View source for Hiking in Kosovo

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
[[File:Brezovica Mountain 05.jpg|thumb|right|300px|People hiking in [[Brezovica, Kosovo|Brezovica]] mountain]]
'''Hiking in Kosovo''' started with establishment of the first hiking association in 1928, and it continued with creation of different association all around the territory which was then part of Yugoslavia. After the [[Kosovo War]] a lot was done also by the support of societies such as HikingNjeri,<ref name="HikingNjeri">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hikingnjeri.com/english/Welcome.html |title=Hiking Njeri |access-date=24 February 2013 |archive-date=10 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110005047/http://www.hikingnjeri.com/english/Welcome.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> which have worked hard to not only organize activities, but also to expose hiking to the general public via social media.

Hiking as an activity started in its true sense circa 1930, the year in which a group of friends climbed the [[Gjeravica]] mountain in [[Peja]]. This was the first time that a peak in Kosovo  was climbed (there is no evidence of that). Even though people started to show interest shortly after, many mountains were near border areas and people needed special permission to visit them due to the political issue at the time.

That is the reason why people were able to actually become active hikers only after the war, especially in 2003-2005.
The vast majority of the terrain of Kosovo is mountainous.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destination/kosovo|title = Kosovo Travel Guide}}</ref>

Central mountains are not sufficiently hard to climb, yet they make a good hiking trail, their height goes from 800–1200 meters. The [[Miruša Waterfalls|Mirusha river]] splits these mountains in two groups. The first one is located in the south-west of central mountains and includes the following: [[Millanoviq]] mountains, [[Gajrak]], [[Zatriq]], [[Bajrak]] and [[Gremnik]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kosovotourismcenter.com/kiking.html |title=Kosova Tourism Center |access-date=24 February 2013 |archive-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702065843/http://www.kosovotourismcenter.com/kiking.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The second group consists of [[Carraleva]], [[Golesh]], [[Berisha (region)|Berisha]], [[Kosmaqi]], [[Drenica]], [[Qyqavica]] mountains.
Surrounding mountains are located near border areas. They are harder for hiking because of their steep trails and require a lot of experience and agility. Mountains that are in this group are: east ridge mountains of [[Accursed Mountains|Albanian Alps]], [[Hasi mountains]], [[Pashtriku]] peak, [[Šar Mountains|Sharr Mountains]], [[Kortnik]], east mountains of [[Gallak]], [[Kopaonik]]u and [[Rogozna]].<ref>Islami, Arben (2013). ''Pure Kosovo'', INIT productions, [[Pristina|Prishtinë]]</ref>

==Hiking zones==
[[File:Hasani peak.jpg|230px|thumbnail|right|Hasani peak]]
The preferred hiking zones are those providing at least a somewhat challenging set of trails, but also proximity to cities such as [[Prizren]] and Peja.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://endritstrail.blog.com/2012/06/16/hiking-around-peja-kosovo/ |title=Hiking in Rrugova Mountains, Kosovo &#124; Endrit's Trail |access-date=2013-02-24 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130407073600/http://endritstrail.blog.com/2012/06/16/hiking-around-peja-kosovo/ |archive-date=2013-04-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Even though Kosovo has many mountains that offer great trails for hiking, there are some that any hiker must visit because of their beauty and paths like: [[Šar Mountains|Sharr Gorge]], mountains in [[Rugova Canyon]] and also [[Istok, Kosovo|Istog Gorge]].<ref name="DITARET" /> In many of these places it is possible to go by car but in some mountains like :"Gjeravica", [[Mariash]]i, [[Roshkodol]]i, [[Guri i Kuq]], [[Milishefc]]i and mountains in [[Belegu|Belegu Gorge]] the only way to go is by [[off-road vehicle]]. "[[Šar Mountains|Sharr mountain]]" is known for its good region and good roads (passable by any vehicle) but that is not the case for [[Rugova Canyon|Rugova]] and [[Dečani|Deçan Gorge]].

