Prokletije
Encyclopedia
Prokletije or Albanian Alps is a mountain range in the Balkans
that extends from northern Albania
, to southwestern Serbia
and eastern Montenegro
. Its highest point, Jezercë
in Albania at 2694 m (8,839 ft), is the tallest peak in the entire Dinaric Alps
. Other peaks include Đeravica in Kosovo at 2656 m (8,714 ft).
Both the highest peak in Montenegro, Zla Kolata
at 2,534m and Kosovo, Đeravica at 2,656m are located here. The highest peak in Albania though is Mount Korab
which is 2764 m (9,068 ft) high and is located in the east of the country on the border with Macedonia
.
The southernmost glaciers in Europe were recently discovered in the Albanian part of the range. The regional economy is based mainly on agriculture, immigrant remittances and tourism.
bertiscae, Crepis
bertiscae, Iris
bertiscae.
In Montenegrin/Serbian and Albanian, the name means "cursed mountains" ("Accursed mountains"), possibly because they are perceived as unsurmountable and wild. Albanians also call it Alpet Shqiptare, meaning 'Albanian Alps'.
, between 42°45' and 42°15' N in the mediterranean zone of the western Balkan Peninsula. The southern boundary of the Prokletije is from the river Drin
and its tributary Valbona
. In a broader sense the Prokletije also includes the mountain ranges to Mitrovica
with Hajla and Mokna massifs of Prokletije. Other authors, however, see the river Lim as the northern boundary of the geological Prokletije.
The Kalktafel of Prokletije is deeply incised with valleys in a variety of powerful rock blocks cut by the mountains north of Përroi i Thatë, the Biga e Gimajive south of it, the Jezerca block between Shala and Valbona valley, the massif of the Maja e Hekurave, the plateau of the Maja e Kolats north of Valbona or Shkëlzen northeast of Valbona. The valleys were formed by ice-age glaciers pronounced trough valleys formed by very steep walls and hollows on the top section with up to 1000 meters distinguish. The south wall of the Maja Harapit
is 800 meters making it the highest rock face of the Balkan Peninsula.
The Prokletije is ethnographically and sociologically diverse due to many tribes living in the region as sheep herders. Names of various tribes - Hoti
, Gruda, Kelmendi
, Kastrati, Dukagjini, Shkreli, Shala, Nikaj, Krasniqi, Gashi and Rugova - refer to their geographical habitats within the range.
The Prokletije mountain range is located in the west of the Balkans
. It occupies the north of Albania, southwest of Kosovo and the east of Montenegro. It is a subrange or part of the 1000 km (621 mi) long Dinaric Alps
. The Prokletije is a typical high mountain range with a pronounced steep topography and glacial features. Absolute relief energies of 1800m found in the Valbona, Grbaja and Ropojani and Cijevna Valley, overhanging walls and pointed ridges like pointed peaks are typical of the western and central Prokletije, however in the eastern mountainous part the mountains are less rugged prior to milder forms of relief. For the strong Pleistocene glaciation also Kartreppen and trough valleys are characteristic. The Prokletije is a large, rugged, pathless and hardly passable mountain range stretching from Skadar lake in the north-eastern direction over Cijevna river
area, then slightly curving to the east in direction of Đeravica summit above Metohija (450m) basin in Kosovo. From here, geomorpohologically the Prokletije turn northwards over the Bogićevića massif and Čakor pass, and continue with another row of mountains finally finishing with the Suva Planina (1,750 m) massif, that encircles Metohija basin from north and north-west and finish in the area of upper Ibar
river valley near the city of Kosovska Mitrovica
.
The Prokletije range was formed by the folding actions of the African Plate
which lies under the European one. Nowhere in the Balkans have glaciers left so much evidence of erosion. After the Alps
these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet
. They have very steep slopes made out of limestone and are the most karstic mountains in the Balkans. The Prokletije range one of the rare mountain ranges in Europe which has not been explored entirely. It is mostly a limestone built chain except its eastern and south-eastern parts, which have slate rock around its base. Most of the area was formed by glacial influences with karstic areas in the western parts of the Group. Prokletije form the southernmost end of Dinaric mountain chain. In this area the Prokletije run almost parallel with the Šar Mountains system in Macedonia
, Albania and Kosovo. This tectonic crash has produced an unusual zig-zag shape of Prokletije range, and also their curving from the dominant Dinaric northwestern - southeastern direction toward the north-eastern one. In its western and central part of the range the composition of the mountains is of mainly uniform and Mesozoic
limestones and dolomites of the Jurassic and Cretaceous
ages. In the eastern Prokletije there is found in addition to limestone and dolomite series late Palaeozoic and Triassic periods, medium-Triassic
volcanic rocks and Jurassic metamorphic rocks .
Although there are some serious scientific searchings that give Prokletije a status of a separate mountain chain and not a part of Dinaric chain, in most other ways this chain is still considered as the highest of all Dinaric areas, connected with Dinaric mountain chain in more ways as are geology, unbroken morphological unit and even ethnologically.
group at 2,407 m, Bogićevica
group at 2,533 m, Horolac group at 2,199 m, Kershi Kocaj group at 2,399 m, Maja e Zezë group at 2,400 m, Lumbardhit group at 2,52 2m, Kopranik
group at 2,460 m, Strellc group at 2,377 m, Đeravica group at 2,656 m, Junik
group at 2,296 m, Starac-Qokorr group 2,426 m, Hajla
group at 2,403 m, Stedim-Ahmica group at 2,272 m, Zleb-Rusulija group at 2,382 m, Mokna group at 2,155 m and finally the Suva Planina group at 1,750 m.
. It is situated in Kosovo and is 25 km (16 mi) long from the border with Montenegro up to the city of Peć
and is 1000 m (3,281 ft) deep. It consists of very steep vertical mountain slopes on both sides. Valleys common on lower altitudes are also found on alpine level creating mountain passes and valley troughs. The most known valley to be located high up on mountains is 'Buni Jezerce' in Albania. Buni Jezerce means Valley of the Lakes and contains 6 small glacial lakes the biggest of whom is Big lake of Buni Jezerce
.
Canyons in Prokletije
Valleys in Prokletije
at the Drin confluence. The southern and eastern slopes of Prokletije fall into the latter category.
On the northern borders the Tara and Lim have their origins, two major sources of the Dinaric river system. The Vërmosh later Lim said river rises in the northwest Gebrigsteil in Mntenegro close to the border with Albania. As a tributary of the Drina
he drains in to the Danube
and flows into the Black sea
. The Lim flows through the Plav Lake. The Ibar
, which originates on the slopes of the Hajla
, takes a similar route into the Danube via the Morava in Serbia.
The southern Prokletije by the inter penetration, the Drin
dominates. It drains mosts of the rages with its tributaries and when measured with the source of the White Drin in Radavc down to the mouth of the Drin near Lezha, it is 335 km long. However not all the rivers lows near or parallel to the Prokletije. Drin tributaries include the Valbona
which drains into the Adriatic Sea
. The Valbona takes Gashi River on as an eastern tributary. To the west of the mountains is the Cijevna. The Cijevna drains the northwestern part of the Montenegrin-Albanian border area to the Adriatic. Because of the Karestnatur Prokletije water levels fluctuate due to the karst hydrological drought which is characterized strongly. some rivers or streams such as Përroi i Thatë in Albania dry out completely during the summer droughts. Although the Pećka Bistrica
in Kosovo is short it is very powerful and has carved the Rugova Canyon
which is up to 25 km (16 mi) long and 1000 m (3,281 ft) deep.
There are about 20 small alpine lakes of glacial origin in the Prokletije. A high accumulation of lakes includes the Bogiçevica border area between Kosovo and Albania and the Buni i Jezercë trough near the Jezerca and Bojs peaks. Some lakes such as Liqenat Lake
in Kosovo and Hrid Lake in Montenegro have been transferred into touristic areas because of their ideal locations and beautiful scenery.
Hrid lake today is a clear example of well preserved glacial relief. In the Pleistocene
period (1.8-0.01 million y.a.) there a was collecting area for ice that fell down over more steps from surrounding peaks, dragging with it heterogeneous material. Precipitatins had washed away smaller rocks, but larger ones still remained on the south-western and western lake shore. The lake is 295meters long, 110m wide and around 5 meters deep, in average. Beside precipitations it receives water from more sources located near its shores.
The largest lake is Lake Plav
in Montenegro. The lake lies on an altitude of 906m above sea level in the Plav valley, nestled between Prokletije and Visitor
range. The surface area of Lake Plav is 1.99km2 and extends north-south for some 2,160m.
Waterfalls are also found in some parts of the range. The White Drin Waterfall in Kosovo is a large waterfall reaching a height of 25 m (82 ft). Because it is not far from the city of Peć
it is not hard to get there and it is visited by many visitors. The Grunas Waterfall in Albania is 30 m (98 ft) in height and is located in the Thethi National Park. The 'Ali Pasha' natural springs in Montenegro near the town of Gusinje
are the premium attraction for the town.
