The mountainous region of Mirditë was until recently a completely neglected area, visited by few. All that has changed with the newly built highway to Kosovo, which passes practically through its centre and offers unexpected opportunities for tourism development. Mirditë has been shaped for centuries by Catholicism, which is why Albanians call it the “Land of Cathedrals” or the “Albanian Vatican”. The most impressive sights include the Rubik Church or the former Communist labour camp in Spaç. Nature lovers will enjoy the national park around Lura Lakes.
4 things not to be missed in Mirditë
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The Mirditë is separated to the west from the coastal plain by a mountain range. Behind it lies a heavily eroded plateau, which today can be described more as a hilly country and, especially in the east and north, merges into higher mountain ranges up to 2100 metres above sea level. The entire region is drained by the Fan River which flows into the Mat in the southwest. Mirditë’s largest town is Rrëshen.
Mirditë is an undiscovered destination for hikers and cyclists. The peaks of the karst mountains here, although not reaching heights as adjacent Korab or Albanian Alps, are not lacking in drama and beauty. And you can be sure that you will hardly meet any people there. A great guide (in English, German and Italian) with hiking tips and downloadable maps can be found here.
Thanks to the favourable climatic conditions, wine growing thrives in Mirditë. In Rrëshen, you can visit the biggest and most famous winery in Albania – Kantina Arbëri. It is selling wines to the Vatican, the Albanian prime minister and other VIPs.
History of Mirditë
Mirditë was named after the Albanian tribe of the same name that inhabited large parts of northern Albania. In terms of size and population, it is even the largest historical area in Albania, with a rich history and culture.
The people of Mirditë have always guarded their independence closely. Thanks to the ability to organize themselves well, they managed to preserve it even under Ottoman rule, when they won de facto autonomy for the region. Among other things, they avoided Islamization which was common elsewhere and managed to maintain their traditional Catholicism and many cultural habits.
The most interesting historical phenomenon of Mirditë was the institution of the so-called captaincy (kapedania), which was based in Orosh. The Captain was the leader of the Mirditian tribes, the highest judicial authority, and also had the privilege of representing the region to foreign powers. After the First World War (1921), Captain Mark Gjoni declared the independent Republic of Mirditë, but the rebellion was suppressed by Albanian troops after less than half a year. The last Captain was assassinated in 1946 and his presumed successor spent many years in a Communist prison. After the fall of the regime in 1990, the institution of the captaincy was not restored.
After World War II, Mirditë experienced a rapid industrial development centred around copper mining. The copper ore was mined also by political prisoners in the labour camp of Spaç. Plants were then set up to process the metal in Rubik and other places in the region.
Transport to Mirditë
From Tirana to Rrëschen, buses run from morning to afternoon roughly every hour. The journey takes about 1.5 hours.
From the north, any bus going to Tirana from Kosovo (via the motorway) will drop you off at the exit at Rubik or Rrëshen, where a taxi or minibus will take you to your final location.
You can also get to Rrëschen by car on the recently asphalted road from Burrel in the Mat region, which is, however, again in a miserable state due to shoddy workmanship.
The old, 130-kilometre-long road winding through the beautiful countryside from Rrëshen through the town of Fushë Arrëz to Kukës is almost unused after the motorway was built, and is therefore suitable for cyclists or motorcyclists.
Sights in Mirditë
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