Berat to Kelcyrë

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Berat to Këlcyra

Summary: The road leads through a beautiful part of central south Albania, offering grand views towards Tomorri and many more mountains and villages. It is a highlight of any moderate 4-wheeling in Albania, connecting major towns in different regions.

We had driven the road from Këlcyra to Berat several years ago, shortly after having acquired our 4 wheels in Albania. We were misled by the maps that showed this road as a major highway - and spent several hours more on the road than anticipated. We believe that many enthusiasts are routinely becoming victims to this misinformation.

50,000 kilometer on Albanian roads and 4 years later, we went again, this time from Berat to Këlcyra. Compared to many other travails, the road is generally not too bad. However, in May 2013, erosion may render the road impassable after a few more heavy rains in two spots between Tërpan and Buzë, unless serious repair work is done.

We gave it a moderate rating, mainly on account of its length, and some spare time should be planned in case of delays.

Maximum altitude:	934 meter
Minimum altitude:	54 meter
Cumulative height:	1458 meter
Cumulative length:	70 kilometer
Difficulty	moderate
Time:	5 hours
Date of this record	May 2013
Download GPS info:	Berat to Këlcyra

General location and approach: From Berat to Këlcyra or vice versa. The drive starts at the bridge over the Osumi, in Berat.

Other Information: In case of problems or delays, an escape is possible from Buzë (about the midpoint between Berat and Këlcyra) to Memaliaj, near Tepelene. The last 15 kilometer from Dicnica to Këlcyra are on very good dirt road, which we expect to be soon covered with asphalt.

Tomorri Mountain from the road Berat-Tërpan. The summit on the left is Cuka Partizan, and only accessible by hikers and climbers (see separate trail on this site). The lower southern summit to the right has a Bektashi temple on its top, and can be reached by car.

Mali i Shpiragut from the Berat-Tërpan road. For a description of a hike to its summit, see the separate trail on this site.

The southern summit of Tomorri mountain. When the snow is gone, one may drive to the summit by car.

Tomorri Mountain, after having passed the village of Tërpan.

Ostrovice Mountain, seen from the Tërpan - Buzë road. In our view, Ostrovice is among the mountains of southern Albania most difficult to reach. A climb to its summit is a truly rewarding experience. See separate trail on this site.

Kendervice Mountain, to the west of the Berat - Këlcyra road. Kendervice has a very high prominence, meaning that you have to descend quite low before being able to climb a peak that is higher than Kendervice itself. See separate trail on this site for a climb of Kendervice.

Mali i Trebeshines (left) and Mali i Shndellise (right) from Buzë.

GPS and trailmaps: The map and trailinformation is generated by , based on GPS information collected from the actual hike. Waypoints can be downloaded to a GPS device from Wikiloc. If necessary, use GPSBabel to convert GPS data to different formats. For more hike descriptions by Palmtreetreeproduction, browse this website or visit Wikiloc and search for "Palmtreeproduction". You may also find nearby trails from other authors.

Google Earth: You may also view the trail in 3D when viewing it in Google Earth, which you need to have installed on your computer. The 3D perspective allows a good preview of gradients, steepness, possible views and is generally helpful when planning a trip.