Peaks of the Balkans trek sees visitor numbers rise sharply
A new study reveals that roughly 43,000 hikers now walk the Peaks of the Balkans trail annually across Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro.
Tourist revenue grows in mountain regions
According to a late 2025 study in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, approximately 43,000 hikers traverse the trail annually. This figure represents a significant increase from regional estimates of roughly 20,000 visitors recorded during the pre-pandemic era. The surge in foot traffic injects more than €25 million annually into mountain regions where family homes and shepherd settlements have increasingly become guesthouses for trekkers.
Trail aims to reconnect communities
Designed during the early 2010s as an initiative linking peace and tourism across borders, the trail aimed to reunite mountain populations divided by conflict. This path stretches 119 miles over the historically contested regions of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro, passing through the area known as the Accursed Mountains. Ricardo Fahrig of the Albania-based adventure travel company Zbulo notes that success is beginning to crowd some of the places the trail was created to support.
Distribution issues affect specific areas
Fahrig says the contrast between busy Dobërdol and quieter terrain gets to the heart of the issue regarding visitor distribution. While certain areas see few visitors, locations such as Dobërdol face low numbers throughout the brief summer window spanning approximately June to September. The high mountain settlement in northern Albania sees cowbells clanging outside cabins at 5,700 feet as trekkers arrive for breakfast.
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