Čeština
ShqipBasic information for tourists
Albanian Challenge is a project that aims to create an open summer community in Albanian Alps. Tourists, that come to Curraj i Epërm, have a chance to use all the available community facilities for € 10 per person / day (€ 7 per day for children up to 6 years of age) and at the same time, a chance to take part in our activities. Facilities provided cover all basic needs – meals (3 large ones and 2 snack per day + special meals like a roasted lamb or boar on wednesdays), a spot for your tent in the camp, the access to other basic facilities built by us (dry toilets, solar showers), solar panels, non-stop emergency service by satellite phone, basic medical care etc. A part of the price cover a small part of expenses, connected to our activities in the area (marking of tourist trails, repairs of the village’s church or construction of a bridge in the village).
The payment will be made in camp.
You can come to Curraj and join the programme on the spot – although – we advise you to send us message in advance, if you know you will come for sure. Due to possible high demand and complicated logistics in the mountains, we need to know, how many people we can count on when it comes to meals and other supplies. Also, as mentioned before, the price without the application is higher.
The programme
You can find detailed information about it here.
Attention: if there is more than 70 people in the camp at a time, volunteers always have the priority over tourists, when it comes to activities organized by us.
The stay:
The price is based on the lenght of your stay. It is € 10 per person / day (€ 7 / day for children up to 6 yrs. of age).
Transport
Every tourist or volunteer has a chance to use the transport organized by us. It will be provided from Brno, Czech Republic, and apart from cars or vans used for transport to Albania itself, it also includes a scenic ride on a ferry on Lake Koman, which ends in Markaj (where the marked tourist trail to the village begins). We can also pick you up in Bratislava (if you let us know in advance).
The route takes 1,5 days. Departures will be organized on Fridays and Saturdays and returns will happen every Sunday / Monday, according to the chosen route. The route through Montenegro will end in Koman, where we will always spend one night in the camp by the dam. Next morning, the route takes 3 hours on the ferry and then, another 6 hours to Curraj i Epërm by foot. The alternative route goes through Kosovo, and while it is faster and more comfortable, it also means that you will not have the chance to take the scenic ferry ride on Lake Koman. It is also possible to combine these two possibilites, while going to Albania through Montenegro and then, back from Albania through Kosovo (for the Kosovo route, is is mandatory that you carry both your ID card and a passport with you – not having both means that the border police will not let you enter the country!!!).
Perhaps you would like to extend your stay in the Balkans by exploring the surroundings and other countries? If so, let us know – it is possible that some cars will be available during the project’s stay in Albania, so that you can borrow them for a certain period and travel around with a group of other people.
It is also possible (if inquired in advance) that we book a mule or two to carry your bags to Curraj i Epërm from Curraj i Poshtëm (the last place accessible by a car). The price is € 30 per one mule, it can carry 70 – 80 kg (approx. 4 bags).