Lepushe – Nikc

This trail connects the villages of Lëpushë and Nikç in the region of Kelmend via Shkëmbejt e Jamës. The trail from Lepusha to Nikç requires about 4 hours of hike. The trail is marked with white and red signs so that you can hike without a guide. It is an easy hiking trail for different ages. The most well known cultural features of this trail, besides the two villages it connects, are the highland mountain huts. It is a temporary settlement of local shepherds of transhumance and their livestock, located at the alpine meadows above the two valleys the trail connects. They appear are more frequently on the Lepusha side of the passage. The trail begins at the Perdolecit. You take the road on the right-hand side of a school for about 300 m, and then the path climbs up through bushes in a small zigzag and continues further on through a forest with tall oaks for about 200m. Then, you will find yourself in front of Prel Koles alpine pastures; a meadow surrounded by oaks. Between two ruins of stone you a new mountain shelter. As soon as you arrive at the top of this alpine pasture, you can hear the sound of streaming water from the Berizhdolit alpine pastures. This stream runs through mountain rocks, having hollowed them out for centuries. What hikers can see now are wavy rock formations. Leaving the stream, you will reach the Berizhdoli alpine pasture. This is a big plateau, which continues to ascend to other mountain shelters, sheepfolds and gardens. Here, you will probably walk through flowers, blueberries and various kinds of mushrooms. After this relatively easy hike you’ll reach the Berizhdoli to look down upon “Fusha e Janes”. On your left side you will find the trail that leads to Theth. Staying on the trail you will descend towards the village of Nikç. After descending on the mountainside known as “Perrna e Janes” in zigzag, you will reach the first mountain shelter. When you continue to hike through Jane’s meadow, you will reach the biggest shelter, which has a flock of 300 sheep. You can take a short break at this mountain shelter. Today, just a handful of highland mountain huts are still being used by locals. In 2017, locals from the village of Lepushe witnessed that the shepherds came down from the mountain huts at the end of September. Most of the mountain huts seem to have been abandoned for a long time and largely stand as ruins. However, in other regions of Albania, some of the abandoned mountain huts have been reactivated by returning villagers, even after several years of abandonment. So, the current situation could be subject to change. As the recent buildings and sheep enclosures (pens) are largely made with local wood, it is very easy to re-built and reactivate them. On the Nikç side of the trail, there was only one active mountain hut, of which one local family takes care. In 2017, around 200 livestock were kept to graze in the surroundings. The stani people confirmed to us that not the entire livestock is in their property. They themselves own about 50 livestock. The rest of the livestock is the property of the villagers from the lowland areas of Upper-Shkodra. They are under lease only for the summer months. In the last summer they reported to have produced nearly 10 quintals, or one ton, of cheese – primarily from sheep. The sheep is of the local breed called rudë. The whole mountain hut was transformed into a highland family farm. Besides sheep and goats, they also keep pigs and chicken and cultivate potatoes as well. The period of the stay in the mountains is scheduled from the 13th of June until the 8th of October. The main reason for departure is the schooling of children. Livestock are guarded by a number of sheepdogs. These dogs are very protective of the flock and minimize the risk of livestock being attacked by large predators such as wolves and bears. Since the last wolf attack 5 years ago, the local mountain huts report no damage. From here, you may continue towards the south of the meadow. After passing a wooden cross you arrive at the meadow of “Liqeni i Janes”. On your right side, you will find a big flat rock known as “Rrasa Nemza”. This trail leads you through a forest with various kinds of trees to the village of Llac. This village is characterized by alpine stone towers and high stonewalls surrounding each field. Most of the tower style houses have long been abandoned. The tower of Deli Smailit as well as two towers of Gjelosh Tomes are amongst the ones that have remained in use. At the entrance of the village of Nikç the landscape transforms into a typical village of northern Albania, which is marked, with an agglomeration of houses surrounded by extended courtyards where small plots of cultivated land and fruit trees prevail.