The crystalline waters of the Shala River originate from the village of Theth, and those of Valbona River originates from the beautiful Valbona Valley gets together in Komani Lake. These rivers collect the alpine waters from the melting snow of the mountains that flow into the valleys creating Lake Koman, one of the most beautiful destinations in Albania and the Balkans.
This lake also serves as a connecting link between the inhabitants of the districts of Shkoder, Tropoja, and Puka with an unrepeatable waterway.
The boat trip to Lake Koman passes through mountains with magnificent shores that reach a height of 1000-1500 meters, where it is difficult to find any sign of human existence. The wild landscape is somewhat similar to the Norwegian Fjords and offers a view that you cannot find anywhere else in our country. The journey in this segment is fabulous, and throughout the trip, you are left speechless by the magnificent nature, on both sides with the slopes lined with greenery, the fractures, and reflexes of the light that water creates with the sunlight, the water twisting as it enters the rocks that once were slopes of valleys.
The artificial aquifer was created in 1979 with the construction of a hydroelectric dam that at that time, was called “the Light of the Party.”
This lake was formed on the river Drin, in Fierzë, after the confluence of the White Drin and the Black Drin. It serves to regulate the flow of this river for the hydropower plant.
Fierza Lake has a depth of 167 m, a surface area of 72.5 km2 and a volume of 2.7 billion cubic meters of water. The elongated shape of the lake mirror follows the contours of the valleys in which it is formed. The total area of its watershed is 11829 square km, while its height is 983 m. As a result, the waters are relatively cold.
The lake is used for fishing. Inland waterway transport for passengers and freight is also developed. On the east coast is built the New Kukes, in flood of the Old. Otherwise, besides the two ports on both sides of the lake, Fierze, and Koman, the lake as a whole offers many other places that are worth visiting.
Among them are the Shala River, Daica River, Berisha River, Gomina River, Shala Cave, Kaur Cave, Peace Island, Bloodstream, as well as the villages of Svine, Berbull, Zhub, Berisha, Nanbli, Temal, Toplane, Brise, Sauce, Sauce and more.
Departure via Koman Lake from Tirana or Shkodra in the direction of the departure boat to Koman, and takes approximately 3-4 hours. To travel here, you can choose to sail by boat or ferry to one of the two most beautiful destinations of the Albanian Alps, such as the Shala River and Valbonë.
From Tirana, Valbona can be reached through Koman Lake and, according to the route it follows, it traverses land and sea routes. The most common and most popular itinerary is the one that crosses the Tirana-Shkodra national road, returns to Bushat where you can see the tourist board “Koman,” and continues to Mjeda-Vau i Dejes-Koman-Fierza (the Koman ferry ride -Fierza), then continue to Bajram Curri. This fascinating itinerary, besides keeping you connected to nature, leads you to a destination with endless ramifications, going to Puka, Kukës, Tropoja, and Valbonë and all over northern Albania.
The second route is the one that lies entirely on land.
This route is otherwise known as the “Neck of the Mountain Road.” The journey continues following the direction of the first itinerary to Milot. Afterward, the road is divided to enter the road leading to the town of Puka, crosses there, and then from the Highland of Mirdita continues to the north of the country, near Kukës and divides in the direction of Tropoja.
The average journey on both routes lasts eight hours, although the Neck Mountain route with a typical average ride of 80 kilometers per hour can be completed seven hours after departing Tirana if the road stops are not extended.
Unfortunately, the lack of better organization has overshadowed the tourist exploitation of this area with powerful potentials, if used partially, would directly impact the economic income of all the space.
