Kukës

Kukës is a small town in northeastern Albania, last one to the Kosovo border.

Understand
Kukës is the only town in the world that has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. It received this honour in 2000 for receiving hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Kosovo War.

By bus


There is a regular bus service from Tirana, Peshkopi, and Bajram Curri.

The easiest way to get to Kukës is from Tirana, where buses run every hour from 06:00 until 19:00. There are also frequent though irregular furgons.

Kukës is by the A1 highway connecting Pristina and Tirana, so you can arrive by bus from that direction and Prizren.

A very helpful webpage to find connections is Gjirafa.

By car
Access to Kukës is made via several entry points:


 * A1 connects Kukës with Tirana and Pristina (toll road).
 * SH23 connects Kukës with Krumë, Bajram Curri towards the north and also Gjakova.
 * SH31 connects Kukës with Peshkopi towards the south and also Debar.
 * SH26 connects Kukës with Shishtavec where there is another border crossing to Restelice and then from there you can reach Mavrovo.
 * SH5 is another alternative coming in Kukës via Pukë for more scenic travel.

On foot
Streets have adequate tiled pavements, especially in the city centre. However, they are frequently uneven and potholed, and walking is further made difficult by parked cars, street vendors and cafes. Except for areas in the very centre, pavements rarely have slopes for wheelchair access or designated lanes for bicycle riders. Pedestrian crossings are numerous and are relatively respected by drivers.

By taxi
Taxis are available taking Albanian lek and euro, but agree the price before you get in.

By rental car
Renting a car is possible, but not necessarily a good idea if you are not used to driving here. Be prepared for disorganized traffic.















See

 * The reservoir on 3 sides of Kukës is clear turquoise in colour. The bridges are worth seeing too.Shkalla e Keqe 2.jpg
 * Mali i Gjallicës Refleksion..JPG
 * Autumn in Kukës.jpg
 * Autumn in Kukës.jpg
 * Autumn in Kukës.jpg
 * Autumn in Kukës.jpg
 * Autumn in Kukës.jpg
 * Autumn in Kukës.jpg
 * Autumn in Kukës.jpg



Play Pool

 * The locals love to shoot pool in various local establishments found along the Rruga Xhamia off the main road.

Swim

 * Swimming in the reservoir in the summer heatwave days is the local way to cool off.
 * There are rafting opportunities to the south of Kukës in the Drin run.

Events

 * Summer Day is celebrated throughout the region on March 14
 * Saint George's Day is celebrated in the first half of May, which celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of the spring season.
 * Runa is celebrated in Malzi municipality on July 1 and is a pagan holiday where people pray for the power of the mountain.
 * Gjallica is celebrated on the first Thursday of August and is a pagan holiday related to the protection of the mountain of Gjallica.
 * Shearing, in the area of Terthore, on the second Thursday of September. It is a festival associated with sheep shearing.
 * Dunmet is celebrated in Surroj on September 20 and is a holiday related to the return of cattle to family farms from summer pastures to mountain plateaus.

Geocaching
There are some interesting caches around this town to discover.

Buy

 * Local Kukës produced raki kumbull (plum raki) and raki rrushi (grape raki) are good and available reasonably priced at the small supermarket beneath Bar Amerika on the street level.

Eat
On Rruga Dituria there are various offering among other things the local meatballs or roast chicken in buns and halal pizza.







Connect
See Albania. There is a Vodafone shop near where the furgons arrive and depart.



Go next
Albania:
 * Shishtavec – A village in Kukës County in eastern Albania that represents rich unique folklore, endless varieties of customs, traditions, stories, songs, legends and inspiring landscape.


 * Albanian Alps – The main city of the area is Bajram Curri, the villages of Thethi, Valbonë and Kelmend are the main tourist destinations.
 * Shkodra – The cultural center of northern Albania and Albanian Catholics.
 * Tirana – The capital of Albania.

Kosovo:
 * Prizren – Ottoman-era town in Kosovo with Albanian, Serbian and Byzantine heritage.
 * Gjakova – Take the Bajram Curri bound minivans which pass by Gjakova. This town has the largest Ottoman-era bazaar in the Balkans.
 * Pristina – The capital of Kosovo.