A 118-mile loop crossing three Balkan countries sounds ambitious, but the Peaks of the Balkans Trail has quietly become one of Europe's best multi-day hikes — and it still feels like an adventure. The route winds through the so-called Accursed Mountains, a rugged range straddling Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro, taking eight to ten days and racking up roughly 32,800 feet of climbing along the way.
Two German hikers recently wrote up their autumn trek on The Trek, adding summit detours that pushed their total to 143 miles. Their account is a useful preview for anyone considering the trail. Day one follows the classic Theth-to-Valbona route over Valbona Pass, where an Albanian flag flies above views of the two valleys and Jezerca, the range's highest peak at 8,838 feet. The pass is busy with day hikers and lined with small cafés, but the crowds thin out fast once you continue deeper into the mountains.
The trail's texture comes from small details: roadside stands selling Cokes and blueberries in the middle of nowhere, guesthouse owners competing for your business in tiny hamlets like Çeremi, and generous dogs that will happily adopt you for a few miles in exchange for snacks. The writers even befriended one they named Weetabix, who eventually traded them for better prospects further down the trail.
Water planning matters here. On the Prosllopit Pass alternate, springs marked on maps can be dry or hard to find, and a climb like Zla Kolata — Montenegro's highest mountain at 8,314 feet — becomes off-limits when bottles run empty. Border crossings are frequent and informal on foot, though the loop technically hops between Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo several times.
A highlight detour is Gjeravica, Kosovo's highest peak at 8,714 feet, reached via the idyllic mountain settlement of Dobërdol, where shaggy sheep wander between houses and streams cut through the valley. Hiking in October brought frost on the tents each morning and sunset by 6:30 pm — spectacular, but a reminder that shoulder-season trekking here demands warm gear and early finishes.
For travellers, the appeal is clear: a hut-to-hut-style loop (or a camping trip, if you prefer) through dramatic karst scenery and green valleys, with real hospitality and food worth walking for. The writers' dinner of byrek — thin, crispy pastry layered with onions and salty feta-like cheese — is reason enough to stop in Valbona. Difficulty is moderate to challenging, with steep, rocky and occasionally exposed sections, so solid mountain fitness and good navigation are essential. The trail is flexible, too: as a loop you can start anywhere, with Theth in Albania and Plav in Montenegro among the most popular trailheads.
If the Alps feel crowded and expensive, this is the alternative worth looking at.
