Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park

The mostly unknown Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park stretches along the border with Northern Macedonia to the northwest of Ohrid Lake. It is distinguished for its untamed beauty, dense forests, and species-rich alpine meadows. Moreover, there are 18 glacial lakes in the park. Shebenik is with its 2,265 meters the highest mountain. The Rrajca Nature Reserve which is home to the original beech forests has been inscribed on the UNESCO list.

As the area has long been a prohibited border zone, the nature there has remained practically untouched. Only in recent years, several guesthouses have been established and hiking trails have been marked.

The park includes the Rrajca Nature Reserve, which is home to original beech forests. Apart from the Gash River Nature Reserve in Tropojë, you won’t find such pristine forests anywhere else in Albania. Alongside the centuries-old beech trees, you’ll find many species of protected flowers, including the butterwort carnivorous plant (pinguinkula).

The most beautiful time of year to visit is autumn when the deciduous forests turn yellow-red. Excursions to the reserve are organised by the Rrajcë-Shebenik agency in Prrenjas.

The natural starting point for a visit to the park is the town of Librazhd, any bus heading from Elbasan to Pogradec or Korçë makes a stop there. From Librazhd, you can reach the picturesque settlement of Fushë Studën even with regular car or a daily minibus (leaves around noon). The visitors centre of the national park and a lovely Joen Village guesthouse are situated there, with several hiking trails leading to nearby mountains. The road from Peshkopi to Fushë Studën is in bad shape and thus suitable for high-clearance vehicles only but it should be asphalted any time soon.

The summit of Shebenik can be climbed in one day from the village of Hotolisht, which is the end of a new asphalt road (GPS route from here). From other access directions, you will need a 4×4 car. Good starting points are the villages of Librazhd Katun, Steblevë or Qarrisht.

One of the few easily accessible landmarks in the national park is the Menik Canyon (Kanioni i Menikut) on its southern edge. It is located about three kilometres from the point where the gravel road from the main road Elbasan–Pogradec turns off towards the village of Menik. It is about 200 metres long and 30 metres deep in places, with a 16th-century bridge arching over it at its narrowest point. The entire canyon can be waded across. You can take a shower under a waterfall flowing into the canyon.

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