ACTIVITIES IN THE NATIONAL PARK

The Albanian Alps National Park (Parku Kombëtar Bjeshkët e Nemuna, Nacionalni park Prokletije) offers many opportunities for sport and discovery activities for all levels. Most of the agencies and associations that offer their services work together and are grouped in the Peja/Peć Tourist Office and the Rugova Valley Information Centre. As far as climbing and hiking are concerned, several organizations exist. The alpine guide association Peaks of the Balkans ("Balkan peaks") organizes a cross-border route between Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania (www.peaksofthebalkans.com, +381 39 42 39 49). The choices offered by Kosova Outdoor are quite wide with hiking, climbing, discovery trips and even off-piste skiing in the national park, but also in Albania and Northern Macedonia (outdoorkosova.com, +377 44 22 13 65). Another option with Rugova Experience is hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the Albanian Alps in Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania (www.rugovaexperience.org, +383 44 26 74 98).

Tyrolean traverse, mountain biking, paragliding, etc. Also in the field of climbing and hiking, the Alpine Club Marimangat e Pejës ("the spiders of Peja/Peć"), organizes sports trips by the day or for the weekend with accommodation in the homes of the inhabitants of the Rugova valley (www.marimangat.org, +386 49 66 11 05). It is this structure that created and manages the Marimangat zip line installed in the Rugova Gorge (see description). The Balkan Natural Adventure agency offers tailor-made hiking and/or climbing trips in the Albanian Alps National Park and in the neighbouring mountains of Montenegro and Albania (bnadventure.com/en, +386 49 66 11 05). It also has developed climbing routes, including the "Ari" via ferrata in the Rugova Gorge (see description). Mountain biking in the mountains is best done through the "Cyclists without Borders" club, Biçiklistat pa Kufi ([email protected], +377 44 13 91 79). It is also possible to take tandem paragliding flights over the Rugova Valley with the Aero Klubi Peja association ([email protected], +377 44 14 59 43). The Aragonit Speleo Caving Club offers exploration of the caves in and around the Rugova Gorge ([email protected], +377 44 22 13 65).