Bredhi i Drenoves National Park

Bredhi i Drenoves National Park

The Bredhi i Drenoves (Drenova Fir) National Park is situated in the region of Korçë, only 10 km from the city of Korçë, and 6 km away from Drenova village. It covers an area of 1380 hectares in the Morava mountain range. The park gained its status in 1966 and is named after the fir trees.

In Bredhi i Drenoves park you can find numerous sites of natural, historic and cultural importance such as the peak Guri i Cjapit or the Saint Peter and Saint Ilia churches.

The park is of particular importance as a migration corridor and for the transboundary exchanges of flora and fauna. Moreover, it represents a key habitat and bio-corridor for large vertebrates, such as bear, wolf and roe deer.

In the park you will find a huge variety of habitats: natural subalpine and alpine pastures, beech forest, pine, fir and hazelnut.

The beautiful landscapes of Bredhi i Drenoves have a great potential for a sustainable natural and cultural tourism development. The national park is visited by Albanians as well as international tourists and is a popular destination for enthusiasts of hiking, mountaineering and other outdoor activities.

Natural springs and rock formations

The Park is rich in water springs, that hold water all year round which makes them especially interesting for visitors. The most prominent springs are the spring of the Bear, the spring of Shën Gjergji (Saint George), the Spring of the Old Woman, the Spring of Hajdut (Thieves) and the springs of Izvor .

Of particular interest are some relief formations carved by the wind, like “Guri i Cjapit” (the Stone of Goat), which has a shape resembling a sitting camel.

Videos of “Guri i Cjapit”

View another video of Guri i Capit on YouTube

Highlights of the different seasons

Each season has its characteristic beauty. The largest number of visitors visit the park in summer and autumn, because it is more difficult to travel there in winter and spring.

• Winter: Enjoy wonderful views of snow in the fir forests and see animal tracks in the pristine snow landscape.
• Spring: While some snow remains, the first flowers and vegetation emerge with beautiful colors, accompanied by the sound of water streams.
• Summer: There is plenty of vegetation, flowers and amazing meadow views and the pleasure of staying in the shade of trees.
• Autumn: See the coloring of the leaves and the forest and discover and test many different forest fruits.

Activities offered in the park

The recreational activities on offer are hiking, camping, mountaineering, cycling, rock climbing, running, skiing and wildlife observation.

Special events

On May 1^st many people from the region and tourists go for picnics in Bredhi i Drenoves.

On the day of St. Peter and St. Paul (June 29^th) believers like to go out into the nature after church service to enjoy picnics.

Text and photos: Bredhi i Drenoves National Park and Iljon Thanas