Zbulo in print and online
Travel writers and guidebook authors have explored Albania and the Balkans with us. Discover their stories, practical recommendations and the guides we are grateful to be included in.
68 selected independent features and guidebook recommendations · Coverage since 2012 · 4 languages
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet · Oliver Smith · 2025 
Oliver Smith explores the Peaks of the Balkans. Lonely Planet recommends Zbulo for guided and self-guided adventures and acknowledges our support for the journey in Albania and Montenegro.
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National Geographic (NL)
National Geographic (NL) · Hans Avontuur · 2018 
Hans Avontuur explores the Accursed Mountains. National Geographic Traveler’s Dutch edition describes excellent experiences with Zbulo and recommends local support for tailor-made hikes.
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Independent
Independent · Rudolf Abraham · 2017 
Rudolf Abraham introduces the cross-border Peaks of the Balkans trail and recommends Zbulo as a knowledgeable local agency involved in its development.
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Trescher Verlag
2026
Shkëlzen Alite’s guide to Albania’s cities, coast, culture and mountain regions. Thank you for recommending Zbulo to travellers exploring the country. Cover: seventh edition, 2026.
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Cicerone
2026
Rudolf Abraham’s guide to the High Scardus Trail through North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. Thank you for recommending Zbulo to readers. Cover: first edition, 2026.
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Conrad Stein Verlag
2026
Jan Dohren’s guide to the cross-border Peaks of the Balkans walk. Thank you for recommending Zbulo to readers. Cover: second edition, 2026.
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Rother
2025
A collection of coastal walks, shepherds’ paths and mountain hikes by Max Bosse and Kathrin Bosse-Steinweg. We appreciate the authors’ recommendation of Zbulo. Cover: fourth edition, 2025.
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Rother
2025
Max Bosse and Kathrin Bosse-Steinweg’s hiking guide to the Peaks of the Balkans and its surrounding mountains. Thank you to both authors for recommending Zbulo. Cover: fifth edition, 2025.
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Cicerone
2025
Rudolf Abraham’s guide to the cross-border trail through Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. Thank you to Rudolf for recommending Zbulo to readers. Cover: second edition, 2025.
View the guidebookSelected independent coverage from across our history. 59 stories in this archive, spanning more than a decade.
Wired For Adventure
Wired For Adventure · Peter Elia · 2026
Peter Elia follows Zagoria’s Hidden Valley Trek with guide Mendi, exploring stone villages, Ottoman bridges and family-run guesthouses. The feature’s practical guide recommends Zbulo Outdoor Adventures for guided treks, accommodation and meals.
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The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors · Peter Elia · 2026
Peter Elia explores the Accursed Mountains with guides Mendi and Agon, following the Peaks of the Balkans through mountain villages and across borders. His practical guide names Zbulo as the agency he used and highlights its role in developing the trail.
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Trek and Mountain
Trek and Mountain · Peter Elia · 2025
Peter Elia explores Zagoria’s Hidden Valley Trek with guide Mendi, staying with local families. His practical information recommends Zbulo for guiding, accommodation and transport.
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The Trek
The Trek · Kelly Floro · 2025
Kelly Floro shares practical advice for hiking the Peaks of the Balkans, including her experience arranging border permits through Zbulo and our accommodation-booking service.
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The Standard
The Standard · Frederic Eelbode · 2024
A Dutch-language feature recommends sustainable local support from Zbulo for exploring Albania, alongside trips offered through partner Zuiderhuis.
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Atlas & Boots
Atlas & Boots · Peter Watson · 2024
Peter Watson reports on an eight-day self-guided High Scardus trek with Zbulo, describing the route, accommodation and navigation materials we provided.
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The West Australian
The West Australian · Suzanne Morphet · 2024
Suzanne Morphet joins Zbulo’s Hidden Valley Trek in Zagoria and reports on how walking holidays support village hosts and mountain communities.
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BBC Travel
BBC Travel · Peter Elia · 2023
Peter Elia follows the Peaks of the Balkans with Zbulo guides Mendi and Agon, discovering mountain villages and the region’s hospitality.
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Mountains Sentinels
Mountains Sentinels · Katie Mitchell · 2023
Katie Mitchell interviews Zbulo co-founder Ricardo Fahrig about the Peaks of the Balkans and the opportunities that long-distance trails bring to mountain communities.
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Freehub
Freehub · Carlos Blanchard · 2020
Carlos Blanchard explores the High Scardus region by mountain bike with Endrit Shima, describing remote trails, villages and cross-border riding.
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NKBV Zwerftochten
NKBV Zwerftochten · 2019
A bilingual snowshoeing report describes a Rugova trip arranged with Zbulo and a local Kosovo guide.
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Lines Magazine
Lines Magazine · Christoph Berger-Schauer · 2019
A LINES feature on mountain biking along the High Scardus Trail. Filming and reporting hosted by Zbulo.
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Südostschweiz
Südostschweiz · Susi Schildknecht · 2019
Susi Schildknecht explores Albania’s landscapes and village life with guide Ricardo Fahrig, whose insights help explain the country’s tourism and hospitality.
