Bikepacking in the Balkans: Montenegro and Albania

• The Route
• Montenegro
• Albania

This was my second time biking through the Balkans. Seven years ago, just before starting university, I cycled 1200 km from Vienna to Bar in Montenegro. That trip left me with unforgettable memories, so I was eager to return and explore this beautiful region again.

Bikepacking in the Balkans

Balkans Bikepacking

• Distance: 580km
• Elevation: 8800m
• Time: 7 days
• Date: Sep 2024

For this trip, we followed a route inspired by the The Balkans post on bikepacking.com, which provided a great foundation. However, we made a few changes to suit our plans and interests, spending more time exploring Kotor Bay and deciding not to cycle through Bosnia.

The journey took us through Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania, covering a mix of coastal roads, steep mountain climbs, and remote trails. Late September weather added an unpredictable element to the trip, with thunderstorms frequently lighting up the skies and sudden rain showers. Despite the occasional rain, the Balkans delivered stunning views at every turn, making the challenge more than worth it.

The Route

The roads we cycled ranged from smooth tarmac along the coast to rugged gravel mountain paths, and eventually to unrideable muddy sections. Our route essentially made a big loop around Lake Shkodër. The elevation gains were significant, especially during the steep climbs in Montenegro and Albania. Some of the off-road sections were tough but well worth the effort, particularly in the Albanian Alps.

I was especially fond of the wide tires on my gravel bike, which handled the rougher terrain flawlessly. The tubeless setup, combined with lower tire pressure, gave me extra grip and stability, which made all the difference on the challenging off-road sections.

Best of all, mine was the only bike that didn’t have a mechanical issue this year!

Croatia

We started our trip in Dubrovnik, arriving at the airport with our bikes all packed up. To make things easier, we booked our final night’s accommodation near the airport, which turned out to be a smart move as we had our return flight very early in the morning. Our host kindly picked up all six of us, bikes included, from the airport and let us store our bike bags in the basement for the week, giving us a hassle-free start to the journey.

The weather on the first day was surprisingly nice, with clear skies and warm temperatures. We assembled our bikes by the apartment’s pool and then set off toward the Montenegro border. But before long, a heavy thunderstorm caught up with us…

Bikepacking in Montenegro

Kotor Bay

After assembling our bikes in Dubrovnik, we set off along the coast, crossing into Montenegro. The weather was pleasant at first, but as we neared Kotor, dark clouds began to gather. By nightfall, lightning was flashing across the sky.

We had planned to camp that night, but with the storm closing in, we opted for an apartment in Bijela instead. At just 10 euros per person, it was almost the same price as camping, so it felt like a good deal.

Lovcen National Park

The next morning, we set off from Kotor Bay, and it didn’t take long for the road to start climbing. The ascent from sea level to 1,400 meters was tough but well worth it, with incredible views of Kotor Bay fading behind us. As we climbed higher into Lovćen National Park, the landscape transformed into rocky cliffs and forests.

The descent from the pass was amazing. A long, winding, paved mountain road led us down toward Virpazar, a small town by Lake Shkodër. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side again, with thunderstorms in the forecast for the evening. So, for the second night in a row, we opted for an apartment.

In Virpazar, we got a nice surprise — a local restaurant where the famous Polish chef Robert Makłowicz had filmed his show. Naturally, we had to try the food, and it didn’t disappoint!

Bar

On Day 3, we made our way toward Bar, starting with a climb out of Virpazar. The route took us through mountain passes before descending toward Bar city on the coast. From there we followed the coast to the Albanian border.

Bikepacking in Albania

Shkodër

The moment we entered Albania, we noticed how chaotic the traffic was, with cars, bikes, and pedestrians all moving in what seemed like organized chaos. It had an almost Asian vibe, with the roads full of people going in every direction. Stray dogs roamed the streets, and the Mercedes seemed to be the car of choice for just about everyone, whether brand new or old.

Despite the bustling atmosphere, the locals were incredibly welcoming. Children waved and offered high-fives as we passed by on our bikes, adding a sense of warmth. The weather, however, remained unpredictable, with thunderstorms once again in the forecast. We ended up finding a full 120m² villa right in the heart of downtown for just 10 euros per person, complete with a bottle of raki as a welcome gift. It was a perfect place to rest after the long day on the road.

Albanian Alps: Shkodër to Nderlysaj

The part of our journey took us into the heart of the Albanian Alps, also known as the Accursed Mountains. These mountains are one of the last unexplored regions of Europe, and it certainly felt that way as we ventured deeper into the rocky landscape. The route from Shkodër to Theth was the most challanging part of the trip.

We started with a scenic paved path along a canyon, with towering mountains on either side. Goats and cows wandered the road, adding to the sense that we were far from civilization. After about 20 kilometers, the smooth tarmac turned into gravel, and with all the recent rain, the trail was full of mud and water. The climb was steep, with breathtaking views behind us, but the rough conditions made it slow going.

