Hiking near Peja/Peć, Kosovo

Blog Post, Destinations, Europe, Experiences, Kosovo

Have you ever wondered how things are in the new country of Kosovo that US and UK supported in their war for independence? We did too.

We started our day in Peja/Peć, with the natural history of Kosovo. On the drive to White Drini river, Sali, our guide shared fascinating accounts of his childhood, communism, the wars, the devastation, freedom, and the continuing battle to survive and thrive. More about that in the post about Kosovo’s modern history.

Our first stop was a popular tourist destination among the locals and the Kosovo diaspora.

Source of White Drini river

Our first stop when hiking near Peja/Peć, Kosovo was the source of the important White Drini river. From it’s humble beginnings, it jumps over several rocks, forming many waterfalls before merging with the Black Drini. Together they form the Drini river and fill the massive lake Komani we visited in Albania.

Source of the Black Drini river — By the source of the Black Drini river

On a hot summer afternoon, the cafes and hikes along the White Drini river are a pleasant place to hang out.

Pristine swimming holes on the White Drini river — One of the pristine swimming holes formed by the many falls of the Drini.

US, UK and Germany, were supporters of the people of Kosovo in their struggle for freedom. Even today the people of Kosovo are thankful to Bill Clinton, Tony Blaire and our nations. There are towns, squares, statues and even kids named after Bill Clinton and Tony Blaire.

It seems impossible in any country, but in Kosovo, even today, people have gratitude and affection for Americans.

Flags in Kosovo — The people of Kosovo most commonly align themselves to the Albanian flag. We saw it everywhere, even from cars in wedding processions. The blue flag is the official flag, mandated by the international community. Kosovans appreciate the support of US, UK and Germany hence its common to see their flags too.

Radachi Caves

Beneath the surface of the Albanian Alps is a magical world of caves, sculptures, wildlife and more. This section of Radachi caves is a 2100m long series of three galleries at 8-12°C, it’s a real pleasure from the heat outside.

The gallery of rocks in the Radachi caves in Kosovo — The gallery of rocks used to be a ceiling over this section, a few millions years ago. Now it’s a pile of rock many meters deep.

We saw a couple of bats flying in central part of Radachi caves. But the black bat guano, meters deep, is evidence of a larger bat colony.

The central part of Radachi caves has many bats and bat guano. — The central part of these caves has many bats.

Formations in Radachi caves of Kosovo — One of many beautiful formations in Radachi caves. Also visible is the entrance to the other section.

The hand shaped sculpture hanging from the Radachi cave ceiling. — The hand shaped sculpture hanging from the cave ceiling.

The underground gallery has many paths that can be accessed with rock climbing equipment. The staff at Radachi caves rent the equipment. They also provide guides. Our guide was an English speaking 11th grader doing a summer job.

The series of cascading pools in Radachi caves of Kosovo — The series of cascading pools on the right remind me of the massive pools in Turkey.

While the caves were damaged by human explorations, they are now well protected from inquisitive tourists. However, I wonder what the interior rock climbing does to these structures, that take millions of years to share, if left alone.