Peaks over 2500 m (8,202 ft)
Peaks over 2400 m (7,874 ft)
Peaks under 2400 m (7,874 ft)
. Detailed geomorphological mapping was used to reconstruct the positions of former glaciers. The longest glacier of Ropojana had a length of 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) and surface of 20 square kilometre; others include Valbona glacier at 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) and 10.5 square kilometre), Grbaja Glacier at 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) and 6.7 square kilometre and Bogićevića Glacier at 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) and6.9 square kilometre. In addition, about 20 small lakes of glacial origin are found, among them the lake group Buni i Jezerce to the north side of Jezerca, the Ridsko Lake, Lake Bukumisko and Rikavacko Lake.
A recent report from geographers at the University of Manchester
details the discovery of four previously unknown glaciers in the Albanian part of the Prokletije range at 1980–2100 m altitude, in the area close to Maja e Jezerces. The glaciers, the largest of which is currently the size of six football pitches, vary in size every year according to the amount of winter snowfall and temperatures during the following summer. Their average total surface area is 5 hectare. Glacier-climate modeling suggests that these glaciers require annual accumulation of between 4137 millimetres (162.9 in) and 5531 millimetres (217.8 in) (rainfall equivalent) to balance melting, which would correspond to between 49.7 metres (163.1 ft) and 66.4 metres (217.8 ft) of snow. A significant proportion of this accumulation is likely to be sourced from windblown snow and, in particular, avalanching snow. It is estimated that the total accumulation needed to balance melting is potentially up to twice the value received from direct precipitation. The presence of these glaciers, the southernmost in Europe, at altitudes well below the general regional equilibrium line altitude
highlights the importance of local controls on glacier development. The geographers think at least eight glaciers were present in neighbouring mountains during the 19th century, correlating with the culmination of the 'Little Ice Age
' in the European Alps.
The vegetation of the Prokletije is one of the richest in the Balkan Peninsula and is one of the central European regions for flora
. To date, 1611 wild plants have been described alone in the Albanian part. In total, 50 flora species are endemic, sub-endemic and endangered plant species. The southern edge of mountains show a sub-Mediterranean character. Various evergreen
bushes are found in the deepest valleys of the canyons and sunny slopes, in the higher valleys deciduous
Shibljak -shrub are common. In the mountains, over 100 medicinal herbs are found, including species of the genus Primula, Satureja and Sideritis. Because of its altitude the range and its favored habitat, it is one of the centers of arcto-alpine relict flora of the Balkan Peninsula. From 77 arcto-alpine species of the former glacial flora of the Balkan Peninsula, a little more than 50 species can be found in the Prokltije.
The levels of vegetation in Prokletije meet the alpine
level, from upland valleys through the montane mountain stage on forest-free alpine and subalpine mats and subnivale tundra caused by the effect of the permafrost
in vast heaps of rubble with raw soils. A real snow level is not widely spread, although in the high altitudes snow and firn fields can also keep during the summer four very small glaciers at high altitudes the highest one beind shaded by Jezerca.
Beech
and fir
forests and in other areas silicate spruce forests dominate the mountain areas. These forests of beech Fagus sylvatica, consists mostly of white fir
. Rarely, however, are the Northern Europe species, typically the Scots pine
Pinus sylvestris, common however are also the drought-resistant Mediterranean-sized black pine
Pinus nigra. Aspens Populus tremula grow in damp sites where other species such as mountain maple
Acer pseudoplatanus and Norway spruce
Picea abies grow. The Prokletije is one of the most southern areas of distribution of spruce
in Europe. The "combat zones" of the forest are formed with dense thickets of mountain pine
Pinus mugos. Conifers like the snake-skin pine Pinus heldreichii are located on carbonate
rocks and the Macedonian pine
Pinus peuce of silicates are typical elements of the endemic Balkan flora and natural history of special interest.
The alpine communities are associations of the cushion-sedge and blue grass lawn of Seslerion juncifoliae and, on shallow limestone soils, Oxytropidion dinaricae to which the alpine grass Krumm grows in accordance with the Alps
. Among the many, even with known species in the Alps, include Alpine Aster alpinus Aster, Edelweiss
Leontopodium nivalis and White Mountain Avens Dryas octopetala. These plants are atypical alpine plants adapted to the short growing season, UV radiation, cold and thin soils specially adapted morphologically and ecologically high.
The rock communities in Prokletije are particularly noteworthy, because they are rare and rare and rich and endemic species: including the Tertiary
relic Amphoricarpos neumayeri. Many species of flora are either endemic of are mainly found in the Prokletije. A plantain plant Plantaginaceae, which is found in the central Prokletije as a disjoint nature of the alpine Wulfenie, however 700 km distance from that it is widely removed, Petasites doerfleri is only found on the peaks Jezerca, the Albanian lily Lilium albanicum and the Viola ducagjinica are only found at the top of the Maja Radohimës
slope. Worth mentioning is also the Viola vilaensis Hayek, and the way Viola chelmea belong to violet species that occur on the Montenegrin-Albanian border area, especially at the lake Bukumirsko jezero 2100 meters and are distributed only in Asia Minor
and the Balkans where widespread clans have been created by a woody, robust rhizome, cleistogamous flowers and because of the lack of foothills. The Prokletije is also the only European distribution area of the tertiary relic of Forsythia europaea.
Among the large mammals species which have elsewhere been long extinct, species like the Eurasian brown bear
, grey wolf, red fox
, European wildcat
, roe deer
, fallow deer
, red deer
, wild boar and European otter
are found in the Prokletije.
The highly endangered Balkan lynx a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx
is mainly found in the Thethi National Park where about roughly 20-50 individuals still roam although poaching is still a big threat. The distribution of the chamois
is all over the high altitudes. Around 720 chamois are found between the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro alone. It is speculated that the mouflon
roamed the Prokletije until World War I when it disappeared.
Bird species include the golden eagle
, snake eagle, honey Buzzard
, peregrine falcon
, capercaillie
, rock partridge
, scops owl
, Eurasian eagle owl
and the snow finch.
The rivers are home to a growing number of Marble trout. Among the amphibians ther are the alpine salamander
(southern most distribution), fire salamander
, yellow-bellied toad
and fire bellied toad . The rich herpetofauna include the fence lizard
, green Lizard
, Greek tortoise
and snakes such as the true vipers including the poisonous horned viper
and adder
.
So far 140 species of butterflies are found which makes Prokletije the richest area in Europe for butterflies.
The Prokletije contains one endemic species of lizard, the Prokletije Rock Lizard, Dinarolacerta montenegrina, named after the range.
mountaineers scaled the summit too. Many explorers and scientists visited the Prokletije mountains collecting rocks and samples and then displayed them in museums, all of them bringing comments back.
Before any of these expeditions took place the highest peak of the range was believed to be Shkëlzen
at 2407 m (7,897 ft) high and then Maja Radohimës
at 2570 m (8,432 ft). By early summer 1929 all the summits were measured by Italian geodetes.
in Albania was declared as such in 1966. It covers an area of 2,630 hectares and is located along the Thethi River. The main attraction in the park is the Grunas Waterfall. The Valbona Valley National Park
in Albania was declared as such in 1996. It is 8,000 hectares and is also called the Gem of Albania. It consists of the Valbona Valley and the Valbona River
. Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro are planning to create another tri-state park in the area, that will be called Balkanik Park of Peace. In the relevant ministry, there are plans to implement a large National Park in Albania which would cover a massive area of 144,000h. The park on the Kosovan side would include an area of 50,000h covering the high alpine areas and the Rugova Canyon
and important rivers. The Montenegrin part of the Prokletije range has been declared a national park in 2009, comprising an area of 16.000ha.
A part of Maja e Ropës
mountain has been declared a floral mountain reserve in 1955 covering an area of 25 hectares, chiefly uder Macedonian Pine
, pine
and beech
. In the same year the Kozhnjar area was declared a fauna reserve covering an area of 161h especially because of the presence of chamois
.
Illegal deforestation today is still a major problem. In some extent some National Parks are also affected. In dry summers, forest fires are common. All the large mammals such as wolves, chamois, foxes, badgers and wild boar without regard to national park boundaries are hunted.
The Proketije is home to Albanians
, Montenegrians, Serbs
and Bosnians
, but is only very sparsely populated. At the edges there are some settlemts: the Albanian Koplik
and the Montenegrian Tuzi
in the west near the Scutari Lake, Plav
and Gusinje
in of the northern valley of the upper Lim river in Montenegro, Bajram Curri
, the main town of the district Tropoja, in the eastern Prokletije. Even the somewhat more distant, larger cities of Shkodra, Podgorica
, Đakovica and Peć
create their sphere of influence and are part of the inhabitants of the highlands for errands, administrative procedures and market sales are frequented.
Within the mountains there are villages with only up to a few hundred inhabitants. They are often pronounced scattered settlements without a clear core. Among the biggest likely to be Tamara and Selca, both are in the valley of the Cem and belonging to the community of the Kelmend
. The community of eight villages - including Vermosh - 6,600 inhabitants. Tamara has today the only place in the central mountains of infrastructure facilities such as a secondary school and in addition to Vermosh, a maternity hospital. Until the collapse of communism there was such facilities, for example, in the Shala Valley. Many residents of the villages in the interior such as Boga, Theth or Valbona live only in the summer months there, as these villages during winter are cut for many weeks.
Besides the seasonal migration, the whole mountain is suffering from a severe brain drain, as its only agriculture income is scarce. Many move in the hope of work and a little more comfort to the region of Shkodra and Koplik, Tirana
or abroad. As the number of year-round population wanes as the terrain becomes less accessible, there are few state or local government employees such as teachers. Besides agriculture, and semi-illegal forestry, local income is also based to a less modest extent to tourism.
