Building bridges through nature: The EU-funded trail linking Albania and North Macedonia

Mountain meadows full of flowers, wild blueberries, mountain tea and various medicinal plants stretch across the peak of Hinoskë in Dibër, at almost 2,000 metres above sea level. All the scents blend together to offer a unique taste of nature in the fresh air of alpine pastures.

A group of mountain bikers follows the cross-border trail connecting Albania and North Macedonia through tourism. They ride along bike paths built in a natural way that respects biodiversity, cycling among flowers and wild plants, surrounded by pine forests and pastures, in a mountainous area covered by snow for several months each year.

EU in Albania

“No part of the trail was built from scratch. In Albania, in every mountain and village, there is a path connecting the village to the mountain, due to our strong culture of livestock farming. Livestock create trails from the village to the pasture, whether near the village or high in the mountains. We used these paths, working carefully without using heavy machinery,” says tour guide Orgest Noka, who worked with the EU-supported project ‘Cross-border Biking: Next Level Adventure Tourism in Mavrovo-Rostushe and Dibër’.

EU in Albania

The initiative provided digital maps, construction work, signage and markings for the 40 km trail, 20 km in Albania and 20 km in North Macedonia. On the Albanian side, the trail passes through villages with scenic views and traditional architecture, including Rabdishtë, Ilnicë, Melan, Pejç, Hotesh, Arapi i Epërm and Katundi i Ri. Each village has its own signposts showing distances, maps, altitude and coordinates, with 20 signposts and 40 information boards installed in total. Many of these villages feature old stone houses, offering visitors cinematic views shaped over generations by local craftsmanship.

“From these trails, the longest uninterrupted downhill section is 6–7 km. It has quite a significant elevation difference, 1,200 metres. In this sport, elevation difference plays a major role, both in understanding the average slope of the trail and in measuring the fun factor. When you know the average slope, based on your ability, you can tell whether it’s a trail you can handle easily, one that will push your limits, or one that might exhaust you. The greater the elevation difference, the more appealing it is,” explains Noka, a professional mountain biking guide.

EU in Albania

Although mountain bikers seek adrenaline, he always advises them not to exceed their limits, taking into account the area and the time required to reach medical assistance in case of injury. “There’s a saying among bikers: the level of satisfaction of a mountain biker is measured by the number of flies on his teeth. The happier he is, the more he smiles, and as he rides quickly and joyfully, his teeth fill with flies,” he says with a laugh.

According to Noka, the greatest pleasure comes when bikers reach a state of flow, when they are in perfect sync with the trail, not pushing too hard to the point of danger, but not going so slowly that they lose excitement. “When you’re in the flow state, you achieve maximum satisfaction, and by the end of the trail, you’re happy because you’re not even tired,” he adds.

EU in Albania

Visitors and tourists can choose to ride the trail from any village, or explore the area off-road with 4x4 vehicles. As the trail is long and time-consuming, many seek accommodation and restaurants along the way, encouraging locals to offer services and revive the area. “They usually stay overnight and enjoy more than one meal. Another highly demanded service for the longer trails starting from the Hinoskë Mountains is the shuttle, a taxi service for bicycles. When the trails are long and cyclists prefer going downhill rather than pedalling uphill, they use taxis to reach the peak. It’s off-road, but that makes it unique, it’s another experience in itself,” says Noka.

While pedalling, bikers can’t fully take in the stunning views of the hills, valleys, mountains and meadows. Their focus is on the trail, their breathing, the challenge, the fatigue, the pits, stones, roots and trees. But at every stop to recharge, the scenery, the villages and the mountains rekindle their connection with nature. Some rediscover themselves; others find an authentic area to revisit, and together they help create jobs and opportunities for local residents, linking two countries.

“Everyone discovers and enjoys an area where almost 1,000 species of flowers grow naturally in our mountains,” says Noka.

Background Information

Cross-border Biking: Next Level Adventure Tourism in Mavrovo-Rostushe & Dibër is an EU-funded project aimed at further developing the adventure tourism sector in the Mavrovo-Rostushe and Dibër cross-border area. The project focuses on creating new active tourism products and increasing the number of domestic and international visitors. The initiative has worked to increase local employment by improving tourism services and creating business opportunities for service providers and tour operators in both countries, while promoting the region as a single adventure destination for active tourism. By improving economic opportunities and infrastructure, and by training guesthouse owners, accommodation providers, bike guides and trail builders, the project has enhanced local knowledge through active participation in training and capacity building for sustainable tourism development.