Area: Skanderbeg, Albania
Kruja is dominated by a steep, craggy limestone mountain that protects it from the east. It nestles around the slopes, with its castle looking out over the plains to the Adriatic. I headed there from Tirana on a dreadful day of cold rain and mist. When I arrived in Kruja, I couldn't see the mountains - in fact, I couldn't even see the castle. It was all very atmospheric, however, and later the mist cleared then swirled around the crags. Next morning was far better: some high cloud but hints of warmed sunshine to come as I headed up the Rruga Malit (mountain road) after a fine breakfast at the memorable Hotel Panorama. At the top of town, there is an ancient path leading up the mountain to 'Sarisalltik', a Bektashi muslim shrine in a cave below one of the limestone crags. Despite its ancient engineered zigzags (in places), it was relentlessly steep, a 500m ascent that took me 28 minutes at a fair lick. Above, I passed an old hotel to take in the true summit. It was early, and very quiet, a beautiful ambience and soft light. Lovely hills all around (particularly a double summit near Noje). I jogged along a wooded ridge south taking in two subsidiary peaks (these were clearly visible from the airport later). Nice woods and open meadows. Then it was back down the newly tarmaced mountain road, which is distinctly Alpine, well engineered, and curves round the mountain north and west for 6k+ back to Kruja. It gave a lovely running descent, almost no cars, in 25 minutes. Then it was back to Rinas to lunch on shish kebabs before the flight home.
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