I never tire of admiring Albania’s natural beauty. We have been living here for a year now, but no, it hasn’t become boring or mundane. And perhaps the most beautiful place in Albania is located in the north of the country, just 2 hours from Shkoder.
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Description
Theth, also known as Thes, Ses, Theti, or Thethi (these are all names for the same village), is often called the Albanian Alps. It is a very small village in northern Albania, almost on the border with Kosovo. Theth is surrounded by mountains—insanely beautiful mountains—which have made it so famous. In recent years, Albania has been developing its tourism, so they built an excellent road to Theth that you can easily drive even in a convertible. Additionally, they have constructed over 80 km of trails for tourists in the surrounding area. There is plenty to see here.
Theth is located at an altitude of 750–950 meters and is surrounded on all sides by mountains over 2,000 meters high.
A Bit of History
There isn’t much to tell about the history of Theth. According to Wikipedia, remains of Paleolithic humans were found here. The first written mentions date back to the 17th century. It is believed that people came here from Shkoder during the Ottoman conquest of Albania to preserve their culture and religion. People lived very isolated lives, as there were no roads here until the 20th century. The communists made some contributions to life in Theth; they built a road and even established a sanatorium for the Albanian people in the 1980s.
Today, Theth is very popular with tourists. Hundreds of people from all over the world visit daily in the summer, but in winter, the village remains isolated. Only a few dozen families live in Theth year-round.
How to Get There
As mentioned above, the road from Shkoder to Theth was fully paved in 2022, leading to an even greater influx of tourists.
By Car
The easiest way to reach Theth is by your own car. This time we rented a convertible and really enjoyed the road and the car. The convertible made it to Theth without any issues. While there used to be gravel and potholes, there is now beautiful new asphalt. The only catch is that the road is very narrow, so speeds are low. You need to slow down at every mountain turn to pass oncoming traffic safely.
In Albania, as in Europe, fuel is quite expensive. A liter of diesel or gasoline costs 160–170 Lek. We spent 4,000 Lek to drive this beauty from Durrës to Theth and back. In my opinion, it was quite affordable.
Car rentals in Albania depend on the season and the day of the week. Naturally, prices are highest on summer weekends. However, in winter on weekdays, you can rent a car starting from 10 Euros.
There are many different car rental companies in Albania, but we are wary of hidden fees and other tricks from dishonest providers, so we always rent through the Localrent service.
By Public Transport
There are excursions to Theth with various pricing plans. Some simply organize transport and accommodation, while others include a guide for the waterfall or the Blue Eye.
A ticket from Shkoder to Theth or vice versa costs 12 Euros, and you can buy it here.
Minibuses from Shkoder to Theth depart at 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM, and return at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
Travel time is 2 hours.
There is also a bus from Tirana to Theth, costing 30 Euros.
From Theth, the minibus departs at 11:00 AM; from Tirana to Theth, it departs at 5:30 AM and 10:30 AM.
Travel time is 3.5–4 hours.
It is better to take motion sickness pills with you.
In short, from April to October, there are plenty of buses, and you can easily reach Theth even without a car rental.
On Foot
Yes, this option is also viable. A very popular route to Theth is from Valbona. The hike is about 10 km and takes 6–8 hours. Generally, the most common route is:
From Tirana to Lake Koman -> board a ferry and cross the lake -> the ferry takes you to Fierze -> take a minibus to Valbona -> spend a few days in Valbona -> hike to Theth -> take a minibus from Theth to Shkoder or directly to Tirana.
A ferry ticket costs 20 Euros.
Buy tickets here.
Where to Stay and Eat
As I mentioned, Theth is a very small village, but it has everything needed for tourism. Since the good road was completed in 2022, the number of great hotels has been growing rapidly.
I would particularly like to highlight Marashi Villas. These are new cottages built in 2025. They are beautiful two-story houses with their own jacuzzi on the balcony and a view of the river. By the way, the stars in Theth are brighter at night than in other places. So, lying in a jacuzzi and looking at the stars will be an amazing experience.
We, on the other hand, stayed in the most affordable option, and we liked it. The cheapest guesthouses are simply located in the homes of local residents. It is amazing that these houses have existed for several centuries; the stairs have a special melody when you climb to your room, and the bed linens and rugs often have handmade embroidery.
Theth has almost everything you might need during a few days’ stay. There are 2 small shops, but prices are noticeably higher than in other Albanian cities. Fruit and vegetables are almost non-existent, so it’s better to bring them with you.
