Accursed Mountains || Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, Kosovo

The immense granite walls of the Accursed.

We may never know if it was a tall tail, a myth, or the legend of an army that was the reason for the name of the Accursed Mountains. But what I do know, is that this part of the Accursed Mountains in western Kosovo is just breathtaking. Known as the Albanian Alps, the Accursed Mountains make up the Southernmost subrange of the Dinaric Alps. 

Established in 2012, the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park is located in the districts of Gjakova and Peja in the far western portion of Kosovo. The western edge of the park is bordered by Albania and Montenegro.

Rugova Canyon is considered to be Europe's longest and deepest canyon that follows the Drini River.

One of the most popular attractions in Kosovo is the Rugova Canyon also known as Rugova Gorge is considered to be Europe's longest and deepest canyon. In 1985 the gorge was declared a protected monument of natural heritage.  The immense granite walls of the canyon tower are 2000 ft (609 meters) above the Drini River. The infamous M9 road traverses the Drini River and Rugova Gorge for 13 miles (23km).

Looking back down the Rugova Gorge to the City of Peja.

The area is popular with hikers, climbers, skiers, and cavers. Unlike my other post on Navigate to Your Adventure. I normally have first-hand experience in the area that I am writing about. This is not the case with this post. This was a unique experience because I never put foot on the ground in the national park or the Accursed Mountains. What I did get from my journey was the opportunity to capture great images of the Accursed Mountains, the Rugova Gorge, and Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park. 

What an adventure it would be to drive up that mountain trail.

Many times the images we see online of amazing places are normally from the same vantage point. We are drawn to these wild places by the images others have posted online. We want to create the same experience that others had instead of creating our own.

The rugged beauty is amazing.

It happens to be the last-minute opportunity the day I travel to this area of Kosovo. I really had no idea what I would experience or what I would see. The images I took that day are from a vantage point that most adventure travelers probably will never get the opportunity to absorb the pure rugged beauty of this area the same way I did. 

 Alpine meadows in the Accursed Mountains are where only a few 100 inhabitants live today.

I probably will never have an opportunity to experience the Accursed Mountains as I did on that day. While that gives me an emptiness that I will not be able to fill. It does allow my mind to wonder and dream up what adventures that await me. I hope the images do the same for you.

A vehicle parked just off of a rugged mountain road sits as hikers forage for wild mushrooms.

Now It's Your Turn-

I know I have missed a lot about this area. Please leave a comment on the things you experienced and explored in the Accursed Mountains and the National Park.

Navigate over to our related post:

• Postcard Livadh Lake Sharr Mountain
  

To see more photos of the Accursed Mountains, navigate over to Navigate to Your Adventure on Flickr