Balkans Cycling Adventure – BCA. Cycle Day 13: Shkodër, Albania to Virpazar, Montenegro. 57km 957vm. Connal Tours European Cycling Tour 2024. Connal Kit for all your cycle touring clothing.
First section was lakeside and through the last Albanian villages. It was a very hazy day so images not showing it to its full glory. We could only just make out the mountains on the other side of the lake. The precursor to rain we were told.
The route out of Albania turned into a rocky, overgrown walking path when the road disappeared. We were given hope when we met a Dutch cyclist coming the other way. He assured us the road would reappear at the border. Then a road came into sight – really weird – 2 lane, well made with centre lines, ended where we emerged from the scrub, and we figured the border was right here at the end of this road. This perfect road only lasted for about 1km then reverted to a narrow steep backroad servicing the first of the Montenegrin villages. No border checks at all. They’ll still have us registered in Albania! Albania has been fun and beautiful. Didn’t really know what to expect. The people were genuinely kind and helpful.
Then it was along a “panoramic route” and that it was. 3 big climbs, views down the cliff to Lake Shkoder, hairpin bends, it had it all. I would say the most beautiful (scenically) ride I’ve ever been on. Fortunately, not much traffic as we tended to hug the rock wall (on our left) and not the right side of the road where we should have been. Some lovely cool forest sections. The advantage of cycling roads like these – we can stop wherever we want to admire/photograph the view, we could also pull over every time there was traffic in either direction. Safest thing to do as the road was so narrow and generally the downhill fall was on our side. The hillsides were covered in vegetation, a lot of it in flower. Evidence of cherries, figs, mulberries crushed on the road. None in our reach. Pomegranates seem to grow wild. Finally making our way down to the small village of Virpazar, situated to the northern end of Lake Shkodra. The largest lake in Southern Europe. Amazingly beautiful day but a tough one.
Cycle Day 13 of 45 over 10 weeks cycle touring covering over 2400km in a loop circuit of the West Balkans in Europe through 8 countries. Connal Kit for all your cycling touring clothing. Connal Tours European Cycling Tour 2024. connalkit.com.au 18May2024.
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