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The National
The National · Rudolf Abraham · 2018
Rudolf Abraham recommends Zbulo for arranging permits, accommodation, transfers and guides on the Peaks of the Balkans, recognising our involvement in the trail’s development.
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Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (MZ)
Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (MZ) · Steffen Könau · 2018
Steffen Könau explores southern Albania with Zbulo co-founder Ricardo Fahrig, describing village hospitality and routes on the Mysterious South trail network.
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Hidden Europe
Hidden Europe · Rudolf Abraham · 2018
Rudolf Abraham explores the Peaks of the Balkans and recommends Zbulo as a reliable local agency for border permits, noting our role in developing the trail.
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Financial Times
Financial Times · Martin Fletcher · 2017
Martin Fletcher journeys into the Accursed Mountains and explores life in the highland villages. The Financial Times credits Zbulo Discover Albania as the host of his hiking trip.
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Cicerone
Cicerone · Rudolf Abraham · 2017
Rudolf Abraham’s practical introduction to the Peaks of the Balkans recommends Zbulo’s local support for arranging cross-border permits.
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Guardian
Guardian · Ben Lerwill · 2017
Ben Lerwill explores mountain villages and the cross-border Peaks of the Balkans trail. Operated by Zbulo for KE Adventure.
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Politiken
Politiken · Olivia Nepper Winther · 2017 
Olivia Nepper Winther recounts a family trek on the Peaks of the Balkans with Zbulo, describing ten days of mountain walking across the region.
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Deutschlandfunk
Deutschlandfunk · Harald Schmid · 2017
Deutschlandfunk reports on mountain villages and hospitality in the Albanian highlands. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Berliner Zeitung
Berliner Zeitung · Max Bosse · 2017
Berliner Zeitung explores Albania’s wine traditions and mountain landscapes. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Bergauf-Bergab
Bergauf-Bergab · Peter-Hugo Scholz · 2017
Bergauf-Bergab follows the Peaks of the Balkans across Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Filming was hosted by Zbulo.
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Op Pad
Op Pad · Ron van Remmen · 2017
Ron van Remmen and Hilde Peeters describe a Peaks of the Balkans walk through Albania and Montenegro in an Op Pad reader report. Hosted by Zbulo.
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Panorama
Panorama · Joachim Chwaszcza · 2017
Panorama explores southern Albania’s coastal paths and mountain villages. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Neue Westfälische Zeitung
Neue Westfälische Zeitung · Rainer Heubeck · 2017
Rainer Heubeck introduces southern Albania’s walking routes and names Zbulo as a local organiser of individual and small-group trips.
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Magazin Forum
Magazin Forum · Rainer Heubeck · 2017
Rainer Heubeck explores southern Albania with Ricardo Fahrig and names Zbulo as a local organiser of individual trips and small-group walking holidays.
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Rhein Neckar Zeitung
Rhein Neckar Zeitung · Rainer Heubeck · 2017
A Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung feature explores walking routes and villages in southern Albania. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Ärztliche Journal
Ärztliche Journal · Joachim Chwaszcza · 2017
Ärztliches Journal explores southern Albania’s coast, village hospitality and walking routes. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Bienen Journal
Bienen Journal · Uwe Marth · 2017
Uwe Marth describes meeting beekeepers in Albania and Kosovo with Ricardo Fahrig and Kliti Zeka, whose support helped him exchange knowledge with local producers.
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Glücksblatt
Glücksblatt · Rainer Heubeck · 2017
Rainer Heubeck visits Brisa in the Albanian Alps and draws on Ricardo Fahrig’s local knowledge to explain the region’s hospitality traditions.
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Backpacker US
Backpacker US · Hirak Parikh · 2016
Hirak Parikh describes a ten-day Peaks of the Balkans trek. Backpacker recommends Zbulo as a local guide and advises using a local operator for cross-border permits.
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Berliner Zeitung
Berliner Zeitung · Max Bosse · 2016
Max Bosse explores Albania’s coast and mountain villages, recommending Zbulo’s help with booking stays with local families.
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Huffington Post
Huffington Post · Karl-Heinz Hänel · 2016
In a HuffPost guest-author report, Karl-Heinz Hänel recommends exploring Albania’s mountain villages and thanks Zbulo guide Ricardo for leading the entire journey.
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Kulinariker
Kulinariker · Jürgen Sorges · 2016
Jürgen Sorges walks the oleander-lined paths between Khudës and Qeparo and recommends Ricardo Fahrig’s local guiding expertise, with Zbulo listed for hiking and mountain-bike tours.
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BR
BR · Georg Bayerle · 2016
BR’s Rucksackradio follows a Peaks of the Balkans trek with Ricardo Fahrig, sharing his perspective on mountain villages and tourism across the three-country trail.
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Kulinariker
Kulinariker · Jürgen Sorges · 2016
Jürgen Sorges explores Pilur and the southern coast, recommending Ricardo Fahrig as a knowledgeable local hiking guide and listing Zbulo for walking and mountain-bike tours.
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Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung · Florian Sanktjohanser · 2016
Florian Sanktjohanser explores hiking in southern Albania and speaks with Zbulo co-founder Ricardo Fahrig about developing and marking routes between mountain villages.