In a few places like Theth
, recreational hiking for tourism has been revitalized. With the help of GTZ, 40 private houses (also referred to as Guest Houses or Han, in Albanian) have been transformed into tourist accommodations or B&Bs. In 2010, there were 130 beds available in total - 100 more than in 2007. Additionally, hiking trails have been marked, and trails maps and guides published. In the period between 2006 to 2009, the number of tourists rose from 300 to around 7500 per year. Unlike in the rest of Albania, the increase was due to foreign tourists. Lakes such as Plav and Hrid receive many tourists during the summer months. In many villages there are small hydro power plants that supply the village with electricity.
Many villages were already settled by the 15th century. Some individual valleys have been inhabited since the Stone Age
. At the end of communism, several thousand people emigrated and depopulated the area.
The former caravan route between Podgorica and Plav crossed the mountains along Lim and Cijevna.
Only in the north west there is a road that crosses the Prokletije. It leads from the eastern shore of Lake Scutari
at Han i Hotit border crossing from Montenegro to the first pass into the valley of Cem, following this to the source elevation of the Qafa e Predelecit after Vermosh, border crossing there, after Montenegro and ends at Gusinje. The road in 2007 was mostly unpaved. From west to east, there is only one road from Koplik to Boga and Qafa gates leading to Theth. From Theth, there is a bad track down into the valley of the Shala Valley Church and the river leads to Shkodra - it's just walking path to the north (Qafa e Pejës) and east (Qafa e Valbonës) further. The road over the Qafa e Morinës at Bajram Curri
after Đakovica has been reconstructed. In the past, the only route for crossing the border between Montenegro and Kosovo was via Rugova Canyon
which was very dangerous and steep. With the construction of the Peć
–Rožaje
highway the situation has greatly improved.
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
that extends from northern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, to southwestern Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and eastern Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. Its highest point, Jezercë
Lake Crest
Maja Jezercë is the highest point of the Prokletije and the entire Dinaric Alps, standing at AMSL.-Location and surroundings:The mountain peak, which is just five kilometres from the border with Montenegro, lies between the valleys of the Valbona to the east and the Shala in the west...
in Albania at 2694 m (8,839 ft), is the tallest peak in the entire Dinaric Alps
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
. Other peaks include Đeravica in Kosovo at 2656 m (8,714 ft).
Both the highest peak in Montenegro, Zla Kolata
Zla Kolata
Zla Kolata is a mountain of the Prokletije on the border of Albania and Montenegro. It has an elevation of , making it the highest mountain in Montenegro, and the 16th highest in Albania. It is located on the border of the Plav municipality of Montenegro and the Tropojë district of Kukës County,...
at 2,534m and Kosovo, Đeravica at 2,656m are located here. The highest peak in Albania though is Mount Korab
Mount Korab
Mount Korab is the highest mountain of the Republic of Macedonia and Albania, its peak forming a frontier between the two countries...
which is 2764 m (9,068 ft) high and is located in the east of the country on the border with Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
The southernmost glaciers in Europe were recently discovered in the Albanian part of the range. The regional economy is based mainly on agriculture, immigrant remittances and tourism.
Name
The earliest written mention of the Prokletije (from Ptolemy's map) is Mons Bertiscus. Bertiscus is still a learned form of the mountain and is used as epithet in the form 'bertiscae' for an endemic species or species which have their locus classicus in the mountains and which have used the name such as ValerianaValeriana
Valeriana is a genus of flowering plants in the family Valerianaceae. It includes a number of species of which the best known is the garden valerian Valeriana officinalis...
bertiscae, Crepis
Crepis
Crepis, commonly known in some parts of the world as hawksbeard or hawk's-beard , is a genus of about 200 annual and perennial flowering plants of the family Asteraceae superficially resembling the dandelion, the most conspicuous difference being that Crepis usually has branching...
bertiscae, Iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
bertiscae.
In Montenegrin/Serbian and Albanian, the name means "cursed mountains" ("Accursed mountains"), possibly because they are perceived as unsurmountable and wild. Albanians also call it Alpet Shqiptare, meaning 'Albanian Alps'.
Location and relief
The Prokletije broad forms is more than 40 miles from southwest to northeast from Scutari Lake along the Montenegrin-Albanian border to KosovoKosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, between 42°45' and 42°15' N in the mediterranean zone of the western Balkan Peninsula. The southern boundary of the Prokletije is from the river Drin
Drin
Drin may refer to:*Geographical term:**In Albania, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia:***Drin , in Albania, Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia...
and its tributary Valbona
Valbona
Valbona can refer to:* The town of Valbona, Spain* Valbonë, a town in northern Albania* Valbonë in Albania...
. In a broader sense the Prokletije also includes the mountain ranges to Mitrovica
Mitrovica
Mitrovica, which stems from the name "Saint Demetrius" or "Sveti Dimitrije" may refer to:- Places :* Kosovska Mitrovica, a city in the disputed region of Kosovo* Sremska Mitrovica, a city in Srem, Serbia...
with Hajla and Mokna massifs of Prokletije. Other authors, however, see the river Lim as the northern boundary of the geological Prokletije.
The Kalktafel of Prokletije is deeply incised with valleys in a variety of powerful rock blocks cut by the mountains north of Përroi i Thatë, the Biga e Gimajive south of it, the Jezerca block between Shala and Valbona valley, the massif of the Maja e Hekurave, the plateau of the Maja e Kolats north of Valbona or Shkëlzen northeast of Valbona. The valleys were formed by ice-age glaciers pronounced trough valleys formed by very steep walls and hollows on the top section with up to 1000 meters distinguish. The south wall of the Maja Harapit
Maja Harapit
Maja Harapit is a mountain in the Prokletije range in the north of Albania. The mountain is high, with its impressive high south wall' the northwestern edge of a large basin, where it dominates as a prominent rock formation, the conclusion of the Shala Valley and is one of the landmarks of...
is 800 meters making it the highest rock face of the Balkan Peninsula.
The Prokletije is ethnographically and sociologically diverse due to many tribes living in the region as sheep herders. Names of various tribes - Hoti
Hoti
Hoti in Pukhto pronounced as Oothay is a Union council in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The town is located 34°12'0N° 72°4'0E with an altitude of 284 metres and lies just west of Peshawar - the capital of the province and is inhabited by the Kamalzai Pashtuns, a sub-tribe of the...
, Gruda, Kelmendi
Kelmendi
Kelmend, or Kelmendi mountains is a region and clan in the mountainous borderlands of Albania and Montenegro, of the wider Malësia-region . Part of the region lies within the Kelmend municipality, and is composed of a Roman Catholic majority and Muslim minority...
, Kastrati, Dukagjini, Shkreli, Shala, Nikaj, Krasniqi, Gashi and Rugova - refer to their geographical habitats within the range.
Geology
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. It occupies the north of Albania, southwest of Kosovo and the east of Montenegro. It is a subrange or part of the 1000 km (621 mi) long Dinaric Alps
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
. The Prokletije is a typical high mountain range with a pronounced steep topography and glacial features. Absolute relief energies of 1800m found in the Valbona, Grbaja and Ropojani and Cijevna Valley, overhanging walls and pointed ridges like pointed peaks are typical of the western and central Prokletije, however in the eastern mountainous part the mountains are less rugged prior to milder forms of relief. For the strong Pleistocene glaciation also Kartreppen and trough valleys are characteristic. The Prokletije is a large, rugged, pathless and hardly passable mountain range stretching from Skadar lake in the north-eastern direction over Cijevna river
Cijevna River
The Cem River is a river that flows through Albania and Montenegro.It originates in Kelmend Municipality, Malësi e Madhe District, Albania. It flows generally southwest through Triesh and Gruda, for some before merging with Morača River just south of Podgorica, in Montenegro....
area, then slightly curving to the east in direction of Đeravica summit above Metohija (450m) basin in Kosovo. From here, geomorpohologically the Prokletije turn northwards over the Bogićevića massif and Čakor pass, and continue with another row of mountains finally finishing with the Suva Planina (1,750 m) massif, that encircles Metohija basin from north and north-west and finish in the area of upper Ibar
Ibar
-Places:* Ibar , in Montenegro and Serbia* Ibar Reserve in Rila, Bulgaria* Ibar Rocks, a rock formation in Antarctica* Ibar highway, in Serbia-People:* Ibar of Beggerin , Irish saint* Íbar of Killibar Beg, Irish saint...
river valley near the city of Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
.
The Prokletije range was formed by the folding actions of the African Plate
African Plate
The African Plate is a tectonic plate which includes the continent of Africa, as well as oceanic crust which lies between the continent and various surrounding ocean ridges.-Boundaries:...
which lies under the European one. Nowhere in the Balkans have glaciers left so much evidence of erosion. After the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
. They have very steep slopes made out of limestone and are the most karstic mountains in the Balkans. The Prokletije range one of the rare mountain ranges in Europe which has not been explored entirely. It is mostly a limestone built chain except its eastern and south-eastern parts, which have slate rock around its base. Most of the area was formed by glacial influences with karstic areas in the western parts of the Group. Prokletije form the southernmost end of Dinaric mountain chain. In this area the Prokletije run almost parallel with the Šar Mountains system in Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, Albania and Kosovo. This tectonic crash has produced an unusual zig-zag shape of Prokletije range, and also their curving from the dominant Dinaric northwestern - southeastern direction toward the north-eastern one. In its western and central part of the range the composition of the mountains is of mainly uniform and Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
limestones and dolomites of the Jurassic and Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
ages. In the eastern Prokletije there is found in addition to limestone and dolomite series late Palaeozoic and Triassic periods, medium-Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
volcanic rocks and Jurassic metamorphic rocks .
