After a few days in the South of Albania, we decided to move north, direction Theth. We took the coastal route, and planned for this pass which has some fame for the views it offers. In addition, at the top of the pass one finds the Llogara National Park, which to me suggested some unspoiled forests.

I was quite disappointed to see the concept of a "National Park" has a quite different meaning in Albania than I had in mind: in any turn of the road, you find some horeca-related building of questionable aesthetic value. "National Park" thus seems a designation that invites people with an entrepeneurial mindset to "develop" the area at the cost of the landscape and nature - something we observed elsewhere as well. (However I dislike such developments, the process has to be understood in the light of the recent history of Albania, and it does point towards the resilient minset of the Albanian people.) I was quite disappointed to see such development, which explains why I can't show many photos here... All I have is a few photos of plants growing along the road, taken during a short break to let the engine of the van cool down.