{"id":31836,"date":"2026-10-03T04:53:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T04:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?post_type=bestemming&#038;p=31836"},"modified":"2026-10-03T04:53:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T04:53:13","slug":"albania","status":"publish","type":"bestemming","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/bestemmingen\/albanie","title":{"rendered":"Albania"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Albania has long been a white spot on the cycling map. That is changing quickly. The country is mountainous, the roads inland are quiet, and the people are welcoming. You can travel from the Albanian Alps in the north to the Ionian coast in the south in a week. Expect adventure: not every road is clearly marked on the map, and the asphalt can change from one kilometer to the next into gravel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why cycle in Albania?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bergen without the crowds<\/strong>: long climbs where you see very few cars for hours on end.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>The Albanian Alps<\/strong>Around Theth and Valbona there are rugged valleys. The road to Theth is now paved, and the surroundings are a gravel paradise.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>The coast<\/strong>The Llogarapas (1,027 m) climb up from the sea and descend on the other side to the Albanian Riviera around Himar\u00eb.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Trans Dinarica<\/strong>The cycling route through the Western Balkans runs in 11 stages (575 km, over 10,000 meters of elevation gain) through Albania, from Lake Shkod\u00ebr to Lake Ohrid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gravel and bikepacking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For gravel riders and bikepackers, the north is the most interesting part. A classic route is the Shkod\u00ebr \u2013 Theth \u2013 Valbona loop, with the ferry across the Koman Lake: a narrow reservoir between steep rock walls, where you simply get on your bike and go. Bring plenty of food: villages are far apart and shops are small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Road bike<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the race bike, you should choose the south coast and the mountains behind it: the Llogarapas, the coastal road along the Riviera, and the climbs around Gjirokast\u00ebr. Note: main roads can be busy and there are no shoulder lanes everywhere. Ride early in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vlor\u00eb: the coast as a base of operations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vlor\u00eb, on the southern coast opposite the tip of Italy, is a good starting point. The city is located on the EuroVelo 8, the cycling route along the Mediterranean Sea, and there is a boat to Brindisi. From Vlor\u00eb you climb to the Llogarapas: from the northern side it is 13.7 kilometers with 861 meters of elevation gain (average 6.5%). From above you can see the Ionian Sea. On the southern side you descend to Dh\u00ebrmi; those who want to return have a longer climb from that side with ups and downs of up to 13%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those who have more time drive a round of about 400 kilometers: from Llogarapas to the Riviera, via Sarand\u00eb and the stone town of Gjirokast\u00ebr (UNESCO World Heritage Site), and back to Vlor\u00eb through the interior. Then you see the coast, the mountains and history in a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Trans Dinarica through Albania<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main route of the Trans Dinarica in Albania has 11 stages: 575 kilometers and over 10,000 meters of elevation gain, of which 97% are on asphalt. It starts from Gusinje in Montenegro and enters the Albanian Alps, passing through Tamar\u00eb to Shkod\u00ebr and by ferry over the Koman Lake to the east, via Kuk\u00ebs and Peshkopi to Lake Ohrid. A side branch goes from Dushaj gradually climbing 41 kilometers to Valbona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Komanmeer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ferry travels about 33 kilometers through the Drin gorge, from Koman to Fierza: one of the most beautiful stretches of the entire route. There are two companies (Berisha and Alpin) operating, usually one trip per day in each direction in the morning. Check the current times in advance and preferably stay overnight near Koman. Your bike goes with you, but is often packed so tightly that you can\u2019t bring it with you on the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gravel: Theth and the Mali i Shoshitpas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For gravel riders, the real adventures lie in the side routes. From Bog\u00eb, you climb 12 kilometers over a pass to Theth. From Theth, the route continues to the Mali i Shoshitpas: 30 kilometers, of which 84% are unpaved, with a heavy, technical climb after the bridge over the Shala. Then you descend in 50 kilometers to Shkod\u00ebr, half of it on gravel. This is only for experienced riders with a light bike; it is almost impossible to do it hard. Work is being done on this road, so ask at the location for the current status. A simpler gravel section is the Moglic\u00eb \u2013 Kor\u00e7\u00eb stage (53 km, about a third unpaved).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please note: in the summer of 2026, a highway will be built between Librazhd and P\u00ebrrenjas. Cycling is possible, but with dust and gravel. You can also take the bus there, or choose another route to Lake Ohrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your Cycling base<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shkod\u00ebr<\/strong>: in the north, at the largest lake in the Balkans. Starting point for Theth, Valbona and the Koman Lake.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Tirana<\/strong>: The lively capital with the airport. Convenient for a first and last night and to rent a bike.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Vlor\u00eb<\/strong>: the coast, the Llogarapas and the Riviera.<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Gjirokast\u00ebr and Berat<\/strong>: Stone towns on hills, well combined in a multi-day trip through the south.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Food and accommodation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the mountains you sleep in a <em>bujtina<\/em>: a family-run guesthouse where you eat what comes on the table that day, often from their own garden. Along the coast there are hotels and apartments. Food is cheap and good: byrek (a savory puff pastry), grilled fish by the coast, lamb and fresh cheese in the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read our story too <a href=\"\/en\/stories\/cycling-destination-albania-from-vlore-explore-the-region\/\">Cycling destination Albania: exploring the region from Vlor\u00eb<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When are you leaving?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">April to June and September to October. In July and August it is very hot along the coast and in the valleys. In the Albanian Alps, snow lies on the highest passes until May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you get there?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fly to Tirana; there are direct flights from the Benelux. Bike rental and organized tours are becoming more and more common, especially in Tirana and Shkod\u00ebr. Euros are widely accepted, but bring Albanian lari for the interior as well.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Empty mountain roads, the Albanian Alps and the Ionian coast: Albania is the most adventurous cycling country in Europe.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":18189,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"thema":[],"gebergte":[],"uitgelicht":[868],"class_list":["post-31836","bestemming","type-bestemming","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Albani\u00eb - Cycling Destination<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/destinations\/albania\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Albani\u00eb - 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