Cycling the Balkans: Podgorica - Krujë

This is the first of five parts detailing my four week cycling tour around Albania, Montenegro & Bosnia in May and June 2023. Here are links to Part Two, Part Three, Part Four and Part Five.

I flew into Podgorica and assembled the bike in front of the tiny airport. It was warm and sunny when I arrived, but storm clouds were buidling, so I felt a bit of time pressure to assemble my bike and ride the 13km to Podgorica before the heavens opened.

This proved to be partly successful. It was still dry as I assembled my bike and set off riding, taking back roads to avoid the busy M2. Alas, about half way through the ride a heavy storm broke, with torrential rain and lightning. I found some shelter and waited it out for 30 minutes. It duly cleared up and I was free to ride along very wet roads into Montenegro's small capital.

Afternoon thunderstorms would turn out to be a recurrent nuissance in Albania and Montenegro, leading to some considerable route adjustments.



I spent two nights in Podgorica, which was a pleasant city with a relaxed atmosphere. I had been to Montenegro before, staying in the more touristy coastal towns of Kotor and Bar, and Podgorica had a much calmer and more down to earth vibe. There isn't a whole lot to see here; it's basically a provincial city that was elevated to capital status following the break-up of Yugoslavia.

After looking around the city, including a nice stroll along the Ribnica river, the following day I decided to do a short circular ride into the nearby mountains. The ride was mostly an out and back route, tackling a 400m ascent to the village of Medun. It offered some nice views of Podgorica and the road even had a cycle lane marked on it at times.

Speaking of which, there are several cycle lanes in Podgorica, but they were barely usable. Cars parked in them or drove in them, to the point that it felt safer to just ride in the road itself. Montenegrin drivers are not particularly patient with cyclists, so it's fortunate that you can find quiet roads pretty easily, even around the capital.

On the return to Podgorica I visited the ruins of Doclea - an old Roman City. There was not too much remaining and the site was quite overgrown and unmanaged. I was able to freely stroll around, and it's always impressive to get a glimpse of 2,000 years of history.

The Balkans region actually found itself somewhat at the heart of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries, as it was ideally located between the various capitals of Rome, Constantinople and Ravenna. Many of the greatest emperors came from nearby, including Constantine (Nis), Diocletian (Split) and Justinian (Macedonia).

Other highlights on the way back to the hotel included crossing a beautiful railway bridge and climbing into Gorica Park (a hill that the city is named after).

Crossing into Albania

My first full day touring began with a gentle 25km ride to the border with Albania. The main border crossing from Podgorica is on the M18 and is quite busy with both trucks and cars. For cyclists I highly recommend crossing at the Cijevna - Grabon border post. This is accessed by a well paved, but extremely quiet road alongside the Cemi River.



The border crossing was quick and easy, there was nobody waiting and I was stamped through immediately. On the other side, I was soon greeted with the main climb of the day - a 500m ascent to Leqet e Hotit Pass. Sometimes known as the 'Albanian Stelvio', due to its hairpin bends, this was a very enjoyable climb. The gradient was steady, the views were spectacular and the traffic was light, despite it being the weekend.



A brief descent then took me to the junction with a small road to Kastrat. I had planned to take this minor road, fearing that the SH1 would get busy close to Shkodër. It was mostly paved, but very undulating. I was enjoying it when, unfortunately my route was blocked by a rather aggressive bull. I normally have no problems getting past animals on the route, but this bull was being particularly belligerent, repeatedly blocking my way.

When it started scraping the ground with its hoof and exhaling loudly through its nostrils, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and back-tracked. This meant rejoining the descent on the main SH-20 road. The descent was smooth and fun and traffic continued to be quite light, even as it fed into the SH-1 road. I think being a Saturday afternoon may have helped in this respect.



After riding for around 20km on the SH-1, which mostly had a decent shoulder, I turned off to take back roads into Shkodër. This turned out to be very enjoyable with quiet roads (mostly paved, but with a couple of short gravel sections). The back roads headed through picturesque villages and past small churches. Catholicism is the main religion in the far north of Albania, although Islam and Atheism are also prominent.

One of my main reasons for going this way was to see the beautiful 18th century Mesi Bridge. It didn't disappoint, with its Ottoman style somewhat reminiscent of the much much famous bridge in Mostar (Bosnia).




Shkodër was very lively when I arrived, with a lot of locals travelling around by bicycle. I stopped at a Vodafone shop to get an Albanian SIM. This included a data package with roaming across many of the Balkan countries, and I can confirm that the data worked fine in both Montenegro and Bosnia, as well as Albania.

I had two nights in Shkodër, as I wanted a full day to look around the magnificent Rozafa Castle and Shkodra Lake, so on the first evening I just relaxed.

Shkodër

I really enjoyed the two nights I spent in Shkodër. So much in fact, that I would end up returning there in a few days! Rozafa Castle was a particularly highlight, both for the castle itself and the fantastic views over the city and surrounding mountains.

The hill has boasted a fortress since Illyrium times (pre-Roman), as it was a key strategic location for controlling Lake Shokdra and the Buna Valley. Today the castle is mostly in ruins inside, but the walls remain well preserved, as does some of the inner defensive fortifications and a church. In the castle you can still see traces of Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman architecture - representing its varied and storied history.

Shkodër is also famous for the huge Lake Shkodra, which extends north-west of the city into Montenegro. I cycled a short distance around the lake and stopped at a restaurant in Shiroka to enjoy the local delicacy - eel, fresh from the lake. They were tasty, although a bit bony for my liking.





The following morning I left Shkodër and set off on a 100km ride to the town of Krujë. I had originally planned to head to Fushë Arrës, then on to Kukës and Kosovo, but changed my mind due to thunderstorms in the mountains. For a similar reason, I would end up returning to Lake Shkodra in just four days!

The first part of the ride between Shkodër and Lezhë was exceptional. There was a bit of traffic leaving the town, but nothing too heavy. However, from 22km, shortly after crossing the Drin River, I joined a stunning newly paved road which continued all the way to Lezhë. The Eurovelo route here sends you further west on the main SH-1 road, but this alternative road, passing through villages such as Hajmel, Krajne and Kallmet was far, far better. It was very scenic, very quiet and with a perfect surface. For some reason there were also a lot of tortoises or turtles on the road, which was really cool to see.



Lezhë is a relatively large town, and is a good place to grab lunch or a coffee. From here the riding continued to be mostly pleasant, although there was slightly more traffic. Near to Milot I crossed a very bumpy bridge over the Lumi Mat River and there was a quarry on the SH39 which briefly saw an increase in trucks - but the drivers were generally very respectful.

The day finished with a 500m elevation climb up to Krujë. I was a bit worried that this road would be busy. It did have a fair bit of traffic, but fortunately it was wide, so cars could overtake while still leaving plenty of space. The gradient was steepish, but steady, and before long I had made it to the very charming town of Krujë - where I would stay for two nights...






Part 2 - Krujë - Shiroka

Part 3 - Lake Shkodra & Cetinje

Part 4 - Durmitor National Park

Part 5 - Foča - Dubrovnik

Albania, Montenegro & Bosnia Tour Overview

Cycle Touring Guides