Although there are some serious scientific searchings that give Prokletije a status of a separate mountain chain and not a part of Dinaric chain, in most other ways this chain is still considered as the highest of all Dinaric areas, connected with Dinaric mountain chain in more ways as are geology, unbroken morphological unit and even ethnologically.
Massifs
The Prokletije itself is made up of many large sections or mountain massifs/groups all of which are connected to one another. These massifs include the Popluks group with a height of 2,694 m, Shkurt group at 2,554 m, Radohimës group at 2,570 m, Zaborës e Krasniçës at 2,625 m, Bjelic group at 2,556 m, Karanfili-Brada group at 2,554 m, Rabës group at 2,232 m, Ershellit group at 2,06 6m, Kakinjes group at 2,359 m, ShkëlzenShkëlzen
Shkëlzen is a mountain in Albania with a height of . It is rocky and located near the border with Kosovo, north of Tropojë. It belongs to the Prokletije. Shkëlzen shares its name with a village that is just south of the mountain....
group at 2,407 m, Bogićevica
Bogicevica
Bogićevica is a mountain area in the Prokletije. It spreads over Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo. It is about long and wide. The mountain area has a number of peaks higher than and two higher than . Marijaš and Maja e Ropës are both located in Kosovo...
group at 2,533 m, Horolac group at 2,199 m, Kershi Kocaj group at 2,399 m, Maja e Zezë group at 2,400 m, Lumbardhit group at 2,52 2m, Kopranik
Kopranik
Kopranik is a mountain with a height of 2,460m in Kosovo. Kopranik is part of the Prokletije range. At the northern slopes of the mountain is the Rugovska gorge which is a popular tourist destination in the Prokletije and all of Kosovo....
group at 2,460 m, Strellc group at 2,377 m, Đeravica group at 2,656 m, Junik
Junik
Junik is a municipality and small town in the Đakovica district of western Kosovo. It is located in the west Metohija between Dečani and Đakovica along Kosovo's mountainous border with Albania. It is populated with ethnic Albanians...
group at 2,296 m, Starac-Qokorr group 2,426 m, Hajla
Hajla
Hajla is a mountain located between Kosovo and Montenegro. It has several peaks that reach over , the highest having which is also called Hajla. In its northern slopes, the river Ibar originates, and to its southern slopes is the origin of the Pećka Bistrica river. Hajla is also the highest...
group at 2,403 m, Stedim-Ahmica group at 2,272 m, Zleb-Rusulija group at 2,382 m, Mokna group at 2,155 m and finally the Suva Planina group at 1,750 m.
Canyons and Valleys
The Prokletije mountains being eroded and cut through by many glaciers have left many features behind to tell their tale. Deep river canyons and flat valleys are found winding their way around the ridges of the mountains. The largest and most popular canyon is Rugova CanyonRugova Canyon
The Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
. It is situated in Kosovo and is 25 km (16 mi) long from the border with Montenegro up to the city of Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
and is 1000 m (3,281 ft) deep. It consists of very steep vertical mountain slopes on both sides. Valleys common on lower altitudes are also found on alpine level creating mountain passes and valley troughs. The most known valley to be located high up on mountains is 'Buni Jezerce' in Albania. Buni Jezerce means Valley of the Lakes and contains 6 small glacial lakes the biggest of whom is Big lake of Buni Jezerce
Big lake of Buni Jezerce
Big lake of Buni Jezerce is one of the largest lakes in the Prokletije found in the north of Albania. Big Lake is on an altitude of above sea level and is the largest of the 6 lakes found in the Buni Jezerce near the Montenegrian border. Many high peaks surround the lake, including Maja Jezercë...
.
Canyons in Prokletije
- Rugova CanyonRugova CanyonThe Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
- Dečani Canyon
- Gashi Canyon
- Cemi Canyon
Valleys in Prokletije
- Vermosh Valley
- Valbona Valley
- Thethi Valley
- Ropojona Valley
- Gerbja Valley
- Buni Jezerce
- Cemi i Nikçit Valley
Rivers & Lakes
In Prokletije consists of many important rivers of the southeastern West Balkans. Rivers in this range fall roughly into two main categories, those that flow in to the Lim and those that enter the White Drin which flows to a further extent to meet the Black DrinBlack Drin
The Black Drin is a river in Albania and the Republic of Macedonia. It flows out of Lake Ohrid in Struga, Macedonia. After approximately it crosses the border to Albania, west of Debar. It merges with the White Drin in Kukës to form the Drin, which flows into the Adriatic Sea...
at the Drin confluence. The southern and eastern slopes of Prokletije fall into the latter category.
On the northern borders the Tara and Lim have their origins, two major sources of the Dinaric river system. The Vërmosh later Lim said river rises in the northwest Gebrigsteil in Mntenegro close to the border with Albania. As a tributary of the Drina
Drina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
he drains in to the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and flows into the Black sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. The Lim flows through the Plav Lake. The Ibar
Ibar
-Places:* Ibar , in Montenegro and Serbia* Ibar Reserve in Rila, Bulgaria* Ibar Rocks, a rock formation in Antarctica* Ibar highway, in Serbia-People:* Ibar of Beggerin , Irish saint* Íbar of Killibar Beg, Irish saint...
, which originates on the slopes of the Hajla
Hajla
Hajla is a mountain located between Kosovo and Montenegro. It has several peaks that reach over , the highest having which is also called Hajla. In its northern slopes, the river Ibar originates, and to its southern slopes is the origin of the Pećka Bistrica river. Hajla is also the highest...
, takes a similar route into the Danube via the Morava in Serbia.
The southern Prokletije by the inter penetration, the Drin
Drin
Drin may refer to:*Geographical term:**In Albania, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia:***Drin , in Albania, Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia...
dominates. It drains mosts of the rages with its tributaries and when measured with the source of the White Drin in Radavc down to the mouth of the Drin near Lezha, it is 335 km long. However not all the rivers lows near or parallel to the Prokletije. Drin tributaries include the Valbona
Valbona
Valbona can refer to:* The town of Valbona, Spain* Valbonë, a town in northern Albania* Valbonë in Albania...
which drains into the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. The Valbona takes Gashi River on as an eastern tributary. To the west of the mountains is the Cijevna. The Cijevna drains the northwestern part of the Montenegrin-Albanian border area to the Adriatic. Because of the Karestnatur Prokletije water levels fluctuate due to the karst hydrological drought which is characterized strongly. some rivers or streams such as Përroi i Thatë in Albania dry out completely during the summer droughts. Although the Pećka Bistrica
Pecka Bistrica
The Pećka Bistrica is a river in Kosovo . This 62 km-long right tributary to the White Drin river flows entirely within the south-western part of Kosovo ....
in Kosovo is short it is very powerful and has carved the Rugova Canyon
Rugova Canyon
The Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
which is up to 25 km (16 mi) long and 1000 m (3,281 ft) deep.
There are about 20 small alpine lakes of glacial origin in the Prokletije. A high accumulation of lakes includes the Bogiçevica border area between Kosovo and Albania and the Buni i Jezercë trough near the Jezerca and Bojs peaks. Some lakes such as Liqenat Lake
Liqenat Lake
Lake Lićenat or Lake Kuqishtë is a mountain lake found on the Mount Lićenat in the Prokletije range in western Kosovo. The word "Liqenat" comes from Albanian that means "Lakes". This lake is well known throughout Kosovo and is visited by people going to the Rugova Canyon or by people climbing...
in Kosovo and Hrid Lake in Montenegro have been transferred into touristic areas because of their ideal locations and beautiful scenery.
Hrid lake today is a clear example of well preserved glacial relief. In the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
period (1.8-0.01 million y.a.) there a was collecting area for ice that fell down over more steps from surrounding peaks, dragging with it heterogeneous material. Precipitatins had washed away smaller rocks, but larger ones still remained on the south-western and western lake shore. The lake is 295meters long, 110m wide and around 5 meters deep, in average. Beside precipitations it receives water from more sources located near its shores.
The largest lake is Lake Plav
Lake Plav
Lake Plav is a lake in Plav municipality, in northeastern Montenegro.It is a glacial lake located between the Prokletije and Visitor mountain ranges at an altitude of 906 m above sea level, and extends north-south for some 2,160 m...
in Montenegro. The lake lies on an altitude of 906m above sea level in the Plav valley, nestled between Prokletije and Visitor
Visitor
A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution , who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution...
range. The surface area of Lake Plav is 1.99km2 and extends north-south for some 2,160m.
