Featured Trail
High Scardus Trail
A journey through ancient Roman paths, alpine meadows and glacial lakes across the Sharr Mountains — connecting Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia.
Kosovo · Albania · N. Macedonia8 Days2,764m Peak Elevation85km Total Distance
2,764mHighest Point (Korab)
85kmTotal Trail Distance
8Days / 7 Stages
3Countries Crossed
€900Guided Tour from
About the Trail
An Ancient Route Through the Heart of the Balkans
The High Scardus Trail follows a path first carved by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. Winding through the rugged Sharr Mountains along the borders of Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia, it remains one of the least-visited long-distance trails in Europe — raw, remote, and extraordinary.
Each stage reveals a different face of the mountains: the flower-covered alpine pastures of Bafe (“The Trail of Colors”), the glacial lakes beneath Korab Peak, the stone villages of the Dibra canyon, and the vast shepherd plateaus of Gramë. This is trail running and hiking territory that feels genuinely untouched.
The trail connects cultures as much as landscapes. Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia share this mountain range, and crossing between them on foot remains one of the most memorable experiences available to trail runners and hikers in the region.
Trail at a Glance
Trail typeMulti-day point-to-point
Duration8 days / 7 hiking stages
DifficultyModerate to challenging
Best monthsJune – September
CountriesKosovo, Albania, N. Macedonia
StartKukes, Albania
FinishBellove, N. Macedonia
Highest point2,764m — Mt. Korab
Stage length10–17km per day
Daily ascentUp to 1,510m D+
Why High Scardus
What Makes This Trail Special
Six reasons trail runners and hikers keep coming back.
🌸
The Trail of Colors
The Bafe–Caje stage crosses the largest alpine pastures in Southeast Europe, carpeted with wildflowers in spring and early summer. Locals call it “The Trail of Colors.”
🏔️
Korab Peak — 2,764m
The highest point in both Albania and North Macedonia, summit day is an 8+ hour round trip with 1,510m of vertical gain. Eight glacial lakes ring the summit ridge.
🏘️
Stone Mountain Villages
The trail passes through Caje, Radomire, and the medieval stone village of Rabdisht — communities where traditional shepherd life continues largely unchanged.
🦅
Pristine Wilderness
The Sharr Mountains and Korab–Koritnik National Park protect one of Europe’s most biodiverse mountain ecosystems. Expect eagles, chamois, and near-total solitude.
🏛️
Roman History Underfoot
The High Scardus route traces a path used since the 2nd century BC, connecting the Adriatic coast with the interior Balkans. Ancient connectivity made tangible on foot.
🌍
Three Borders, One Journey
Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia — three countries, one shared mountain range. The cross-border logistics are handled for you, including border crossing permits.
Stage by Stage
8-Day Itinerary
Guided tour dates: June 27 – July 4, 2026
Day 1 — Arrival
Tirana → Kukes
✈ Transfer day🍽 Dinner included
Group transfer from Tirana airport to Kukes in northern Albania. Settle in, meet your guide, and prepare for the trail ahead. Dinner included.
Day 2 — Stage 1
Bafe → Caje — “The Trail of Colors”
📏 14.5km⬆ 775m D+⬇ 885m D-⏱ 6–7 hrs🔵 Moderate
Short transfer to Bafe, then on foot through the largest alpine pastures in Southeast Europe. In early summer the wildflower display earns this route its nickname — a spectacular introduction to the trail.
Day 3 — Stage 2
Caje → Radomire
📏 13.5km⬆ 910m D+⬇ 960m D-⏱ 6 hrs🔵 Moderate
From the remote Caje canyon, the path climbs through shepherd pastures and opens onto sweeping views across the Albanian–Macedonian border mountains. One of the most peaceful stages on the entire trail.
Day 4 — Stage 3 ★ Summit Day
Radomire → Korab Peak → Radomire
📏 17km⬆ 1,510m D+⏱ 8+ hrs🔴 Challenging
The big day. A round-trip ascent of Korab Peak (2,764m) — the highest point in both Albania and North Macedonia. Eight glacial lakes ring the summit ridge. On a clear day the views extend to the Adriatic. This is what the trail is built around.
Day 5 — Stage 4
Radomire → Gramë
📏 10km⬆ 780m D+⏱ 5–6 hrs🟡 Easy–Moderate
A shorter recovery day after the summit push. The path crosses a 2,090m mountain pass and descends into the vast Gramë plateau — a high pastoral landscape dotted with seasonal shepherd huts and the beautiful Lake of Gramë.
Day 6 — Stage 5
Gramë → Rabdishte
📏 17km⬆ 820m D+⬇ 1,450m D-⏱ 7–8 hrs🔵 Moderate
Widely regarded as the trail’s most spectacular stage. The route crosses the main Korab ridge with dramatic direction changes, always seeking the best terrain, before revealing a breathtaking panorama and descending to the medieval stone village of Rabdishte.
Day 7 — Stage 6
Rabdishte → Zagrad → Bellove → Tirana
📏 12km⬆ 700m D+⏱ 5 hrs🟡 Easy–Moderate
The final hiking stage passes through Zagrad — a village of classic stone cottages and traditional hospitality. Group transfer from Bellove back to Tirana at the end of the day. Breakfast and packed lunch included.
Day 8 — Departure
Tirana — Fly Home
🍳 Breakfast included
Departure day. If time allows, explore Tirana — Skanderbeg Square, the Et’hem Bey Mosque, and the Blloku district make it worth arriving early for your flight.
🏁 Featured Race
High Scardus Ultra
Every September, the High Scardus Ultra brings trail runners from across the region to race the same landscapes you hike on the guided tour. Four distances let every level of runner take on the Sharr Mountains.
10km20km35km58km
The 58km distance covers the heart of the High Scardus Trail — alpine ridgelines, border crossings, and over 3,000m of climbing.
Date5 September 2026
LocationKosovo / N. Macedonia
Distances10 / 20 / 35 / 58km
TerrainAlpine, technical singletrack
CountriesKosovo + N. Macedonia
Book the Guided High Scardus Tour 2026
8 days fully guided through Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia. Guide, accommodation (7 nights), all meals on trail, transfers, and border crossing permits included. Minimum 3 participants.
€900per person · June 27 – July 4, 2026
Explore🇦🇱 Albania🇽🇰 Kosovo🇲🇪 Montenegro🇲🇰 N. Macedonia🇷🇸 Serbia📅 All Races