The ninth route of a tour through Albania takes you from the picturesque Korce to “the city of roses” Permet.
You travel towards the South via winding roads over several mountain passes. You drive parallel to the border with Greece, straight through a number of beautiful nature reserves. You will discover historical traces from the Second World War and the Cold War.

Your morning starts with a descent back to picturesque Korce. You can refuel here before following a fairly straight road south. This is a new road, which makes it easier to reach Korce. Fortunately, part of the old road has been preserved, allowing you to drive up the old pass to the top of Qafa Qarrit.
Because the new road was recently constructed, not all map material may have been updated to the most recent situation. Follow the main road until you are on the main road again and the navigation follows everything well.
The old pass meanders wonderfully through the landscape. The asphalt road continues to give beautiful bends. The view is also beautiful. You alternately drive through forests and past meadows.
After crossing the Konopihstja River, you can take a break at the Sofra Kolonjare restaurant on the left. The spacious terrace in front of the beautiful wooden chalet invites you to take a break before continuing your route.

After this break you continue the route further south. This time you can look around you well because of the straighter roads. Which is certainly not a punishment. Along the way you have beautiful views of the mountains in the distance, such as the Grammos mountain range in Greece. The road crosses a number of beautiful rivers that have carried rocks from these mountains. You can stop here to take pictures of the area with the (white) Grammos mountains in the background.
Albania is full of traces of the past. This also applies to the Qafa Barmashit mountain pass. Halfway through the climb you pass the village of Borovo. On July 6, 1943, a terrible massacre of the civilian population took place in the village. 107 inhabitants of this village were massacred by the German army and houses and churches were set on fire. A memorial cemetery has been created in memory of these victims.

The road winds further south over several hairpin bends. The surroundings are beautiful. Don't forget to stop every now and then and enjoy the view. A number of photo stops are marked along the route.
All these bends and mountain passes make you hungry. You can have lunch at Vila Gjermeni Jorgo, or a little further along the route at Farma Sotira. Gjermeni is located right along the road. Farma Sotira has a more relaxed and charming restaurant and terrace. But for this you have to drive onto the campsite grounds.

After hopefully a culinary highlight, you will also reach the highlight of this route. You drive to the Qafa Hasit, at an altitude of 1116 meters. From this point the descent to the end point in Permet begins. The asphalt road winds steeply downwards, straight through the woods.
At Leskovik you can consider taking a short break if you feel like it. There are a number of small bars and restaurants in this town.

Eventually you "collide" with the Lumi Vjosa river and follow the current towards Permet. The last 30 kilometers are a pure treat, like a scene from a movie. Mountains on the horizon, a blue river in the valley and a winding asphalt road make this ride pure pleasure.

And then there is the natural wonder of the Langarica Canyon, an ideal place to relax in Benja's natural pools or wander through the majestic gorge. You are lucky that the end point, the charming Joan guesthouse in Permet, is close to this beautiful location. If time permits, I recommend returning to the canyon the next day and quietly enjoying the serene surroundings as you stroll around and soak in the invigorating waters.

Your route ends in Permet. This idyllic village with traditional charm is known for its picturesque location on the banks of the Lumi Vjosa river, surrounded by impressive mountains. The guesthouse is located on the edge of the village, so you can sleep wonderfully in this quiet environment.