There are a huge number of cafes and restaurants. While seafood dominates in the rest of Albania, here they mostly cook meat and amazing sausages.
Bar&Grill & Music Waterfall
A small but extremely beautiful cafe on the outskirts of the village, on the way to the Blue Eye and the waterfall. Its advantage over other cafes is that it’s located right by the river; the tables are at different levels, so you can sit right by the water or even over it. Prices are very reasonable.
Location: Bar&Grill & Music Waterfall
French fries: 350 Lek
Cevapi (5 pcs): 500 Lek
Fresh vegetable salad: 300 Lek
Beer 0.5L: 350 Lek
GURRA FAMILY RESTAURANT
I already mentioned that they mostly serve meat in Theth—lots of meat. For us, this was unusual as we were used to Albanian seafood. Here, we ordered a meat dish expecting a couple of pieces and received nearly a whole basin. I want to highlight this restaurant for its amazing service—the waiters are not only flawless but have a great sense of humor. The meat is also delicious.
Location: GURRA FAMILY RESTAURANT
What to See
Naturally, people come to Theth for nature. There are over 80 km of trails through forests, leading to waterfalls, mountain rivers, and viewpoints. We were only here for 1.5 days, so we planned to visit only the most famous locations:
- Grunas Waterfall
- The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër)
You could also hike part of the way toward Valbona, where there is a great viewpoint, but we didn’t have time.
Grunas Waterfall
Grunas Waterfall is a very accessible location for any tourist. I believe both children and elderly tourists can reach it without problems. Incidentally, there are many elderly foreigners in Theth—really elderly. Grandmas and grandpas around 80 years old walk the trails with canes to see the canyons and waterfalls.
Location: Waterfall Grunas
The distance from Theth to Grunas Waterfall is only 3 kilometers, or about an hour’s walk. Half of the path is flat, while the second part requires climbing at a 45-degree angle to reach the waterfall itself. Some recommend seeing the waterfall on the way to the Blue Eye, but I wouldn’t advise doing that.
The path to the waterfall isn’t long, but you still get a bit tired. We arrived in Theth after lunch, had a snack, and hiked to the waterfall. It was a perfect plan.
The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër)
There are two “Blue Eyes” in Albania: one near Saranda and the second here. I talked about the first one in my complete guide to Albania.
The Blue Eye in Theth and the path leading to it are why tourists come here; it is the jewel of Albania, with otherworldly landscapes. The journey to the Blue Eye is just as magnificent as the location itself.
Location: Syri i Kaltër Theth
You can reach the Blue Eye from Theth either on foot or by car. The road to the Blue Eye is now just as good as the road to Theth.
However, the hiking trail is incredibly beautiful, with otherworldly landscapes. Naturally, we went on foot. Here is how it works:
- You can drive from Theth to the start of the trail leading to the Blue Eye. From there, you have to walk another 2 kilometers. Parking cost: 200 Lek.
- You can walk directly from Theth.
We left at 11:00 AM and returned to Theth at 8:00 PM, just at sunset. We walked about 28,000 steps (23 km), but it was 100% worth it. Moreover, the path to the Blue Eye is beautiful and can be turned into a quest when traveling with a child: looking for trail markers, jumping over rocks to keep your feet dry, or crossing a dilapidated bridge—all while enjoying the views of the canyon and its sheer walls.
There are 3 main points at the Blue Eye:
- The entrance to the Blue Eye trail. There is a car park and a small complex of hotels and restaurants here. It’s very crowded, so we didn’t even stop.
Parking at the Blue Eye trail start. - Point number 2. Just a few minutes from the parking lot. Amazing rock formations with a mountain river running through them. Natural “jacuzzis” have formed in the rocks, though the water temperature is about 15 degrees. If you don’t have the strength to reach the Blue Eye itself, you can just stop here. This is where the most famous photos found on every excursion brochure are taken. I think I liked this spot the most.
The Blue Eye, Albania. 
Natural whirlpool baths have formed in the canyon. - The Blue Eye itself. From the parking lot, it’s only a 2 km walk to the waterfall and the Blue Eye. The natural beauty of this area is staggering. If you have a choice of when to come here, definitely pick summer. Perhaps the walk is easier in spring because the sun isn’t as grueling, but the water is only 10-15 degrees. It is an incomparable thrill to refresh yourself in this emerald water after such a long trek.
Here it is—the Blue Eye. The spot where the waterfall has carved out such a deep pool.
Video
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