Gashi River

Gashi river is located in the northeast of the Albanian Alps, in Tropoja. The river is bordered to the north by Montenegro and to the north-east by Kosovo. It has an area of 3000 ha and a length of about 27 km. The Gashi River was declared a natural reserve in 1996. The Gashi River is part of the UNESCO world natural heritage, precisely because of the old beech forests, which also hide rare fauna in the interior. The climate is mountainous Mediterranean, characterized by very harsh winters with frosts, heavy snowfalls and cool summers.

A large part of the river's surface is covered with untouched or rarely used mountain landscapes on different levels of vegetation with forests mainly composed of: beech over 150 years old, with spruce, mountain maple, cypress, hornbeam, hornbeam etc. The alpine meadows, the mountains with diverse vegetation and sensational development have a special value. In these meadows stand out: blueberries with delicious fruits. The area is a habitat for large mammals and is protected by the convention. Among them are distinguished: brown bear, lynx, wolf, wild goat, roe deer, wild boar, etc. Among the birds, the wild turkey and the mountain eagle stand out.

The region stands out for its numerous and extremely clean waters. Of particular value are the two glacial lakes, Dobërdoli and Sylbica, formed in glacial cirques but also in moraine deposits of glacial valleys, multiplying the beauty of the landscape.

In the entire territory of this reserve, a wealth of symbols, legends, legends, toponyms from the Kreshniks, fairies and patriots Mic Sokoli, Bajram Curri, etc. is inherited from generation to generation. The folklore of the area is also very rich with the famous Tropoja dance. Also without forgetting the ethnographic values, among which women's and men's clothing are distinguished.