===Hiking trails===
The following is a list of some of the best and most secure hiking trails, a list compiled by several local and national hiking clubs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wikiloc.com/trails/outdoor/kosovo|title = Top trails in Kosovo &#124; Wikiloc}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alltrails.com/|title=AllTrails: Trail Guides & Maps for Hiking, Camping, and Running|website=AllTrails.com}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Length !! Region !! Difficulty
|-
| [[Guri i Kuq]] || 9.82 miles  (15.80&nbsp;km) || [[Peja]] || Moderate
|-
| [[Brezovica, Kosovo|Brezovica]] || 21.17 miles (34&nbsp;km) || [[Ferizaj]] || Difficult
|-
| [[Drenaj]] || 2.3 miles (3.7&nbsp;km) || [[Peja]] || Easy
|-
| [[Hajla]] || 6.51 miles (10.47&nbsp;km) || [[Peja]] || Moderate
|-
| [[Gjeravica]] || 12.83 miles (20.64&nbsp;km) || [[Peja]] || Moderate
|-
| [[Šatorica|Shatoricë]]|| 26.39 miles (42.47&nbsp;km) || [[Leposavić|Leposaviq]] || Moderate
|}

==Hiking seasons==
[[File:Close to Koritnik peak 2395 m.jpg|250px|thumbnail|Close to [[Maja e Pikëllimës]] ({{Convert|2393|m|abbr=on}}) in the [[Koritnik]] mountain |left]]

April to December is considered the most suitable time for hiking, as most passionate hikers are skiing during the cold winter months. However, with shorter ski seasons due to low snowfalls and the increasing popularity of hiking, a lot of hikers have begun to remain active during winter as well. Mountains in Kosovo are covered in snow from November to April that's why snowproof and waterproof boots are mandatory in the West due to the need for stream fording.<ref name="HikingSociety" />
The mountains preferred for hiking during hot weather are: [[Gjeravica]], [[Hasi mountains]], [[Šar Mountains]] outskirts, [[Gallak]], [[Kopaonik]]u, [[Rogozna]], [[Guri i Kuq]], [[Milishefc]]i, [[Roshkodol]]i, [[Mariashi]]. As for the cold winter months, the preferred mountains are those that are lower in altitude and are less steep: [[Prevallë]], [[Pashallore]], [[Pashtriku]], [[Brezovica, Kosovo|Brezovica]], [[Brod, Prizren|Brod]] outskirts, and [[Kortnik]].

==Types of hiking==
Hikers in Kosovo speak of four kinds of hiking activities:<ref name="HikingNjeri" />
* [[Trekking]]
* [[Rock climbing]]
* [[Dayhike]] (a hike that can be completed in a single day and does not require overnight camping)
* [[Backpacking (travel)|Backpacking]] (including camping one or more nights, also known as multi-day hiking)

==Equipment and directions==
The equipment required largely depends on the hiking activity and the nature of the trail. A basic kit must include water, a map, a [[backpack]] and a [[flashlight]].<ref>The Mountaineers, ''Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills'', (1997), {{ISBN|0898864275}}.</ref> As for the outfit, one can wear anything but [[hiking boot]]s are a must. Dangerous hiking circumstances include getting lost, hazardous terrain, animal attack and sickness. It is therefore also advisable to bring medications or first aid kit. One could quite easily get lost because not all trails in Kosovo are marked, which is why one needs to carry a magnetic pocket compass. Different hiking clubs in Kosovo have a list which includes items such as [[sunglasses]], [[sunscreen]], clothes, [[first aid kit]], fire starter, [[knife]] and many other stuff to get you prepared as you can be.<ref>Çaplar, Alan (2011). ''Bazat e bjeshkatarisë'', Blini-BK, [[Gjakova]].</ref> The maps that are used are mostly [[Geographic information system|GIS]] maps(Geographic information system). Also there are maps that were created by the "Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS)" with a scale of 1:25000 and 1:50000. Even though signs are rare, hikers are not so it is easy to get around by asking directions.<ref name="HikingNjeri" />

==People and hiking==
Kosovo has a great potential for development of mountain tourism. The whole territory of Kosovo has more than 50% of mountain relief.
People of all ages can go on hiking, although currently most hikers in Kosovo are aged between 30 and 60.
The percentage of people that are interested in hiking, compared to the potential that Kosovo offers, is really low even though there is a big effort on raising that percentage.<ref name="HikingNjeri" /> Hiking in Kosovo can be very interesting and an unforgettable experience and many have written about it.<ref>Wassel, Tod, 2011, ''The Mountains of Dragash/Dragaš, Kosovo: Hiking and Nature Tourism Guide'', United Nations Development Programme</ref> Hikers usually take a journal with them to keep track of different hiking trips.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shba-prishtina.com/donacione/ |title=UDHËRRËFIME at SHBA Prishtina |access-date=2013-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717090039/http://www.shba-prishtina.com/donacione/ |archive-date=2013-07-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Their journal usually contains how many kilometers they walked, how long did it take to arrive to the peak, the places they visited and notable things they saw during the hike.<ref name="DITARET">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120317072817/http://fbaku.org/index.php/sq/udherrefimet.html F Baku website]</ref>