Waterfalls are also found in some parts of the range. The White Drin Waterfall in Kosovo is a large waterfall reaching a height of 25 m (82 ft). Because it is not far from the city of Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
it is not hard to get there and it is visited by many visitors. The Grunas Waterfall in Albania is 30 m (98 ft) in height and is located in the Thethi National Park. The 'Ali Pasha' natural springs in Montenegro near the town of Gusinje
Gusinje
Gusinje is a small town in Montenegro. According to the 2003 census, the town has a population of 1,704.-History:The history and origins of Gusinje are unknown prior to the Ottoman conquests. Before the Ottoman Turks took control of the region, Plav-Gusinje was under the control of various...
are the premium attraction for the town.
Highest peaks
Peaks over 2600 m (8,530 ft)- Maja Jezercë (2694 m (8,839 ft); in Albania)
- Đeravica (2656 m (8,714 ft); in Kosovo)
- Maja Grykat e HapëtaMaja Grykat e HapëtaMaja Grykat e Hapëta is a mountain located in northern Albania in the Prokletije. It is found to the southeast of Maja Jezercë, south of the upper Valbonë valley. It is one of the highest mountains in the mountain range at high. In fact, it is the third highest after Maja Jezercë at in Albania...
(2625 m (8,612 ft); in Albania)
Peaks over 2500 m (8,202 ft)
- Maja e Radohimës (2570 m (8,432 ft); in Albania)
- Maja e PopljucesMaja e PopljucesMaja e Popljuces is a mountain in Albania in the Prokletije. It is 2,569m high and it itself is surrounded by many peaks above 2,500m. It is located just south from Maja Jezercë....
(2569 m (8,428 ft); in Albania) - Maja BriasetMaja BriasetMaja Briaset is a mountain located in the country of Albania. Maja Briaset is a large, rocky mountain with a height of above sea level. This mountain is part of the Prokletije in the northern part of Albania. Around this mountain are beautiful valleys including the Valbona Valley....
(2567 m (8,422 ft); in Albania) - Maja e Hekurave (2561 m (8,402 ft); in Albania)
- Maja e Shënikut (2554 m (8,379 ft); in Albania)
- Maja TatMaja TatMaja Tat a mountain at 2,543 m high found in the northern part of Albania in the Prokletije range.Maja Radohimës at 2,570 m high is found close to Maja Tat in its eastern direction. It is known for its steep and dangerous slopes and rocky, limestone summit....
(2543 m (8,343 ft); in Albania) - Gusan (mountain) (2539 m (8,330 ft); in Albania & Kosovo)
- Zla KolataZla KolataZla Kolata is a mountain of the Prokletije on the border of Albania and Montenegro. It has an elevation of , making it the highest mountain in Montenegro, and the 16th highest in Albania. It is located on the border of the Plav municipality of Montenegro and the Tropojë district of Kukës County,...
(2534 m (8,314 ft); in Albania & Montenegro) - MarijašMarijašMarijaš or Bogdaš is a mountain in Kosovo in the Prokletije range. At high, it is the highest peak of the Bogićevica area and one of the highest peaks in Prokletije in Kosovo. The mountain is located near the Montenegrin border....
(2533 m (8,310 ft); in Kosovo) - Kolata e MirëKolata e MirëKolata e Mirë is a mountain in the Kolata massif located in Albania and Montenegro. Kolata e Mirë is a part of the Prokletije and stands at high. It and Zla Kolata which is high are the two peaks of the Kolata massif. Kolata e Mirë is the second highest peak in Montenegro after its neighbour Zla...
(2524 m (8,281 ft); in Albania & Montenegro) - Maja e Rosit (2524 m (8,281 ft); in Albania & Montenegro)
- Žuti kamenŽuti kamenŽuti kamen |Yellow Stone]]") is a mountain in the Prokletije in Kosovo. Reaching a height of high, it is one of the highest mountains in the range. North of the mountain is the Rugova Canyon. The Kopranik mountain are located just east of Žuti kamen. There is a lake near the summit of the...
(2522 m (8,274 ft); in Kosovo) - Maja KokervhakeMaja KokervhakeMaja Kokervhake is a mountain in northern Albania, in the Prokletije. It reaches a height of above sea level and it has only recently been discovered considering that the North Albanian Alps has many high and jagged peaks....
(2508 m (8,228 ft); in Albania) - Rops (peak) (2502 m (8,209 ft); in Kosovo)
Peaks over 2400 m (7,874 ft)
- Maja ShkurtMaja ShkurtMaja Shkurt a mountain in northern Albania, part of the Prokletije range. It reaches a height of 2,499m just under 2,500m. The Albanian name Maja Shkurt means 'Small Peak'....
(2499 m (8,199 ft); in Albania) - Maja e Malësores (2490 m (8,169 ft); in Albania)
- Maja e RagamitMaja e RagamitMaja e Ragamit a mountain with a height reaching 2,472m is located in the Prokletije in Albania. Maja e Ragimit is east of Maja Jezercë at 2,694m high which is the highest of the range and the Dinaric Alps....
(2472 m (8,110 ft); in Albania) - Maja BojsMaja BojsMaja Bojs is a mountain in the Prokletije of northern Albania reaching a height of . It is close to the border with Montenegro and is just above the Buni Jezerce valley where Big lake of Buni Jezerce is located with 5 other lakes....
(2461 m (8,074 ft); in Albania) - KopranikKopranikKopranik is a mountain with a height of 2,460m in Kosovo. Kopranik is part of the Prokletije range. At the northern slopes of the mountain is the Rugovska gorge which is a popular tourist destination in the Prokletije and all of Kosovo....
(2460 m (8,071 ft); in Kosovo) - Maja VukocesMaja VukocesMaja Vukoces is a mountain in northern Albania in the Prokletije with a height of 2,450m. Like others in the range, it too has a steep, rocky summit. It is even more difficult to climb it at winter when the snow and ice make the route to the peak and summit impossible to reach....
(2450 m (8,038 ft); in Albania) - VeternikVeternik MountainVeternik or Veterniku is a mountain in Kosovo. It is high and forms part of the Prokletije. It is located nearby Kopranik, a mountain higher than Veternik but also found in the same range. Veternik differs somewhat from the rest of the Prokletije of Kosovo and resembles more the Albanian part of...
(2410 m (7,907 ft); in Albania) - ShkëlzenShkëlzenShkëlzen is a mountain in Albania with a height of . It is rocky and located near the border with Kosovo, north of Tropojë. It belongs to the Prokletije. Shkëlzen shares its name with a village that is just south of the mountain....
(2407 m (7,897 ft); in Albania) - Pasji Peak (2405 m (7,890 ft); in Kosovo & Montenegro)
- Maja Bogiçaj (2404 m (7,887 ft); in Albania & Kosovo)
- HajlaHajlaHajla is a mountain located between Kosovo and Montenegro. It has several peaks that reach over , the highest having which is also called Hajla. In its northern slopes, the river Ibar originates, and to its southern slopes is the origin of the Pećka Bistrica river. Hajla is also the highest...
(2403 m (7,884 ft); in Kosovo & Montenegro)
Peaks under 2400 m (7,874 ft)
- Rusulija (2382 m (7,815 ft))
- StreocStreocStreočka Mountain is a mountain in eastern Kosovo, in the Prokletije range. To its right is the Metohija valley. At high peak, Streoc, it stands out very well and from the city of Peć there is a good view of the whole mountain. The village of Streoc found around the mountain is named after the...
(2377 m (7,799 ft)) - Tromeđa (2366 m (7,762 ft))
- Žljeb (2365 m (7,759 ft))
- Maja e KakisëMaja e KakisëMaja e Kakisë a mountain in the north of Albania. Maja e Kakisë is 2,360m high. It is located in the south of the large Prokletije not far from the smaller Maja e Ershellit which is found even more towards the south bordering the long Drin River....
(2360 m (7,743 ft)) - Lićenat (2341 m (7,680 ft))
- Rrasa e ZogutRrasa e ZogutRrasa e Zogut is a mountain in the Prokletije range in Kosovo, from the border with Albania. It is high and located south-east of Đeravica , the highest mountain in Kosovo.-Notes and references:Notes:References:...
(2305 m (7,562 ft)) - Vranovačka HajlaVranovacka HajlaVranovačka Hajla is a mountain whose high peak forms the boundary between Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro. It is a peak of the Hajla mountain and the Prokletije, which are also located between the two. It is not far from the highest peak, Hajla at as it is just west from its direction.-Notes and...
(2281 m (7,484 ft)) - JunikJunik MountainsThe Junik Mountains , part of the Prokletije range, are on the border between Albania and Kosovo. They reach a height of . On the Kosovan side are located in the Metohija region, some to the north-west of the Junik commune.- Notes :...
(2280 m (7,480 ft)) - Maja e ElbunitMaja e ElbunitMaja e Elbunit is a mountain in Albania, located in the Prokletije. It reaches a height of 2,231m high and is in the Shalë area near the centre of the range....
(2231 m (7,320 ft)) - Mali i Deçanit (2200 m (7,218 ft))
- Maja HarapitMaja HarapitMaja Harapit is a mountain in the Prokletije range in the north of Albania. The mountain is high, with its impressive high south wall' the northwestern edge of a large basin, where it dominates as a prominent rock formation, the conclusion of the Shala Valley and is one of the landmarks of...
(2218 m (7,277 ft)) - Maja TrojanMaja TrojanMaja Trojan or Trojan is a mountain in the Prokletije range nestled in between Albania and Montenegro. Even though it is not very tall, only reaching to 2,190m, from the summit of Trojan there is a wonderful panoramic view of the Prokletije and other ranges in the Dinaric Alps such as Visitor. The...
