Travel deep dive
Limestone and High Pasture: Kosovo's Mountains
Kosovo's mountains run along its borders. In the west the Rugova gorge cuts into the Accursed Mountains from Peja, with a via ferrata on its walls, lakes in the cirques above and the Peaks of the Balkans trail crossing into Albania and Montenegro; in the south the Šar mountains rise above Prizren, with a ski area and a national park. Both are walked from village guesthouses, where the day ends with home cooking.
Updated 2026-10-09
The Rugova Gorge
The road west from Peja enters the gorge within minutes of the town, past the Patriarchate of Peć at its mouth, and climbs between limestone walls up to a kilometre high before the valley opens into high pasture and scattered villages. The lower gorge is a short drive or taxi ride from Peja; the upper valley, with its guesthouses and trailheads, is reached by car or with a driver.
The Via Ferrata
Cabled climbing routes run up the gorge walls, the Via Ferrata Ari among them, with views down the valley from the ledges. Gear can be hired and guides found in Peja; walkers without via-ferrata experience go with a guide.
Liqenat and the Upper Valley
At the head of the valley Lake Liqenat lies in a glacial cirque below the peaks, the classic day walk of Rugova, and the guesthouses at the trailhead serve trout for lunch. From the upper valley paths climb on to the high summer pastures, where shepherds still bring their flocks.
The Peaks of the Balkans Trail
The Peaks of the Balkans is a loop of about 192 kilometres through the mountains of Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro, walked in ten to thirteen days from village to village and guesthouse to guesthouse, through Valbona in Albania and Plav in Montenegro. Its border crossings are mountain paths, not border posts, so walkers apply in advance for a permit for each country's crossings; agencies in Peja arrange them, and about two weeks is the time to allow. Sections of the trail make day walks from Peja and the Rugova villages.
The Šar Mountains
South of Prizren, the Šar mountains run along the border with North Macedonia, their meadows and ridges protected as the Sharri National Park. A road climbs from Prizren over the Prevalla pass into the range, and Brezovica, a ski area from the Yugoslav era, has lifts in winter and ridge walks in summer. Villages in the range keep sheep, and the cheese of the Šar is known across Kosovo.