Gash River Nature Reserve

The Gash River Nature Reserve (alb. Rezervati Natyror Lumi i Gashit) is a difficult-to-access and little-visited oasis of true mountain wilderness in the Albanian Alps. It is formed by the headwaters of a mountain river that rises near the tri-border of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. The original beech forests in its deep valley were listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2017. Visit the picturesque summer settlement of Dobërdol, which is an ideal place to explore the northern part of the reserve.

Experts consider the local forests to be the “last islands” of the virgin forest in Albania. They have survived mainly due to the long existence of a border zone in the Tropojë region, where ordinary people had no access. If you’re lucky, you might also spot the endangered river otter.

The reserve is located in the eastern part of the Albanian Alps and is part of the national park of the same name, which in 2022 merged this protected area with the Valbona Valley and Theth National Parks. This has created one of the largest national parks in south-eastern Europe.

From the south, the valley is best reached on foot from the village of Begaj, where the asphalt road from Bajram Curri ends. The marked trail runs along the irrigation canal almost all the way. It ends at the point where the canal joins the river. Here the Gash flows out of a narrow canyon, with a suspended walkway attached to a rock on the left bank. Crossing it requires a sense of balance, as it is constantly swaying and there is nowhere to hold on. The canal itself is quite comfortable to walk along, but in places it runs in almost perpendicular rock. From Begaj it is about eight kilometres to the canyon.

The picturesque settlement of Dobërdol is situated on the reserve’s northern boundary, at a height of roughly 1800 metres above sea level, along the tri-border of Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. The character of the mountains here differs slightly from that of the other Albanian Alps; they are more lush and pasture-like. Numerous glacial lakes encircle the settlement; the biggest ones are Dashi Lake (Liqeni i Dashit) and Sylbica Lake (Liqeni i Sylbicës). Dobërdol offers some accommodation in summer and can be reached by off-road cars either from Tropoja village or Çerem.

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