(2190 m (7,185 ft)) - PogledPogledPogled is a mountain peak in Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro. It is the highest peak of Mokna which is part of the Prokletije. Pogled is just east of the second highest peak in Mokna, Beleg....
(2155 m (7,070 ft)) - DramadolDramadolDerman Dol is a peak of the Hajla mountain in the Prokletije located in Montenegro and Kosovo. This mountain reaches a height of 2,120m and is found to the west of the Hajla mountain.-Notes and references:Notes:References:...
(2120 m (6,955 ft)) - Beleg (2102 m (6,896 ft))
- Maja e ErshellitMaja e ErshellitMaja e Ershellitis a mountain in Albania. The mountain, rising 2,067m high, is located in the Prokletije near the lake of Koman....
(2067 m (6,781 ft)) - VolujakVolujakVolujak is a peak of the Prokletije range in Kosovo, reaching a top height of . Volujak creates part of the Rugova Canyon. This mountain can be seen from the city of Peć because it is only a few kilometers west of it.-Notes and references:Notes:...
(2014 m (6,608 ft)) - Škreljska HajlaŠkreljska HajlaŠkreljska Hajla is a mountain in Kosovo and Montenegro. It reaches a height of and is part of the Hajla mountain in the Prokletije. Its location in the Hajla mountain is in the far west.-Notes and references:Notes:References:----...
(2011 m (6,598 ft)) - Maja e MadheMaja e MadheMaje e Madhe is a mountain in the Albanian part of the Prokletije. It reaches a height of 2,011m above sea level. The Albanian name "Maja e Madhe" means 'Big Peak', although for Albanian standards it is quite small....
(2011 m (6,598 ft)) - Maja e GrebenitMaja e GrebenitMaja e Grebenit is a mountain in Albania, located near its most northern tip, in the Prokletije. It reaches a height of 1,840 metres. It is located just south of the fertile valley of the Vermosh river, close to the border with Montenegro....
(1864 m (6,115 ft)) - Lice MountainLice MountainLice is a mountain in the Prokletije range in western Kosovo. Lice reaches a height of 1,799m above sea level. The mountain borders the Rugova Canyon in the south and the village of Kućište and the Pecka Bistrica in the east....
(1799 m (5,902 ft)) - Maja e Veleçikut (1725 m (5,659 ft))
Climate
The Prokletije is on the whole the wettest area of Europe. In the village of Boga in the dry valley, precipitation is 3033 millimetres (119.4 in) per year, and otherwise 2000 millimetres (78.7 in) to 2500 millimetres (98.4 in) per year is to be expected. In higher elevations snow is found even in summer except in very dry years. In winter, some villages in the Albanian part of the Prokletije are completely cut off from the rest of the world for months due to the very heavy snow.Glaciation
Today on the shady northern slopes, there are at least five active glaciers which probably formed during the late Holocene, as well as a number of inactive glaciers between 1,980 and 2,420 m altitude. The trough valleys of Ropojani, Grbaja and Valbona were carved by miles of glaciers during the last Ice AgeIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. Detailed geomorphological mapping was used to reconstruct the positions of former glaciers. The longest glacier of Ropojana had a length of 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) and surface of 20 square kilometre; others include Valbona glacier at 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) and 10.5 square kilometre), Grbaja Glacier at 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) and 6.7 square kilometre and Bogićevića Glacier at 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) and6.9 square kilometre. In addition, about 20 small lakes of glacial origin are found, among them the lake group Buni i Jezerce to the north side of Jezerca, the Ridsko Lake, Lake Bukumisko and Rikavacko Lake.
A recent report from geographers at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
details the discovery of four previously unknown glaciers in the Albanian part of the Prokletije range at 1980–2100 m altitude, in the area close to Maja e Jezerces. The glaciers, the largest of which is currently the size of six football pitches, vary in size every year according to the amount of winter snowfall and temperatures during the following summer. Their average total surface area is 5 hectare. Glacier-climate modeling suggests that these glaciers require annual accumulation of between 4137 millimetres (162.9 in) and 5531 millimetres (217.8 in) (rainfall equivalent) to balance melting, which would correspond to between 49.7 metres (163.1 ft) and 66.4 metres (217.8 ft) of snow. A significant proportion of this accumulation is likely to be sourced from windblown snow and, in particular, avalanching snow. It is estimated that the total accumulation needed to balance melting is potentially up to twice the value received from direct precipitation. The presence of these glaciers, the southernmost in Europe, at altitudes well below the general regional equilibrium line altitude
Snow line
The climatic snow line is the point above which snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year. The actual snow line may seasonally be significantly lower....
highlights the importance of local controls on glacier development. The geographers think at least eight glaciers were present in neighbouring mountains during the 19th century, correlating with the culmination of the 'Little Ice Age
Little Ice Age
The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period . While not a true ice age, the term was introduced into the scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939...
' in the European Alps.
Flora
The vegetation of the Prokletije is one of the richest in the Balkan Peninsula and is one of the central European regions for flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. To date, 1611 wild plants have been described alone in the Albanian part. In total, 50 flora species are endemic, sub-endemic and endangered plant species. The southern edge of mountains show a sub-Mediterranean character. Various evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
bushes are found in the deepest valleys of the canyons and sunny slopes, in the higher valleys deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
Shibljak -shrub are common. In the mountains, over 100 medicinal herbs are found, including species of the genus Primula, Satureja and Sideritis. Because of its altitude the range and its favored habitat, it is one of the centers of arcto-alpine relict flora of the Balkan Peninsula. From 77 arcto-alpine species of the former glacial flora of the Balkan Peninsula, a little more than 50 species can be found in the Prokltije.
The levels of vegetation in Prokletije meet the alpine
Alpine
The term alpine refers to the Alps, a European mountain range.Alpine may also refer to:- Geography and geology :* Alpine tundra, the biological community that occurs above the tree line at high altitude...
level, from upland valleys through the montane mountain stage on forest-free alpine and subalpine mats and subnivale tundra caused by the effect of the permafrost
Permafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
in vast heaps of rubble with raw soils. A real snow level is not widely spread, although in the high altitudes snow and firn fields can also keep during the summer four very small glaciers at high altitudes the highest one beind shaded by Jezerca.
Beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
forests and in other areas silicate spruce forests dominate the mountain areas. These forests of beech Fagus sylvatica, consists mostly of white fir
White Fir
White Fir is a fir native to the mountains of western North America, occurring at altitudes of 900-3,400 m. It is a medium to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25–60 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m . It is popular as an ornamental landscaping tree and as a Christmas Tree...
. Rarely, however, are the Northern Europe species, typically the Scots pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
Pinus sylvestris, common however are also the drought-resistant Mediterranean-sized black pine
Black Pine
Several trees are referred to as black pine:* The European Black Pine.* The Japanese Black Pine.* The Jeffrey Pine in North America.* Matai, a New Zealand conifer.* Miro, also a New Zealand conifer.The band The Black Pine...
Pinus nigra. Aspens Populus tremula grow in damp sites where other species such as mountain maple
Mountain Maple
Acer spicatum is a species of maple native to northeastern North America from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland, and south to Pennsylvania. It also grows at high elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia....
Acer pseudoplatanus and Norway spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
Picea abies grow. The Prokletije is one of the most southern areas of distribution of spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
in Europe. The "combat zones" of the forest are formed with dense thickets of mountain pine
Mountain Pine
Pinus mugo, the Mountain Pine or Mugo Pine, is a high-altitude European pine, found in the Pyrenees, Alps, Erzgebirge, Carpathians, northern Apennines and Balkan Peninsula mountains from 1,000 m to 2,200 m, occasionally as low as 200 m in the north of the range in Germany and Poland, and as high...
Pinus mugos. Conifers like the snake-skin pine Pinus heldreichii are located on carbonate
Carbonate
In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, . The name may also mean an ester of carbonic acid, an organic compound containing the carbonate group C2....
rocks and the Macedonian pine
Macedonian Pine
Pinus peuce is a species of pine native to the mountains of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, the extreme southwest of Serbia, and the extreme north of Greece, growing typically at 1,000-2,200 m altitude. It often reaches the alpine tree line in this area...
Pinus peuce of silicates are typical elements of the endemic Balkan flora and natural history of special interest.
The alpine communities are associations of the cushion-sedge and blue grass lawn of Seslerion juncifoliae and, on shallow limestone soils, Oxytropidion dinaricae to which the alpine grass Krumm grows in accordance with the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. Among the many, even with known species in the Alps, include Alpine Aster alpinus Aster, Edelweiss
Edelweiss
Edelweiss , Leontopodium alpinum, is a well-known European mountain flower, belonging to the sunflower family.-Names:The common name comes from German edel, meaning "noble", and weiß "white", thus signifying "noble whiteness".The scientific name Leontopodium is a Latin adaptation of Greek...
Leontopodium nivalis and White Mountain Avens Dryas octopetala. These plants are atypical alpine plants adapted to the short growing season, UV radiation, cold and thin soils specially adapted morphologically and ecologically high.
