“Guri i Mëngjesit” (‘The Morning Stone’) reaches an elevation of 1940m (7,851 ft) above the sea level. It is located in the north-eastern part of Albania, above the Shishtavec village, and is part of the Korab-Koritnik Natural Park. It is in the envisaged imaginary border that separates Albania from Kosovo.
“Guri i Mëngjesit” is a cone shaped sandstone, 25 meters long, 13 meters wide and 11 meters in height. This stone is easily distinguished and stands out freely, since it stands alone on the ridge that leads to Kallabak Mountain. Although the stone does not indicate the place where the sun rises, the inhabitants of the area denominated it as the ‘Morning Stone’ since they used it as a reference point during passage and crossings from one village to another.
From “Guri i Mëngjesit” you can see the Sharr Mountains that extend from Kosovo to Macedonia, Gjallica, Koritnik, Korab, Kallabak, parts of the Albanian Alps, and moreover the largest Alpine pastures of South-Eastern Europe, part of “Shtegu i Ngjyrave” (the ‘Color Trail’).
The climb to Guri e Mëngjesit starts from the Shishtavec village centre at 1350m, part of the commune under the same name. The trail continues for 6 km in the direction of Guri i Mëngjesit, passing through the fertile fields located above the village, well known for potato cultivation.
The trail, along all the climbing course, passes through accessible passable terrain, amidst alpine pastures, where during the spring season, you can see a cheerful landscape of colours from the blooming flowers.
The most special flower that you can encounter during climbing, is the Albanian Lily (Lilium albanicium), an endemic endangered plant, which is classified as threatened. The breathtaking landscape and the lawns that continue to extend up to the part of Kosovo and North Macedonia accompany you throughout the climb to the ridge where the Guri i Mëngjesit is located.
The trail starts at Shishtavec village centre 30 km away from the Kukës city centre. The road to the village is paved and can be done by any type of vehicle.
This climb has 600m interchange and a total of 12 km ascent-descent, and the time required to cover this distance is about 5-6 hours.
The path is in good condition and accessible without any issues along its entire distance itinerary and is considered a path of medium difficulty level. Due care should be paid during the winter period because of low temperatures which can generate issues with snow and ice.
This guide is suitable to all those who are in a good shape and fit or to those who regularly practice sports activity during the week.
