Ishulli Franc Josef
Ishulli Franc Josef (Franz Joseph Island) lies at the mouth of the Buna near Velipojë and is named after the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph. A listed natural monument within a protected ecosystem, it suits those after quiet, untouched scenery.
Velipojë · Grykëderdhja e Bunës, ShkodërTrip outside the city
Check opening hours, access and prices before setting off.
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Lake Shkodër (Liqeni i Shkodrës), shared with Montenegro, is the largest lake in the Balkans at around 370 km², about 149 km² of it in Albania. With the Buna River, the Albanian side is a Ramsar wetland; carp and eel live in its waters and small islands shelter birds. Shirokë and Zogaj have lakeside food and rooms.
Theth is a mountain village in the Shalë unit of Shkodër municipality, set in the Theth valley of the Albanian Alps and reached by a road over the Tërthore Pass. It keeps a rare lock-in tower (Kulla e Ngujimit), where men caught in blood feuds sheltered under the Kanun, and a stone Catholic church built in 1892.
The Buna leaves Lake Shkodër at the edge of the city and runs to the Adriatic, marking the border with Montenegro along its lower course. It lies on one of Europe’s main bird migration routes, so its banks draw birdwatchers.
Velipojë’s beach runs for about 14 km near the mouth of the Buna on the Adriatic, roughly 30 km from Shkodër. Its fine, dark sand and the protected natural areas around it make for an easy day trip to the sea from the city.
Theth National Park covers a stretch of the Albanian Alps, from high peaks down to the Theth river, and includes Theth village, a protected Historic Centre. This is walking country, so plan transport and check the weather before leaving Shkodër.
The Grunas waterfall, a protected natural monument, drops about 25 metres and is fed by springs in the rock and melting snow. It is roughly a 30-minute walk from Theth village, so it fits easily into a day in Theth.
