Albania: Yearly Vacation - Albania - Roadside Repairs near Langarica Canyon
Seventeen days, two
motorcycles, one destination. For this year's
holiday, Nada and I headed to
Albania, planning to explore its coastline from north to south before turning towards the mountains and making our way home through some of the country's most scenic landscapes.
After a relaxing day without
motorcycles, it was time to leave the
Albanian coast behind. We set off from
Sarandë towards the interior, planning to visit Langarica Canyon and its famous thermal springs. The day, however, did not start entirely according to plan. Somewhere along the road, my Blue Horse ran over something sharp and the rear
tyre began losing air.
Calling roadside assistance never even crossed my mind. After all, this was the
Balkans, where problems often get solved much more simply than you would expect. As luck would have it, we were right next to a small roadside restaurant when I noticed the puncture. I asked around if anyone knew a tyre repair shop, and the response was immediate. We simply took a photo of the rear wheel and sent it to a local mechanic. About fifteen minutes later, he arrived from
Përmet ready to help. We removed the wheel, and the two of us set off for his workshop in a classic Mazda 121. The repair was completed in no time and soon we were back in the village of
Petran, fitting the wheel back onto the bike. Only then did I remember that it was Sunday. Considering the circumstances, the whole incident was resolved remarkably quickly, cheaply and without any stress.
With Blue Horse ready to continue, we finally headed into Langarica Canyon. Carved over thousands of years by the Langarica River, the canyon cuts deep through the
limestone mountains, with vertical walls rising up to a hundred metres above the riverbed. Near its entrance stands the beautiful Ottoman-era Kadiu Bridge, alongside a group of mineral-rich thermal springs that attract visitors from all over
Albania. We took the opportunity to enjoy a warm soak before walking deeper into the canyon itself. Surrounded by towering rock walls, clear water and unusual geological formations, it felt like stepping into another world. It was easily one of the most fascinating natural sights we encountered during the entire trip.
Back on the motorcycles, the repaired tyre continued to hold pressure perfectly, giving us confidence to carry on. Following the valley of the
Vjosa River near the Greek border at Melissopetra, we eventually turned north and crossed the rolling hills of southeastern Albania. Our destination for the evening was
Korçë, where we checked into our accommodation after another memorable day packed with unexpected adventures, impressive scenery and yet another reminder that travelling through Albania rarely goes exactly as planned.
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| The SH83 road carried us away from the coast and towards Albania's rugged interior. |
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| Beneath rugged 1500-metre summits on the way to the Drino Valley. |
We missed the turn for Langarica Canyon. Soon afterwards, this impressive bridge over the Vjosa River gave us a good reason to stop.  |
| Although the river is dammed in Greece, the Vjosa flows freely throughout Albania, making it one of Europe's last great wild rivers. |
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| Known as the Aoös - Αώος in Greece and the Vjosa in Albania, the river has linked cultures and trade routes for centuries. |
Blue Horse and flat tyre.
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| The rear wheel removed and ready for a quick trip to the tyre shop in Përmet. |
Our rescue vehicle turned out to be a mighty Mazda 121 Rally Edition. After a trip to the local tyre workshop, the puncture was patched, the wheel mounted back onto the motorcycle, and the Sunday rescue operation was successfully completed.
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| The historic Kadiut Bridge spans the Langarica River at the entrance to Langarica Canyon, providing one of the most picturesque views in the area. |
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| The warm water made it very easy to stay in longer than planned. |
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| Some of the thermal pools near Benjë remain pleasantly warm throughout the year, with water temperatures reaching over 30°C. |
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| Kadiut Bridge, an Ottoman-era stone bridge whose name derives from the "Kadi" (Qadi), the Islamic judge who once administered justice in the region. |
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| Following the Langarica River deeper into the canyon. |
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| Tourists Nada and Tuši. |
Langarica Canyon stretches for around 7 kilometres, with cliffs rising up to 150 metres above the river below.
The Langarica River has spent thousands of years carving its way through these limestone cliffs.
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| Straight up view. |
The canyon may look dry and peaceful today, but after heavy rain the Langarica River can become a powerful force.
Steep canyon walls and a weak GPS signal are not the ideal combination for geocaching.  |
| The warm water seems to appear everywhere. Numerous thermal springs emerge directly from the limestone, constantly replenishing the pools along the river - Garmin Connect. |
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| The Vjosa basin is home to more than 1100 recorded species of plants and animals, making it one of the most biodiverse river systems in the Balkans. |
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| Great day for riding. |
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| Thunder and Blue Horse. And off course, Nada. |
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| The bridge appears to have outlived its wooden deck, leaving only the supporting structure behind. |
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| Remote mountains, difficult transport links and decades of isolation helped preserve the traditional character of the upper Vjosa Valley. |
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| Nearly forty years of combined age, almost 200 horsepower between them, and still eager to explore the roads of the Balkans. |
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| The Vjosa was already known to the ancient Greeks as Aoös more than two thousand years ago. |
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| While we explored Albania on motorcycles, others relied on horsepower of a different kind. |
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| Lean into the corner and enjoy the ride. |
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| New asphalt and endless curves made this one of the most enjoyable stretches of the day. |
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| You travel all the way to Albania, only to discover that they have a Kamnik too. |
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| A roadside memorial commemorates a partisan attack carried out here on 6 July 1943 by the Tomorri Battalion and local volunteers from the surrounding mountain villages. |
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| Our apartment was not quite ready yet, which left us with only one sensible option: burek and a cold beer in Korçë. |
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| The Resurrection Cathedral, completed in 1995, reflects the return of religious freedom to Albania following the collapse of the communist regime. |
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| Living the royal lifestyle, one boot of beer at a time. Korçë is widely regarded as the birthplace of Albanian beer, thanks to the famous Birra Korça brewery founded in 1928. |
For centuries, merchants arriving from Greece, Macedonia and the Albanian interior traded their goods in the streets of Korçë's Old Bazaar. Established about 500 years ago, it is composed of old Ottoman and Roman architectonic style buildings which for centuries were used as shops, guesthouses or khans. Although we were still full from dinner, we simply had to try lakror, Korçë's traditional specialty. Unlike a pizza, the filling is enclosed between layers of dough and baked until golden and crispy on both sides. On the way back to our accommodation, we made one final stop to admire the Xhamia e Iljaz Mirahorit - Mirahori Mosque from the outside, one of the oldest and most important Ottoman-era monuments in Korçë - Garmin Connect.
Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Second Angel of peace",
TBA8B55 and "Twin Star",
TB33TN8):
- Ura e Petranit/ Brug in Petran/ Petran Bridge,
GCB78FN- Banjat e Bënjës, Virtual,
GCAJHXN- Katedralja Ortodokse "Ringjallja e Krishtit", Virtual,
GCAJHTK
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