With this route, a number of beautiful nature reserves are on the menu. You drive through the Valbona national park, you visit the Koman reservoir and wind through the Vanavi gorge. And to make it perfect... You keep steering on this route... From one bend to the next, only to be followed without a break by an even tighter bend or hairpin bends. It's going to be hard work today. But that often also produces the best routes ????

You depart from hotel Kodra e Geshtenjave (Chestnut hill). The descent to Bajram Curri begins, where you can refuel if necessary before heading north. You will come back here later today. The drive to the Valbonë valley is through a dead end. Fortunately, it is a pleasure to drive the road through the valley twice.

The next 30 kilometers you will drive through the Valbona National Park, located in the Albanian Alps. The park was established in 1996 and covers 80 square kilometers. The landscape consists of mountains, forests and valleys. Various animal species are found in the park, including brown bear, chamois, roe deer, lynx, capercaillie, wild boar, golden eagle. It is one of the most pristine national parks in the country due to the sparsely populated area.

You follow the Valbona River, which runs for the most part through the park's valley of the same name. The valley is surrounded by impressive mountains that rise to more than 2500 meters. Take your time to stop occasionally and admire the river's crystal clear blue waters. With your helmet and earplugs off, you realize that the area is quiet here. You hear little other than the running water and the wind through the trees. At the end of the valley you arrive at Hotel Fusha e Gjesë. Here you can enjoy the surroundings and possibly also paddle in the river.
After this break you will drive back the same way and you will finally arrive back in Bajram Curri. Because there are few restaurants and gas stations along the way, it is useful to do your shopping in the local supermarket and refuel again.

The Valbona River remains your guide during the route. This time south you follow the stream to the point where the river changes into the Drin river. Not long after, a high dam slowly appears in the picture. This dam was built in the 1970s and is an important source of hydroelectric power for the country. The Koman reservoir, which was created behind it, is gigantic. The next 80 kilometers you wind along and over the imposing mountains with regular views of the lake. And you will notice that the road winds. The turns just keep coming. You don't have a moment of rest, because you're already diving into the next corner. In combination with the occasional bad road surface, you have to keep your concentration and attention on the road. Don't forget to stop every now and then and enjoy the view.

Along the way you will come across 2 hotel-restaurants (hotel Alpin and hotel Kunora). No guarantee they'll be open, but if you can take a break here, the local dishes taste great after such a strenuous drive. If they are closed and you have done your shopping, you can enjoy a small picnic somewhere along the road.

Back on the bike, the winding road continues unabated. Finally, the Koman reservoir slowly comes into view again and you start the descent towards the water surface. Just cross the bridge over the Drini river and you are back in the hustle and bustle of a city: Kukës. It is a relatively young city, built between 1930 and 1940. Nevertheless, it has a rich history. It has suffered a lot under the Albanian communist dictatorship, in 1979 a large part of the city was hit by a major earthquake and during the Kosovo war in the 1990s, the townspeople sheltered more than 500,000 refugees. As a result, Kukës was nominated in 2000 for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Take your time to take a break in Kukes. You can do your shopping, withdraw money and refuel here. But also drive to the top of the hill, to the former Hotel Tourism. Here you have a nice view of the valley and the lake, and you can also visit the dilapidated building. Online there is little information about the ruin. As far as we know, hotel tourism was set up as an information center or hotel for tourists in the 1970s. Unfortunately, the building has long since fallen into disrepair and is in an increasingly poor condition. For urbex photographers, this place is a real jewel!

Once out of the city you start a climb again, towards the mountains. The last kilometers of your route you travel through “Kanioni i Vanavi”, the Vanavi gorge. Take the time to take in the deep canyon. There are several beautiful spots along the route to stop and take pictures.

These last kilometers are also the steepest. In a relatively short distance you climb to today's highest point. Your end point is at Hotel Novosej at about 1320 meters. After a long day of driving, you can enjoy a cold beer and a tasty meal here before you fall asleep tired.