A love letter to the High Scardus Trail

I have had a very special relationship with the Western Balkans – that is, the countries of Northern Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro – since my first visit 15 years ago. After countless visits and adventures, it has practically become my second home and it always feels like a “coming home”. How did it get to this point? Well, the combination of beautiful, wild landscape, incredible hospitality without any ulterior motives and great cultural diversity at one of the crossroads of Europe is probably unique on our continent. All this well hidden behind the last white spots on the European map, so that a true paradise opens up for hearts of explorers. A paradise that has captivated me.

Almost there! On the road on the 10th stage of the High Scardus Trail just below the 2,764 m summit of Mount Korab at the end of a wonderful climb from Strezimir in northern Macedonia © Metodi Chilimanov – https://sharoutdoors.com

When we as Trail Angels got the opportunity to start a project on “Development of sustainable and regionally managed nature and alpine tourism in the Western Balkans” with the support of GIZ, the decision was easy. The focus is on the brand new 20-stage long distance hiking trail High Scardus Trail, which always leads along the border mountains of Northern Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo from the Sharr Mountains south of Prizren to Lake Ohrid. A largely unknown and not yet touristically developed mountain landscape, in which sometimes the time seems to have stopped. But appearances and the idyll are deceptive: life here is hard and so many locals decide to turn their backs on the meager life and move to the city or another country. This is exactly where the High Scardus Trail comes in: Of course, it is primarily intended to offer hikers a wonderful experience, but at the same time to bring about a sustainable and careful development of the remote mountain regions. So that above all the young population sees again a perspective for their homeland, of which they can be rightly proud.

Prizren is one of the most interesting places in the haze of the High Scardus Trail – a melting pot of cultures, a crossroads between the Orient and the Occident, and on top of that a very lively and livable city © Trail Angels/Stefan Lieb-Lind

Our task is to develop the great trail together with the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) and local experts until it actually reaches the tourist market. The first steps have been taken by our baby this year: The official trail website www.high-scardus-trail.com with all the information went online in March and motivated the first adventurous trekkers who set out on their own. The feedback about it can be read at the route description and makes us almost a bit proud.

Always be on the high ground. The 2nd stage of the High Scardus Trail runs for long stretches very scenic on the ridge of the Sharr Mountains, which forms the border between northern Macedonia and Kosovo © Metodi Chilimanov – https://sharoutdoors.com

A few days ago I had the pleasure to lead our Explorer Tour (also the first official transnational tour in our Explorer Tour era) on the High Scardus Trail together with our local partners – the first commercial transnational tour on the High Scardus Trail! We were joined by 6 guests from Austria, Germany and Malaysia (!) as well as a journalist from the UK who will be reporting on the High Scardus Trail. The program of our 11-day tour was tight and full of impressions: we hiked 8 of the 20 stages of this great long-distance trail and enjoyed rest days in the wonderful old towns of Prizren and Ohrid. So I had to answer one of the key questions before the tour: which of the 20 stages should it be? How do you choose 8 out of 20 “best-of” stages? Our choice fell rather accidentally on the first three starting stages and on the crossing of the highest peak of the Western Balkans (Golem Korab, 2.764 m) incl. further hike to the beautiful mountain village Rabdisht. The last two stages of the High Scardus Trail through the Galichica National Park with a boat trip back across the world famous Lake Ohrid (UNESCO World Heritage Site) to Ohrid (UNESCO World Heritage Site) formed the conclusion. A crowning highlight, because the views on this immensely panoramic high-altitude hike to the right to Lake Ohrid and to the left to the no less beautiful Prespa Lake are simply unique!

Wide angle or where to look: the 21st stage of the High Scardus Trail runs on the ridge of the Galichica Mountains and offers fantastic views of Lake Ohrid on one side and Lake Prespa on the other side © Trail Angels/Stefan Lieb-Lind

Yes, the mountain scenery along the High Scardus Trail is truly breathtaking. I know, there are many mountains in Europe – but rarely are mountains as lonely and remote as here: on some stages you see nothing more than a lonely shepherd’s hut as a witness of human use, nothing else. No noise, no roads, no settlements. However, what is always special about the Western Balkans and also about the High Scardus Trail is the incredible hospitality when you come to a village or an alpine settlement. The invitation for a coffee in a private garden in Zagrad, the campfire under the stars on the mountain pasture in Grama, the common Albanian dance in Rabdisht (even if my performance did not look very dignified) or also the at first gruff but in the end very kind border officials at the most lonely border crossing between Restelice and Strezimir – these encounters formed the heart of the journey. A heart that was full of kindness.

Almost too much of a romantic: The alpine houses of Grama at the end of the 11th stage are extremely idyllic and secluded in a little valley below the peaks of the Korab Mountains. Together with a campfire it becomes almost kitschy © Trail Angels/Stefan Lieb-Lind

The motivation of our local guides was also contagious. Some of them are almost old friends by now, which makes a reunion even nicer. However, in general it is wonderful to see how the High Scardus Trail creates a spirit of optimism among the locals. And when this happens, a cautious development of tourism in the region of the High Scardus Trail is already half won.

Large pedestrian zone: Rabdisht at the end of the 12th stage is a prototypical Albanian mountain village with its many old stone houses © Trail Angels/Stefan Lieb-Lind

So: if not this tour, what other tour would be suitable for a Fair Trails® tour? We had many conversations about future possibilities in these beautiful areas, but they have one thing in common: poor earning potential and high rates of migration. We talked to sheep farmers, enthusiasts who are rebuilding shelters, the three mothers and fathers of the High Scardus Trail from GIZ, and so on. And at least with me the already existing feeling manifested itself: the High Scardus Trail is perhaps not the panacea to help the region to a sustainable and careful upswing, but it has the chance to be an important mosaic stone in this development and perhaps even much more a condensation nucleus to which many more drops of water can dock. For this reason we also donate 4% of the trip price to the further sustainable development of the High Scardus Trail. May it become a shining beacon in the sustainable tourism development of the Western Balkans. I am looking forward to continue working on this goal!

Finished (loosely based on Trappatoni)! Happily arrived in Sveti Naum at Lake Ohrid at the end of the High Scardus Trail and also our Fair Trails® Explorer Tour © Trail Angels/Stefan Lieb-Lind

By the way: We have acquired a taste for it! Do you too? Then secure your spot for this year’s Explorer Tour on the High Scardus Trail now. Click here for the trip details.

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