Illyrian Trail

After breakfast the group will be taken by car to the stable, where everyone will get a horse. After saddling up the group will ride to the village of Karjan. The place, centuries ago, was a popular stop for trade caravans. Nowadays one can amaze at small churches and an old, Roman bridge there. The landscape is quite idyllic: hills and valleys all around with small streams flowing here and there. We will reach Drino river, locally called „The Tree Of Life”. It’s the most important source of water in the vicinity, as well as a part of old, local, pagan beliefs. During the ride we will cross The Holy Trinity castle ruins, a strategic point that controlled caravan routes, reconstructed by Ali Pasha in 1809-1810. During communism period the ruins were used for military purposes. We will stop for a lunch break in the village of Shen Toder. Once rested we will continue our journey to reach the village of Karjan in about 1.5 hours. There we will be welcome by a local family who will host us for the night. We will tend to our horses and once they are fed, we will have dinner. Our hosts will serve local dishes, often made of ingredients sourced from their own garden, accompanied by raki and wine.

We wil ride north that day, follow an ancient trade road of Zhapa, made of stone, with a nice view on mountains, hills and valleys. The first break will take place in a village of Small Labova, well-known all over the south for its wonderful church and big houses, today mostly ruined, that used to belong to more influential merchants. Labova is also the birthplace of Vangjel Zhapa, a famous businessman, philantropist and the precursor of modern Olimpic Games. After visiting the unique, medieval church we will mount up again. Look around on our way to Cajupi – you should notice some interesting plants here an there: mountain tea, oregano, wild roses and other local flora. We will ride in Cajupi valley and have a longer stop there, at a local shepherds’ place, surrounded by sheep and accompanied by shepherd dogs. The shepherds, depending on the time of the year, can have up to 1000 sheep in the valley. Then the trail will follow a path to a place that, in the middle ages, was a bandit hideout named „Hija e Mallkuar” – The Cursed Shadow. In the evening we will reach the village of Nderan, where we will stay here for two nights hosted by a local family.

We will have our breakfast and ride out to visit a couple of local villages: Lliar, Hoshteva, Koncka i Nivan. You will notice some changes to the landcape, more diversity: sharp cliffs, rivers, woods and mountains. We will probably encounter local shepherds with their herds. We will also ride on the most important horse trail of the 17^th and 18^th centuries that used to connect major trade centers of southern Albania. We will pass the Rock of Zhej, a beautiful natural monument, and stop for a short break at a spring in Lliar, built in the 19^th century by Ali Pasha. We will take a look at a medieval stone bridge that collapsed in 2018 in a place where – on a warm day – you can enjoy a swim. There’s also a medieval Hoshteva church nearby, built originally in year 999 and recreated for the last time in 1866. We will also pass a byzantine church in Lliar and the Nivan Saint Mehill monastery, built in 1702. The bridge we will ride right through was built at the same time in order to create a good connection between the monastery and the village of Nderan, an important animal trade center in the middle ages. We’ll stay for the night with the same family as the day before.

This day is an exciting combination of adventure, cultural exploration and culinary delights – the hidden treasures of the Pogon region. After a delicious country breakfast, we will travel through a picturesque mountain valley, perfect for fast canters. Along the way, we will pass secluded farms, majestic cliffs and hidden historical trails, moving away from typical touristic trails. The route through the enchanting region of Pogoni is a true journey back in time, where ancient ruins and mythical natural wonders await discovering. The midday picnic will take place near the famous stone bridge, a remarkable architectural gem from the Merchant Age. This isolated wonder can only be reached on horseback. After a five-hour ride, we will reach the heart of the Pogoni region, the charming mountain village of Polican, inhabited mainly by the Greek minority. We will spend the night with a Greek family, immersing ourselves in their rich cultural heritage. In their company you can explore the fascinating medieval cult monuments that hold a special place in the village’s history. In the evening we will enjoy the local cuisine! Polican is famous for being one of the leading producers of mountain honey in southern Albania. We will have the opportunity to savour a variety of honey flavours, with almost ten different types available at different times of the year, each capturing the essence of the local bee pastures.

We will ride towards the town of Libohova. The trail is demanding and very picturesque at the same time, finishing at the Swallow Rock, 500 m above the river of Suha. We will have picnic lunch break next to the Church of Labova of the Cross, the oldest church in Albania, built by Justinian the Great in 554. According to the legend Justinian married Teodora in a small chapel in the village. Local inhabitants preserved her wedding dress for centuries. Our next stop is Libohova, a small town located at the foot of the Bureto Mountain. Archaeological excavations revealed that there was an ancient settlement here and the town entered its best period in 17^th century, as an important trade center. In the afternoon you can take a long walk and visit Libohova’s castle, a Bektashi cult spot and the tomb of Ali Pasha’s sister, Shanisha. We stay for the night with another local family, tend to our horses, help our hosts with some of the chores around their farm and, of course, enjoy delicious, local food.

We’ll spend the first half of the day in the saddle, in pretty scenic surroundings. After breakfast we will ride through hills and the Drino valley. On our way we will cross streams and climb uphill to Antigonea National Park, where we will stop for a visit. Antigonea was built in year 295 on the order of king Pyrrus and named after his wife, Antigone. We definitely recommed taking a walk around this unusual place. Then we’ll leave the park and ride for the last hour until we reach the stable. It’s time unsaddle our horses, thank them and take them to their pastures. We will have lunch in a nearby village of Asim Zeneli and then go by cars to Gjirokastra. After checking in the hotel we still have time to rest and/or explore Gjirokastra’s old town. In the evening we will have our last, farewell dinner in a restaurant, after which we can still… hit the bar. 😉

Riders leave Albania that day. Transfers to Tirana or Saranda available.