===Rarities while hiking in Kosovo===
While hiking in Kosovo one can run into different endangered species,<ref>Ministria e mjedisit dhe planifikimit hapësinor, 2010. ''Natyra'', UNDP, [[Pristina]]</ref> rare and poisonous plants.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aragonit-speleo.org/en/visitingkosova |title=Visiting kosova &#124; aragonit speleo association |access-date=2013-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317005022/http://www.aragonit-speleo.org/en/visitingkosova |archive-date=2013-03-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Veselaj, Z, Sherifi, 2001, Llojet e rralla bimore dhe shtazore të Kosovës, Ekoklina & IMNMK, [[Pristina|Prishtinë]]</ref>

[[File:Lynx lynx2.jpg|thumb|left|120px|[[Eurasian lynx|''Lynx lynx'']]]]
Some of these animals are:

* [[Eurasian lynx]]<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s10344-006-0052-4 |title=Diet of Eurasian lynx, ''Lynx lynx'', in the boreal forest of southeastern Norway: The relative importance of livestock and hares at low roe deer density |year=2006 |last1=Odden |first1=John |last2=Linnell |first2=John D. C. |last3=Andersen |first3=Reidar |journal=European Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=52 |issue=4 |pages=237|s2cid=23472006 }}
</ref>
* [[Chamois]]<ref name= Macdonald>{{cite book|author1=Macdonald, D.W. |author2=Barrett, P. |year=1993|title=Mammals of Europe|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=New Jersey|isbn=0-691-09160-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofeurope00macd}}</ref>
* [[Brown bear]]<ref>[http://www.kora.ch/sp-ois/bear-ois/index.htm Bear Online Information System for Europe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614033232/https://www.kora.ch/sp-ois/bear-ois/index.htm |date=14 June 2021 }}. Kora.ch. Retrieved on 2011-09-15.</ref>
* [[Buzzard]]<ref>[[Georges Cuvier]], Edward Blyth, Robert Mudie, George Johnston, John Obadiah Westwood, William Benjamin Carpenter, ''The Animal Kingdom: Arranged After Its Organization, Forming a Natural History of Animals, and an Introduction to Comparative Anatomy'', 1851, [https://books.google.com/books?id=fPvRAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22common+pern%22&pg=PA171 p. 171]</ref>
* [[Wild boar]]<ref name=Groves>[[Colin Groves|Groves, C.]] (2008). ''Current views on the taxonomy and zoogeography of the genus Sus.'' pp. 15–29 ''in'' Albarella, U., Dobney, K, Ervynck, A. & Rowley-Conwy, P. Eds. (2008). ''Pigs and Humans: 10,000 Years of Interaction''. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-920704-6}}</ref>
* [[Western capercaillie]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.arkive.org/capercaillie/tetrao-urogallus/ |title=ARKive - Capercaillie videos, photos and facts - Tetrao urogallus |access-date=2013-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823055948/http://www.arkive.org/capercaillie/tetrao-urogallus/ |archive-date=2012-08-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[White stork]]<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Mužinic, Jasmina |author2=Rašajski, Javor |year=1992 |title=On Food and Feeding Habits in the White Stork, ''Ciconia c. ciconia'', in the Central Balkans |journal=Ökologie der Vögel (Ecology of Birds) |volume=14 |pages=211–23 |url=http://www.vretenca.hr/filez/bib/B-068.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721102823/http://www.vretenca.hr/filez/bib/B-068.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-21 }}</ref>