At around 500 meters of elevation, we reached the tiny village of Kir, where there was little more than a few excavators and a small café housed in a shed. The café offered only soft drinks and Turkish coffee. Stray dogs roamed around the café. After a quick stop, we pushed on, but the nice gravel soon turned into a rocky and muddy mountain road. At one point, the mud became so thick that we had to walk our bikes through the mess — there was no way to ride it.

Eventually, we reached the mountain pass at 1100 meters. Thankfully, the downhill section wasn’t muddy, but it was rocky and challenging. Some of the group had mechanical issues, with flat tires causing delays. As we descended into the valley, it was getting dark and cold, and to make things even more interesting, we didn’t have any cellural signal.

We stopped at a small place called Kafe Skollaj, which, despite calling itself a restaurant on Google Maps, was really just a pub. When I asked a local if they sell coke (Coca-Cola), he misunderstood and thought I was asking for cocaine! After clearing that up, we got our cold drinks, which gave us a much-needed boost for the final 8 kilometers of flatter gravel toward Nderlysaj.

When I asked a local if they sell coke (Coca-Cola), he misunderstood and thought I was asking for cocaine!

We arrived at a guesthouse run by a local family, who were incredibly welcoming. They cooked us a huge dinner, and after a long, cold day, it was exactly what we needed. The owner proudly served us his homemade walnut raki, comparing it to a “Mercedes” among other raki. It was a great way to end the day, even though the heating wasn’t working, and it was freezing cold at night. Luckily, I had my 0°C sleeping bag with me.

Albanian Alps: Theth to Koplik

The next morning greeted us with cold temperatures, but for the first time on the trip, we had clear skies and sunshine. After a breakfast prepared by our hosts, we set out from Nderlysaj toward Theth, with the plan to climb up to the mountain pass at 1650 meters.

Starting in the valley at around 500 meters elevation, we faced a grueling climb of over 1100 meters. Thankfully, this section of road had been freshly paved in 2022, which made the climb a lot more manageable. The smooth tarmac was a welcome relief after the rough, muddy trails we had faced the day before. As we rode higher, we reached Theth at 800 meters, a somewhat popular tourist spot with waterfalls and hiking trails. Here, we stopped at a small grocery store to resupply and grabbed a much-needed coffee.

The final push up to the pass was challenging, but the views at the top were stunning. At 1650 meters, we layered up in nearly all the clothes we had — it was freezing. Luckily, there was a neat hotel-restaurant at the top where we grabbed some food before starting the long descent toward Koplik.

The downhill ride was about 40 kilometers, and it was one of the most rewarding parts of the entire trip. The views of Lake Shkodër and the surrounding mountains were breathtaking as we descended. We had to be careful, though, because at times the road was occupied by pigs wandering freely! As we got closer to the lake, the sun finally warmed us up, and the contrast between the towering mountains and the Shkodër lake below was unforgettable.

From there, we crossed back into Montenegro, and headed to Podgorica.

Heading back to Dubrovnik

After passing through Podgorica, we camped for the night in a vineyard near the capital. This was the first time (long overdue!) that we decided to use our tents on the trip. The campsite was tucked between grapevines, and after a long day of riding, it felt great to finally sleep under the stars. We ended the evening with a delicious homemade lasagna and local wine, all prepared by the owner.

The next morning, we packed up early and aimed for the Bosnian border, but the mountainous route ahead wasn’t as straightforward as it looked on the map. We passed through Danilovgrad and rode into a stretch of empty mountain roads. While the scenery was stunning, the complete lack of stores, or cafés made resupplying a real challenge. For nearly 80 kilometers, we cycled through isolated mountain passes without a single stop for water or food.

At one point, the road marked on our map turned into an unrideable rocky path. It was nearly impossible to push forward, with heavy vegetation and rocks blocking our way. If you’re following this route, definitely avoid this 10 km stretch (it starts at 465 km on the Komoot route)! After plenty of swearing and struggling, we finally reached the village of Grahovo, where we stopped for a much-needed meal.

By this point, the group was feeling pretty wiped out, especially after a few days of relying mostly on jelly beans for energy. To make matters worse, we discovered that the border crossing we’d planned to use was for locals only. That meant we would have to take the main road at night, with big trucks passing by and an extra 500 meters of elevation to climb.

With everyone exhausted, we decided to change our plans. Instead of pushing on to Bosnia, we opted for a 20-kilometer descent down to Kotor Bay. It was a much-needed break from climbing, and by the time we reached our accommodation, we were rewarded with beautiful views of the lake.

The next day, we cycled along the coast back into Croatia, where we encountered heavy traffic at the border crossing. Luckily, it was a short day of just 50 kilometers. We returned to our final accommodation near Dubrovnik airport, where packed the bikes before our early morning flight.

With time to spare, we celebrated the end of our journey with a quick taxi ride into Dubrovnik to explore the city. It was the perfect way to wrap up our Balkan adventure.

Our Rigs