The rock communities in Prokletije are particularly noteworthy, because they are rare and rare and rich and endemic species: including the Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
relic Amphoricarpos neumayeri. Many species of flora are either endemic of are mainly found in the Prokletije. A plantain plant Plantaginaceae, which is found in the central Prokletije as a disjoint nature of the alpine Wulfenie, however 700 km distance from that it is widely removed, Petasites doerfleri is only found on the peaks Jezerca, the Albanian lily Lilium albanicum and the Viola ducagjinica are only found at the top of the Maja Radohimës
Maja Radohimës
Maja e Radohimës is a mountain in the Albanian part of the Prokletije at a height of . Its location is west of the Maja Jezercë at high....
slope. Worth mentioning is also the Viola vilaensis Hayek, and the way Viola chelmea belong to violet species that occur on the Montenegrin-Albanian border area, especially at the lake Bukumirsko jezero 2100 meters and are distributed only in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and the Balkans where widespread clans have been created by a woody, robust rhizome, cleistogamous flowers and because of the lack of foothills. The Prokletije is also the only European distribution area of the tertiary relic of Forsythia europaea.
Fauna
Eurasian Brown Bear
The Eurasian brown bear is a subspecies of brown bear, found across northern Eurasia. The Eurasian brown bear is also known as the common brown bear, European brown bear and colloquially by many other names....
, grey wolf, red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
, European wildcat
European Wildcat
The European Wildcat is a subspecies of the wildcat that inhabits forests of Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as Scotland, Turkey and the Caucasus Mountains; it has been extirpated from Scandinavia, England, and Wales. Some authorities restrict F. s...
, roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, fallow deer
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
, red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
, wild boar and European otter
European Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
are found in the Prokletije.
The highly endangered Balkan lynx a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx
Eurasian Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...
is mainly found in the Thethi National Park where about roughly 20-50 individuals still roam although poaching is still a big threat. The distribution of the chamois
Chamois
The chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand...
is all over the high altitudes. Around 720 chamois are found between the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro alone. It is speculated that the mouflon
Mouflon
The mouflon is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis aries. Populations of Ovis aries can be partitioned into the mouflons and urials or arkars...
roamed the Prokletije until World War I when it disappeared.
Bird species include the golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, snake eagle, honey Buzzard
Honey Buzzard
The European Honey Buzzard , is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers....
, peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, capercaillie
Capercaillie
The Western Capercaillie , also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family, reaching over 100 cm in length and 6.7 kg in weight. The largest one ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg....
, rock partridge
Rock Partridge
The Rock Partridge, Alectoris graeca, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds.This partridge has its main range in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe, and is closely related and very similar to its eastern equivalent, the Chukar...
, scops owl
Scops owl
Scops owls are Strigidae belong to the genus Otus. Approximately 45 living species are known, but new ones are frequently recognized and unknown ones are still being discovered every few years or so, especially in Indonesia...
, Eurasian eagle owl
Eurasian Eagle Owl
The Eurasian Eagle-Owl is a species of eagle owl resident in much of Eurasia. It is also one of the largest types of owls.-Description:The Eagle Owl is a large and powerful bird, smaller than the Golden Eagle but larger than the Snowy Owl...
and the snow finch.
The rivers are home to a growing number of Marble trout. Among the amphibians ther are the alpine salamander
Alpine Salamander
The Alpine Salamander is a shiny black salamander. It is found in the Central, Eastern and Dinaric Alps, at altitudes above 700 meters. The Western Alps are inhabited by a similar species Salamandra lanzai in only one small area. There are no differences in length between sexes and sex ratio...
(southern most distribution), fire salamander
Fire Salamander
The fire salamander is probably the best-known salamander species in Europe. It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing...
, yellow-bellied toad
Yellow-bellied toad
The Yellow-Bellied Toad belongs to the order of Anura, the archaeobatrachial family of Bombinatoridae, and to the genus of fire-bellied toads.- Anatomy :...
and fire bellied toad . The rich herpetofauna include the fence lizard
Fence lizard
A Fence lizard can be either of two species of spiny lizard:*The eastern fence lizard or Northern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus*The western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis...
, green Lizard
Green Lizard
Green Lizard is a band from Tilburg, Netherlands that plays rock and roll, with influences from grunge, punk, hardrock and metal.-Past members:* Jasper Dankaart - drummer* Jan-Jaap Onverwagt - bassist...
, Greek tortoise
Greek Tortoise
The spur-thighed tortoise or Greek tortoise is one of four European members of the Testudinidae family of tortoises...
and snakes such as the true vipers including the poisonous horned viper
Horned viper
Horned viper may refer to:* Cerastes , North African desert vipers, a group of small, venomous species found in the deserts and semi-deserts of northern North Africa eastward through Arabia and Iran...
and adder
Adder
Adder may refer to:Snakes:* Any of several groups of venomous snakes of the Viperidae family including Vipera berus, the common European adder, found in Europe and northern Asia...
.
So far 140 species of butterflies are found which makes Prokletije the richest area in Europe for butterflies.
The Prokletije contains one endemic species of lizard, the Prokletije Rock Lizard, Dinarolacerta montenegrina, named after the range.
Early Ascents
British climbers Sleeman, Elmalie and Ellwood reached the summit of Maja Jezercë on 26 July 1929. These three climbers were the first to do so. Years later AustrianAustrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
mountaineers scaled the summit too. Many explorers and scientists visited the Prokletije mountains collecting rocks and samples and then displayed them in museums, all of them bringing comments back.
Before any of these expeditions took place the highest peak of the range was believed to be Shkëlzen
Shkëlzen
Shkëlzen is a mountain in Albania with a height of . It is rocky and located near the border with Kosovo, north of Tropojë. It belongs to the Prokletije. Shkëlzen shares its name with a village that is just south of the mountain....
at 2407 m (7,897 ft) high and then Maja Radohimës
Maja Radohimës
Maja e Radohimës is a mountain in the Albanian part of the Prokletije at a height of . Its location is west of the Maja Jezercë at high....
at 2570 m (8,432 ft). By early summer 1929 all the summits were measured by Italian geodetes.
National Parks
Three national parks exist in Prokletije, one in Montenegro, the other two in Albania. A fourth national park in the area has been proposed to be located in Kosovo. The Theth National ParkTheth National Park
Theth National Park is a national park in extreme northern Albania declared by government decree in 1966. It covers an area of 2,630 hectares and is located along the Theth River. The main attractions in the park are the Grunas Waterfall and the Lock-in Tower.Valbonë Valley National Park is...
in Albania was declared as such in 1966. It covers an area of 2,630 hectares and is located along the Thethi River. The main attraction in the park is the Grunas Waterfall. The Valbona Valley National Park
Valbona Valley National Park
Valbona Valley National Park is a national park in Albania declared by government decree in 1996. It covers an area of 8,000 hectares and is located along the Valbona Valley. A main attraction is the Valbona River flowing in the middle of the valley.The Theth National Park is adjacent to it and...
in Albania was declared as such in 1996. It is 8,000 hectares and is also called the Gem of Albania. It consists of the Valbona Valley and the Valbona River
Valbona River
The Valbonë or Valbona is a river in northern Albania. It is still relatively untouched. Its source is in the Prokletije, near the border with Montenegro. The Valbonë flows generally east through the municipality Margegaj , then turns south along Bajram Curri, and continues southwest until its...
. Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro are planning to create another tri-state park in the area, that will be called Balkanik Park of Peace. In the relevant ministry, there are plans to implement a large National Park in Albania which would cover a massive area of 144,000h. The park on the Kosovan side would include an area of 50,000h covering the high alpine areas and the Rugova Canyon
Rugova Canyon
The Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
and important rivers. The Montenegrin part of the Prokletije range has been declared a national park in 2009, comprising an area of 16.000ha.
A part of Maja e Ropës
Maja e Ropës
Rops is a mountain in Kosovo with a height of . It is a part of Bogićevica area in the Prokletije. It is the second highest mountain in the Bogićevica area after Marijaš at .-Notes and references:Notes:References:...
mountain has been declared a floral mountain reserve in 1955 covering an area of 25 hectares, chiefly uder Macedonian Pine
Macedonian Pine
Pinus peuce is a species of pine native to the mountains of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, the extreme southwest of Serbia, and the extreme north of Greece, growing typically at 1,000-2,200 m altitude. It often reaches the alpine tree line in this area...
, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
. In the same year the Kozhnjar area was declared a fauna reserve covering an area of 161h especially because of the presence of chamois
Chamois
The chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand...
.
Illegal deforestation today is still a major problem. In some extent some National Parks are also affected. In dry summers, forest fires are common. All the large mammals such as wolves, chamois, foxes, badgers and wild boar without regard to national park boundaries are hunted.
Settlement, economy and transport
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
, Montenegrians, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and Bosnians
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
, but is only very sparsely populated. At the edges there are some settlemts: the Albanian Koplik
Koplik
Koplik is a city and urban municipality, serving as the capital of the Malësi e Madhe district in the northwestern tip of Albania. It is situated north of the city of Shkodër.-History:...
and the Montenegrian Tuzi
Tuzi
Tuzi is a town in the Podgorica municipality, Montenegro, located along a main road between the city of Podgorica and the Albanian border crossing, just a few kilometers north of Lake Skadar. The exact location of Tuzi is...
in the west near the Scutari Lake, Plav
Plav
Plav Plav Plav (Montenegrin, (Albanian: Plav) is a town in north-eastern Montenegro. It has a population of 3,615 (2003 census).Plav is the centre of the municipality (population of 13,805),-Geography:...
and Gusinje
Gusinje
Gusinje is a small town in Montenegro. According to the 2003 census, the town has a population of 1,704.-History:The history and origins of Gusinje are unknown prior to the Ottoman conquests. Before the Ottoman Turks took control of the region, Plav-Gusinje was under the control of various...
in of the northern valley of the upper Lim river in Montenegro, Bajram Curri
Bajram Curri
Bajram Curri was an ethnic Albanian politician and activist within the Vilayet of Kosovo, Ottoman Empire. He is awarded the title Hero of Albania....
