Compared to similar parts of Europe, the Albanian Alps are relatively unexplored by a lot of tourists. ![]() Theth is in the heart of the Theth National Park surrounded by Albania’s highest mountains, more than 100 caves and beautiful waterfalls. It isn’t as if time has stood still, it’s as if time, along with the rest of the world, doesn’t exist. ![]() They are the only people I see until Vitoria, Pjeter’s wife, comes out of the house. There’s a man sitting on a rock and sketching the church and Pjeter, the owner of the guesthouse I’m staying at, walks down the road to greet us. When I get out of the van after an entertaining ride from Shkodra I immediately feel what draws people here. Shkodra doesn’t even have 100,000 people. The roads are the setting for a non-stop game of chicken and I haven’t seen such mayhem since Saigon, which is a city of 7.5 million. Then there is the driving, which at best can be described as erratic, at worst, suicidal. The image of wild pigs dining on several truckloads of rubbish tipped into a gully unfortunately defines the city for me. My first experience of Albania was Shkodra, the country’s second largest city. To look around the smattering of houses, you have to wonder where they put 400 nightly guests. During the season (June, July, August) every guesthouse here was full almost every night. This year, up to 10,000 people will visit Theth. Two decades ago there were 250 families living here, until many traded life in the mountains for the opportunities in the cities like Shkodra, 70km away.īut now this village nestled in the Albanian Alps is experiencing a resurgence. The fact that he does not just tell me the number of people says a lot about this place. The most beautiful time of the year to visit is in May when the valley is covered in sweeping fields of crimson poppies.This is what Pjeter tells me when I ask about the village. If you take the trail leading past the ambars, you can hike to the top of the mountain and get a fantastic view over Kalkan and the sea.Ī trip to Bezirgan is an opportunity for a glimpse into a very different way of life than most of us are used to, a visit back in time. You can read about themhere (see the bottom of this page for a photo). These are traditional wooden grain storehouses with a construction method carried over from the ancient Lycians. Or sit outside and have a cup of tea at the tea house in the central grassy “square” and watch the local men play the game “OK”, tavla (backgammon) and dominoes.ĭon’t miss the large cluster of ambars in the southwest corner of the village. There are also several Lycian ruins to be seen within the village itself. You can take walks about the village and observe Turkish country life with its slow pace or alternatively, walks in the mountains encircling the village. The village makes an interesting daytrip. Bezirgan is a relaxing place and its friendly people are full of traditional Turkish hospitality. There’s a lot to see in Bezirgan – charming village houses and gardens and depending on the season you will see planting, animals being shorn, wool processed, grain winnowed and fruit and vegetables laid out for winter use. ![]() A remarkable change in vegetation is seen before one reaches the crest of the mountain valley where Bezirgan lays below in all its beauty. One reaches the village after an lovely drive high above Kalkan with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean below as well as a look into the depths of the Kaputaş Gorge. The village is nestled on an ancient lake bed of rich soil which supports a luxurious coat of fertile fields yielding grains and chickpeas, lush orchards and grazing land for sheep and goats. It is an authentic working Turkish village and the people living here live much as their ancestors did 100 years ago. During the summer months about 650 people live here and this number drops to about 150 in the winter when the population moves back down to the coast.īezirgan is a completely different environment from what you see on the coast. Today many still follow the pattern of their ancestors, spending summers in the coolness of the mountains and winters near the warm coast. Historically, many locals of Kalkan have owned land both in Kalkan and in Bezirgan. Kalkan is located only 17 kilometers away from the beautiful yayla (high mountain valley) village of Bezirgan, elevation 700 metres.
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