Tuši's blog: 16954

Albania: Yearly Vacation - Albania - Lake Koman

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.

Day 14 began far from ideal. I woke up feeling ill, but staying in bed was not really an option. The members of the Chera Hiking group had already departed on their hike towards Theth, while Nada and I took a more leisurely approach to the morning. We packed our belongings, said goodbye to our hosts in Kukaj, and set off towards Lake Koman.

For anyone travelling through northern Albania, the ferry across Lake Koman is one of the most practical and scenic ways to move between the mountains around Fierzë and the coastal side of the country. Instead of driving around the reservoir on a network of winding mountain roads, travellers can simply board a ferry and let the lake do the work.

After around fifty kilometres on the motorcycle, we arrived at the ferry terminal. There, however, we encountered an unexpected complication. Water levels in the reservoir were unusually low, forcing operators to move departures to an alternative landing point. Reaching it required riding down a steep and extremely rough gravel track. Conditions were poor enough that many drivers simply decided not to take their vehicles down at all. Fortunately, a helpful ferry employee assisted us during the descent, ensuring that both motorcycles arrived safely at the water's edge.

Once on board, the difficulties were quickly forgotten. The ferry slowly made its way through the spectacular waters of Lake Koman, a reservoir created by the damming of the Drin River as part of Albania's largest hydroelectric system. Steep mountains rose directly from the water on both sides, creating scenery that is often compared to a Norwegian fjord, although with a distinctly Balkan character.

For the next few hours there was little to do except enjoy the views and watch the mountains of northern Albania drift past. The journey felt less like public transport and more like a mini-cruise through one of the country's most impressive landscapes.

Eventually, the ferry reached the opposite shore. Unfortunately, the adventure was not quite over. A long section of rough gravel road still separated us from proper asphalt. Tired, under the weather and eager to reach our destination, we completed the final off-road kilometres before finally returning to paved roads.

With my stomach still refusing to cooperate, we skipped any unnecessary detours and headed straight for the Adriatic coast. After arriving in Velipojë, rest quickly became the day's top priority.

After several days in the mountains, Albania's coastline once again came into view. For me, however, the day was less about scenery and more about simply getting from one end of the country to the other. Even so, the ferry crossing across Lake Koman proved to be one of the most memorable journeys of the entire trip.

Previous days of Albania Moto trip 2025: Day 13 - 16953, Day 12 - 16952, Day 11 - 16951, Day 10 - 16950, Day 9 - 16949, Day 8 - 16948, Day 7 - 16947, Day 6 - 16946, Day 5 - 16945, Day 4 - 16944, Day 3 - 16943, Day 2 - 16942, Day 1 - 16941.

The first view of the day from our guesthouse in Kukaj.

The Chera Hiking team.

The first kilometres followed a rough gravel road.

The day was far from perfect, but mountains would lose part of their charm if every day brought cloudless skies.

For much of the morning, the Valbonë River was our constant companion on the way to Lake Koman.

We arrived at the ferry terminal, only to discover that the water level was too low for departures from the usual dock. We were redirected to an alternative boarding point further along the reservoir.

The condition of the road convinced many drivers to turn around rather than attempt the descent to the ferry.

Nada wisely decided to walk down to the ferry, while a helpful employee assisted us in getting the motorcycles safely down the rough access road.

The rough access road failed to claim any casualties. Blue Horse and Thunder reached the ferry unscathed.

Ready for one of the most scenic ferry crossings in the Balkans.

Lake Koman was created after the damming of the Drin River as part of Albania's largest hydroelectric system.

The waters of Lake Koman power the Koman Hydroelectric Power Station, which has an installed capacity of 600 MW and produces roughly 2.0-2.5 TWh of electricity annually. For comparison, Slovenia's Krško Nuclear Power Plant has an installed capacity of about 700 MW but generates around 5-6 TWh per year thanks to its near-continuous operation. Lake Koman is part of the Drin hydropower cascade. Together, the Fierza, Koman and Vau i Dejës power plants have an installed capacity of approximately 1,350 MW and produce around 4.5-5.0 TWh of electricity annually, forming the backbone of Albania's electricity supply.

The Lake Koman Ferry operates daily on the lake from Koman to Fierzë. The journey takes about two and a half hours.

Around every bend, another hidden bay and another wall of limestone cliffs appeared.

What was once a river valley is now a reservoir stretching deep into the mountains.

Stretching for approximately 34 kilometres through a series of narrow gorges, the lake covers about 13 km² and reaches depths of up to 34 metres. Although typically only around 400 metres wide, some sections narrow to barely 50 metres between the canyon walls.

At the western end of Lake Koman stands the 115-metre-high Koman Dam, completed in 1988.

After leaving the ferry, the road immediately passed through a tunnel before crossing to the left bank of the Drin.

Below Koman, the Drin does not remain free-flowing for long as it enters the waters of the Vau i Dejës Reservoir.

The future looks promising for this road. The present, unfortunately, remains a construction site.

Besides producing electricity, the reservoirs of the Drin River are also important fishing waters.

Hidden beneath the waters of the Vau i Dejës Reservoir lie the remains of medieval Sarda, once a fortified town with twelve towers and fourteen churches. Today, only the upper parts survive on Shurdhah Island.