As for the plants:
[[File:Muchomůrka červená.JPG|120px|thumbnail|left|''[[Amanita muscaria]]'']]
* ''[[Amanita muscaria]]''<ref>Wasson, R. Gordon. The Wondrous Mushroom: Mycolatry in Mesoamerica, pp43–44</ref>
* ''[[Forsythia]]''<ref>Ferat REXHEPI & Elez KRASNIQI, 2004, http://hacquetia.zrc-sazu.si/vol3_pdf/HQ3-1_6.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065443/http://hacquetia.zrc-sazu.si/vol3_pdf/HQ3-1_6.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>
* ''[[Linum]]''<ref name="BIMA">Krasniqi, E.A., Mala, Xh., Maxhuni, Q., Bajraktari, F., Hajdari, (2007), Stenoendemic species of Kosova's flora, 31st International Symposium on Vegetation in SE Europe,04-06 July 2007 Prishtina, Kosovo.</ref>
* ''[[Malus florentina]]''<ref name="BIMA" />
* ''[[Prunus mahaleb]]''<ref name="BIMA" />
* ''[[Salvia ringens]]''<ref name="BIMA" />
* ''[[Gentiana lutea]]''<ref>Millaku F (1999). Flora subalpike dhe alpike e Alpeve Shqiptare
(Kosovë), Doctorate thesis, Prishtinë, Kosovë. Pp 90-91</ref>

==Clubs==
In Kosovo there are more than 25 hiking clubs organizing different hiking events. The most known in Pristina are: "HikingNjeri<ref name="HikingNjeri" />" and "SHBA Prishtina<ref name="FBAKU">{{cite web |url=http://www.fbaku.org/ |title=Home |website=fbaku.org}}</ref>" but still [[Prizren]] is known for the largest number of hiking societies. During the last years, hiking in Kosovo has gotten more and more support from different foreign organizations like:"[[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]]", "[[European Commission|EU Commission]]" and "Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS)".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mkrs-ks.org/?page=2,1|title = Home - Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport}}</ref> The best way to taste Kosovo's mountains and enjoy the stay there is to join one of these clubs for a small membership fee. The hikes are organized on weekends(almost every weekend) going from weekly ones with general attendance in some clubs to more rare but demanding hikes in others.<ref name="HikingSociety">{{Cite web |url=http://www.newkosovareport.com/201004222184/Society/hiking-kosovo.html |title=Parkerad hos Webbhotell City Network |access-date=2013-02-24 |archive-date=2016-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313045206/http://newkosovareport.com/201004222184/society/hiking-kosovo.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Chronology of the establishment of hiking clubs ===
The society "Gjeravica" from Peja is the first society that was created in 1928. After the [[World War II]] many clubs were created in: [[Mitrovica, Kosovo|Mitrovica]], [[Gjakova]], [[Ferizaj]], Pristina and Prizren. In 1951 the first Hiking community was formed which later was called "Lidhja Bjeshkatare - Skitare e [[Kosovo|Kosovës]]".
Except outdoor activities many clubs started publishing magazines and books for example "Gjeravica", which managed to publish 19 issues of the magazine "The Voice of Gjeravica".<ref name="FBAKU" />

* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1928}} |event= Gjeravica |location= Peja }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1948}} |event= Pashtriku, now Sharri |location= Prizren }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1948}} |event= Gërmija, now Prishtina 1 |location= Pristina }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1948}} |event= Pashtriku |location= Gjakova }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1928}} |event= Sharri, now Lyboteni |location= Ferizaj }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1948}} |event= Trepça |location= Mitrovica }} (no longer exists)
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1950}} |event= Cicavica |location= Vushtrri }} (no longer exists)
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|1967}} |event= Zheleznicar, now Kalaja |location= Kosovo Polje }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2000}} |event= Eko |location= Prizren }} (no longer exists)
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2000}} |event= Guri i zi |location= Dragash }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2000}} |event= [[Blinaja]] |location= Lipjan }}
* 2004 - Marimangat e Pejes <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://marimangat.org/|title=Marimangat &#124; Marimangat e pejes|accessdate=20 August 2023}}</ref>
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2004}} |event= Guri i shtrenjtë |location= Shtime }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2004}} |event= Shkëlzeni |location= Gjakova }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2005}} |event= HikingNjeri |location= Pristina }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2008}} |event= Dardania |location= Gjilan }}
* {{Timeline-event |date={{Start date|2009}} |event= The Hikers |location= Pristina }}

Nowadays many clubs have been more active, exploring new paths and new places. For example, "Sharri" club from Ferizaj worked with [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] to mark and sign new paths and make the orientation much easier.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://shbsharri.com/ |title=Home |website=shbsharri.com}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

===Commercial sites===
* [http://Bnadventure.com/ Balkan Natural Adventure]
* [http://experiencekosovo.com/ Experience Kosovol]

{{World topic|Hiking in|noredlinks=yes}}

[[Category:Hiking by country|Kosovo]]
[[Category:Tourism in Kosovo]]