Valbone – Kukaj – Rama Hut – Valbone

After a short transfer to the trailhead, you start the hike to Kukaj, an isolated hamlet where only two families reside. Below, bunkers that once protected the border are now scattered in the riverbed. The winding path takes you over lush meadows ablaze with the colors of a wide variety of spring flowers and through light beech forest up to a shepherd’s hut, on 1.650 m. In the communist period, when this was a no-go area, the building used to be a military barrack. Admire the wild and romantic jagged mountain scenery, enjoy a refreshing soda or opt to climb higher to an ancient crossing at the Montenegrin border. At 2.045 m, a weathered border pyramid is the only reminder of the isolation Albania once endured; from here views reach to the most dramatic parts of Montenegrin Prokletije. Catching a last glimpse at the Alps highest peak Jezerca (2.694 m), you descend first to Kukaj and then to your accommodation. When daylight fades, you admire the alpine glow over dinner in the idyllic veranda. No surprise many local women are named after the beautiful valley.