, the main town of the district Tropoja, in the eastern Prokletije. Even the somewhat more distant, larger cities of Shkodra, Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, Đakovica and Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
create their sphere of influence and are part of the inhabitants of the highlands for errands, administrative procedures and market sales are frequented.
Within the mountains there are villages with only up to a few hundred inhabitants. They are often pronounced scattered settlements without a clear core. Among the biggest likely to be Tamara and Selca, both are in the valley of the Cem and belonging to the community of the Kelmend
Kelmend
Kelmend is a municipality in the Malësi e Madhe District, Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. The municipality is part of the larger Kelmend region, and consists of eight major settlements, along with several other minor settlements.- Settlements :...
. The community of eight villages - including Vermosh - 6,600 inhabitants. Tamara has today the only place in the central mountains of infrastructure facilities such as a secondary school and in addition to Vermosh, a maternity hospital. Until the collapse of communism there was such facilities, for example, in the Shala Valley. Many residents of the villages in the interior such as Boga, Theth or Valbona live only in the summer months there, as these villages during winter are cut for many weeks.
Besides the seasonal migration, the whole mountain is suffering from a severe brain drain, as its only agriculture income is scarce. Many move in the hope of work and a little more comfort to the region of Shkodra and Koplik, Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
or abroad. As the number of year-round population wanes as the terrain becomes less accessible, there are few state or local government employees such as teachers. Besides agriculture, and semi-illegal forestry, local income is also based to a less modest extent to tourism.
In a few places like Theth
Theth
Theth is a community in the Shalë municipality, Shkodër District, Shkodër County, northern Albania.The community is at the centre of the Theth National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty.-History:...
, recreational hiking for tourism has been revitalized. With the help of GTZ, 40 private houses (also referred to as Guest Houses or Han, in Albanian) have been transformed into tourist accommodations or B&Bs. In 2010, there were 130 beds available in total - 100 more than in 2007. Additionally, hiking trails have been marked, and trails maps and guides published. In the period between 2006 to 2009, the number of tourists rose from 300 to around 7500 per year. Unlike in the rest of Albania, the increase was due to foreign tourists. Lakes such as Plav and Hrid receive many tourists during the summer months. In many villages there are small hydro power plants that supply the village with electricity.
Many villages were already settled by the 15th century. Some individual valleys have been inhabited since the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. At the end of communism, several thousand people emigrated and depopulated the area.
The former caravan route between Podgorica and Plav crossed the mountains along Lim and Cijevna.
Only in the north west there is a road that crosses the Prokletije. It leads from the eastern shore of Lake Scutari
Lake Scutari
Lake Skadar, also called Lake Scutari and Lake Shkodër is a lake on the border of Montenegro with Albania, the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. It is named after the city of Shkodra in northern Albania .- Geography :...
at Han i Hotit border crossing from Montenegro to the first pass into the valley of Cem, following this to the source elevation of the Qafa e Predelecit after Vermosh, border crossing there, after Montenegro and ends at Gusinje. The road in 2007 was mostly unpaved. From west to east, there is only one road from Koplik to Boga and Qafa gates leading to Theth. From Theth, there is a bad track down into the valley of the Shala Valley Church and the river leads to Shkodra - it's just walking path to the north (Qafa e Pejës) and east (Qafa e Valbonës) further. The road over the Qafa e Morinës at Bajram Curri
Bajram Curri
Bajram Curri was an ethnic Albanian politician and activist within the Vilayet of Kosovo, Ottoman Empire. He is awarded the title Hero of Albania....
after Đakovica has been reconstructed. In the past, the only route for crossing the border between Montenegro and Kosovo was via Rugova Canyon
Rugova Canyon
The Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
which was very dangerous and steep. With the construction of the Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
–Rožaje
Rožaje
Rožaje , is a town in northeastern Montenegro. It has a population of 9,121 Rožaje is the centre of the municipality, which has a population of 22,693. The municipality is located in the geographical region of Sandžak.-History:The history of Rožaje goes back to 1571 and 1585 when it was first...
highway the situation has greatly improved.
Literature
- Boenzi Federico, Giovanni Palmentola: "Glacial features and snow-line trend during the last glacial age in the Southern Apennines (Italy) and on Albanian and Greek mountains", in: Journal of Geomorphology, 41, 21-29, Berlin 1997.
- Cook, Steve and Marash Rakaj. "Social Changes in the Albanian Alps During Communism". Middle States Geographer 28, 1995:84-90.
- Jovan CvijićJovan CvijicJovan Cvijić was a Serbian geographer, president of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences, and rector of the University of Belgrade. A world-renowned scientist, Cvijić is considered the founder of geography in Serbia.-Early life and family:Jovan Cvijić was born on October 11 Jovan Cvijić...
: "Ice age in Prokletije and surrounding mountains". The - Glass SKAN, XCI, Belgrade 1913th (Original: Cvijic, J. 1921: Ledeno doba u i Prokletijama okolnim planinama .- Glasnik Srpske Akad Kraljevske XCL, 1913, XCIII.) - Jovan Cvijić: Geomorphology I-II, Belgrade 1924/26.
- Edith DurhamEdith DurhamMary Edith Durham was a British traveller, artist and writer who became famous for her anthropological accounts of life in Albania in the early 20th century.-Early life:...
: High Albania, London 1909 - Helmut Eberhart, Karl Kaser (Editor): Albania - tribal life between tradition and modernity, Böhlau Verlag, Wien 1995, ISBN 3-205-98378-5
- Milovan Milivojevića, Ljubomir Menkovića and Jelena Calic: "Pleistocene glacial relief of the central part of Mt Prokletije". In: Quaternary International, v. 190, 1, 1 November 2008, 112-122
- Franz Nopcsa : Geography and geology of northern Albania, Institutum Regni Hungariae Geologicum, Budapest 1929
- Christian Zindel, Barbara House Amman: Hiking north Albania - Thethi and Kelmend, Huber Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-940686-19-0
See also
- MalesijaMalësiaMalësia or Malësia e Madhe, is a historical geographical region in northern Albania and eastern Montenegro. It consists of an area of land that stretches from the southeast of Podgorica to northern shores of Lake Scutari, and includes much of the Malësi e Madhe District of Albania...
- Mokna
- BogićevicaBogicevicaBogićevica is a mountain area in the Prokletije. It spreads over Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo. It is about long and wide. The mountain area has a number of peaks higher than and two higher than . Marijaš and Maja e Ropës are both located in Kosovo...
- Rugova CanyonRugova CanyonThe Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
- RugovaRugova (Region)Rugova is a region in western Kosovo. Rugova is located in the northern part of the Bjeshkët e nemura range entirely within the boundary of Kosovo...
- ValbonaValbonaValbona can refer to:* The town of Valbona, Spain* Valbonë, a town in northern Albania* Valbonë in Albania...
- ThethThethTheth is a community in the Shalë municipality, Shkodër District, Shkodër County, northern Albania.The community is at the centre of the Theth National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty.-History:...
- Žljeb mountainŽljeb mountainŽljeb is a large mountain in north-western Kosovo and eastern Montenegro. It is part of the Prokletije, located between the mountains of Hajla and Mokna. Nearly all the mountain is in the territory of Kosovo. The White Drin river originates in the mountain. Žljeb mountain also creates some of the...
- Lake Komani Ferry
- Tourism in AlbaniaTourism in AlbaniaTourism in Albania is characterized by the archaeological heritage inherited from Greek, Roman and Ottoman times, unspoiled beaches, challenging mountain ranges, Cold War artifacts, unique traditions, unequivocal hospitality, delicious traditional cuisine, and the wild and peculiar atmosphere of...
- Tourism in KosovoTourism in KosovoTourism in Kosovo is still in its infancy following the violent conflicts of the past decade in Kosovo. Kosovo is known for its rich Ottoman architecture, Orthodox religious heritage, unique traditions, and spectacular natural landscapes...
- Tourism in MontenegroTourism in MontenegroMontenegro is a small Mediterranean country with rich architectural and cultural heritage, diversity of landscapes and climates, and well preserved natural environment. Naturally well-suited for development of all kinds of tourism, Montenegro is focused on becoming an elite tourist destination....
Academic
- Prokletije on BirdLife
- Peace parks of Prokletije
- Montenegrin Prokletije
- Prokletije at summitpost.org
- Successful Cooperation – Sustainable Results: Examples from Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, GTZ, 2010
Tourism
- Prokletije on WikitravelWikitravel-External links:* *...
- Guest House Accommodation in Albania
- Thethi Guide in Albania
- Rugova Canyon Travel Guide in Kosovo
- Prokletije National Park Travel Guide in Montenegro