Albania's Tower Trail lets walkers sleep in restored stone tower houses

Travellers looking for a corner of Albania largely untouched by tourism now have a new option: the Tower Trail, a long-distance walking route developed by the Albanian Agritourism Association. The trail links restored traditional stone tower houses, known as kullas, that are opening their doors as guesthouses in the country's north-east.

Key facts

• Route: more than 100 miles through the Mirdita, Mat, Bulqiza and Dibra regions of north-eastern Albania
• Duration: designed to be walked with a guide over nine days
• Terrain: traditional villages, high plains, forests and river valleys
• Accommodation: guesthouses, farms and restored kullas
• Extras: free hiking maps and regional history from Infokulla, a museum and cultural centre in Rubik
• Planned: future cycling and 4x4 routes

What is the Tower Trail?

It is a long-distance trail through some of the least visited areas of north-eastern Albania, built around the region's fortified stone tower houses. The route is intended to be walked with a guide over nine days, passing through traditional villages, high plains, forests and river valleys. Stays in guesthouses, farms and kullas are part of the experience, connecting walkers with the cultural heritage of an area where tourism has been slow to arrive.

How demanding is the walk?

Some stages are long and can easily be split into two days, or shortened with a car transfer. Much of the route follows old roads through hilly karst terrain dotted with caves, chestnut trees and cornfields. Trail markings are still sporadic and some bushwalking off the marked path is required, so the route is designed to be walked with a guide.

What is a kulla?

The kulla is a traditional stone tower house found across northern Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Built from limestone and wood from the surrounding mountains by skilled craftsmen, these houses once protected families during conflict and sheltered travellers on trade routes. Early versions were made to withstand harsh weather as well as the 15th-century Ottoman invasion and frequent tribal disputes; many more date from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Under Albania's communist regime, from 1944 until 1991, many families had their kullas confiscated and found them in disrepair when they reclaimed them. Many now sit empty following the move of rural Albanians to the cities in the 1990s and 2000s.

Where can visitors stay?

One example is Kulla Hupi in the hillside village of Dushaj, which opened as a guesthouse in 2021. Its owner, Luli Hupi, restored the house room by room after years working in a nearby mine. He works with more than 10 local families who supply the restaurant's meat, cheese, honey and bread, and who also guide hiking, horseback riding excursions and cooking classes. He deliberately keeps guest numbers low, with 10 restaurant tables and bookings expected about a month ahead. Breakfast at Kulla Loci in the village of Lufaj is described as simple and hearty, with fresh eggs, pancakes, salad and local cheeses.

What this means for travellers

Walkers should plan for a guided, multi-day trip rather than an independent day hike, allow extra time on the longer stages, and book accommodation well in advance where guesthouses keep numbers small. The Albanian Agritourism Association hopes the trail will encourage more local families to open their kullas or farms to visitors.

The association has future plans for cycling and 4x4 routes along the trail. No start date for those additions has been announced.