave of Dragobia, where the remains of Bajram Curri, a national hero lie.