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Huffington Post
Huffington Post · Karl-Heinz Hänel · 2016
Karl-Heinz Hänel’s HuffPost guest-author report explores the old mountain village of Qeparo on a walk guided by Ricardo from Zbulo.
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Amateur Traveler
Amateur Traveler · Audrey Scott · 2016
An Amateur Traveler episode discusses hiking the Peaks of the Balkans, including booking a guide and accommodation through Zbulo in Tirana.
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Huffington Post
Huffington Post · Karl-Heinz Hänel · 2016
Karl-Heinz Hänel explores Himarë’s historic quarter and Adriatic coast in a HuffPost guest-author report. Visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Kulinariker
Kulinariker · Jürgen Sorges · 2016
Jürgen Sorges explores the coast and mountains of southern Albania with guides Ricardo Fahrig and Martin Muto, combining walking routes, village life and local history.
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Aachener Presse
Aachener Presse · Florian Sanktjohanser · 2016
This Aachener Zeitung report traces the growth of walking tourism in the Albanian Alps. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Touristik Aktuell
Touristik Aktuell · Rainer Heubeck · 2016
Rainer Heubeck introduces Zbulo and co-founder Ricardo Fahrig to travel professionals, describing our focus on tailored hiking and trekking trips.
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Huffington Post
Huffington Post · Karl-Heinz Hänel · 2016
A HuffPost guest-author report describes hiking to Brisa and experiencing village hospitality, with Ricardo from Zbulo credited as the guide.
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Sächsische Zeitung
Sächsische Zeitung · Martina Hahn · 2015
Martina Hahn reports on the Peaks of the Balkans and interviews Ricardo Fahrig about trekking logistics. Its practical information recommends Zbulo’s border-permit service.
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Wanderlust
Wanderlust · Günter Kast · 2015
Wanderlust describes a Peaks of the Balkans trek with Zbulo co-founder Ricardo Fahrig, whose guiding and local knowledge feature throughout the journey.
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Ärztliche Journal
Ärztliche Journal · Joachim Chwaszcza · 2015
Ärztliches Journal follows the Peaks of the Balkans through Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Bergsteiger
Bergsteiger · Sandra Zistl · 2015
This Peaks of the Balkans report identifies Ricardo Fahrig and Zbulo as a local guiding contact.
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Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung · Jochen Temsch · 2014
Jochen Temsch explores the Peaks of the Balkans. The newspaper’s practical information recommends Ricardo Fahrig and Zbulo as a German-speaking local guiding contact.
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Die Zeit
Die Zeit · Wolfgang Gehrmann · 2014
Die Zeit follows a cross-border mountain trek with guide Ricardo Fahrig, describing village hospitality and life along the Peaks of the Balkans.
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Panorama
Panorama · Joachim Chwaszcza · 2014
Panorama follows the Peaks of the Balkans route through the border mountains of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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BR
BR · Georg Bayerle · 2014
BR’s Rucksackradio introduces trekking in the Albanian Alps and the Peaks of the Balkans trail. Hosted by Zbulo.
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Reiskrant
Reiskrant · Peter van der Brugghen · 2014
Reiskrant’s Albania issue introduces the country’s landscapes, hiking routes and travel experiences. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Globetrotter
Globetrotter · Ingo Wilhelm · 2014
A 4-Seasons report follows the Peaks of the Balkans with guide Ricardo Fahrig, discussing mountain villages, hospitality and the challenge of waste disposal.
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New York Times
New York Times · Tim Neville · 2013
Tim Neville reports on hiking in the Albanian Alps and the emerging Peaks of the Balkans route. The reporting visit was hosted by Zbulo.
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Berliner Bergsteiger
Berliner Bergsteiger · Tine Schrammel · 2013
Tine Schrammel introduces the newly established Peaks of the Balkans trail and credits Endrit Shima, now a Zbulo co-founder, with preparing its route descriptions.
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Adventure Travel News
Adventure Travel News · 2013
Route and project coverage
Adventure Travel News reports on the Peaks of the Balkans trail’s 2013 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow award. Zbulo hosted the associated media visit; the award recognised the trail initiative.
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Reiskrant
Reiskrant · Peter van der Brugghen · 2012
Peter van der Brugghen explores the border mountains of Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo for Reiskrant. Reporting visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Showing 9 of 59 stories
Published by our travel partners, these stories draw on experiences hosted by Zbulo. They are presented separately from independent press coverage.
Much Better Adventures
Much Better Adventures · Stuart Kenny · 2025
Much Better Adventures shares a roundup of hiking routes across the Balkans, drawing on a visit hosted by Zbulo.
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Much Better Adventures
Much Better Adventures · 2023
Much Better Adventures explores the appeal of visiting Albania outside the busiest months. Hosted by Zbulo.
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ASI Reisen
ASI Reisen · Philipp Halmanns · 2020
Philipp Halmanns recounts a ski-touring journey through Kosovo and Albania, from the Sharr Mountains to Korab. Operated by Zbulo for ASI Reisen.
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