Stage 1 of the Peaks of the Balkans covers 15.3 km from Theth to Valbonë, with 881 m of ascent and 906 m of descent. The highest point is 1,788 m. Allow about 6.5 hours of walking, plus breaks.
Distance, climb and elevation come from the Outest route data. Difficulty and time are estimates from distance and climb; your pace will vary with heat, pack weight and photo stops.
Large hotel and restaurant where the official stage 1 ends, about 3.5 km before Valbonë village; rooms and small cabins. Phone from an older Valbona tourism listing: call to confirm.
Hotel with a restaurant serving traditional Albanian food in the Valbonë valley, 0.4 km from the trail and about 4 km before Valbonë village. Twin, double and family rooms with private bathrooms.
Family guesthouse opened in 1992, run by Kol Gjoni and his son Bledar, with meals and space for tents; about 2 km before Valbonë village. Phone from an older Valbona tourism listing: call to confirm.
Ask for Kol Gjoni
Guesthouse on the trail in the Valbonë valley, about 1 km before the village centre.
Small guesthouse in Valbonë village centre, at the start of the climb to the Prosllopit pass.
Checked online in October 2026. Places marked "listed in a map or guide listing" appear on OpenStreetMap, the official trail pages or a trekking guide, but could not be confirmed on their own website or an official tourism list. Most places are family guesthouses with half board, and the ones in the summer villages open only from about mid-June to September. Call a day or two ahead, and pay in cash: lek or euros in Albania, euros in Kosovo and Montenegro.
Emergency: call 112 (ambulance: 127 Albania, 194 Kosovo, 124 Montenegro). Emergency & health guide
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
The full stage works offline in Outest, with the route, elevation, water and village points, and a trail guide you can ask about conditions and the next place to sleep.