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Accursed Mountains

April 26, 2023

The Accursed Mountains (Albanian: Bjeshkët e Nemuna; Serbo-Croatian: Проклетије, Prokletije, pronounced [prɔklɛ̌tijɛ]; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (Albanian: Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans. It is the southernmost subrange of the 1,000-kilometre-long (621 mi) Dinaric Alps range (Dinarides), extending from northern Albania to southern Kosovo[a] and northeastern Montenegro. Maja Jezercë, standing at 2,694 m (8,839 ft), is the highest point of the Accursed Mountains and of all Dinaric Alps, and the fifth highest peak in Albania. The range includes the mountain Zla Kolata, which, at 2,534 m (8,314 ft), is the tallest mountain in Montenegro. The range also includes the mountain Gjeravica, which, at 2,656 m (8,714 ft), is the second tallest mountain in Kosovo. One of the southernmost glacial masses in Europe was discovered in the Albanian part of the range in 2009.[1]

Accursed Mountains
Maja Jezercë in the distance.
Highest point
PeakMaja Jezercë, Albania
Elevation2,694 m (8,839 ft)
Coordinates42°26′30″N 19°48′45″E / 42.44167°N 19.81250°E / 42.44167; 19.81250Coordinates: 42°26′30″N 19°48′45″E / 42.44167°N 19.81250°E / 42.44167; 19.81250
Naming
Native name
Geography
CountriesAlbania, Kosovo[a] and Montenegro
Parent rangeDinaric Alps

Name

Ptolemy mentioned Mons Bertiscus, which has been connected to the Accursed Mountains.[2][failed verification] Bertiscus lives on artificially in the form bertiscae in the scientific names for endemic species that have their locus classicus in the mountains, such as Valeriana bertiscae, Crepis bertiscae and Iris bertiscae.[3]

Both in Serbo-Croatian Проклетије (Prokletije) and in Albanian Bjeshkët e Nemuna mean "the accursed (mountains)", possibly because they are perceived as insurmountable and wild.[4] The mountain range is also known as the Alpet Shqiptare, meaning "Albanian Alps".[5][6]

Location and relief

 
Annotated image of the area from the air

The Accursed Mountains, the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps, stretch more than 60 kilometres (40 mi) from Lake Skadar along the Montenegrin–Albanian border in the southwest to Kosovo in the northeast. These points are at 42°45' and 42°15' N in the Mediterranean zone of the western Balkan Peninsula.[7][8] The southern boundary of the Accursed Mountains is found at the river Drin and its tributary Valbona. In a broader sense the Accursed Mountains also include the mountain ranges to Mitrovica with the Hajla and Mokna massifs. Some authors, however, see the river Lim as the northern boundary of the Accursed Mountains in geological terms.

From Lake Skadar, the mountains stretch northeast along the Cem river then curve slightly to the east in the direction of Gjervica summit above the western Kosovo (450m) basin. From here, the Accursed Mountains turn northwards over the Bogićevića massif and Čakor pass and continue with another row of mountains. The Accursed Mountains finish in the area of upper Ibar River valley near Mitrovica, just after the Suva Planina (1,750 metres (5,740 ft)) massif that encircles Dukagjin basin from the north and northwest.

The Accursed Mountains are ethnographically and sociologically diverse with many tribes living in the region as sheep herders. Names of various Albanian tribes (Hoti, Gruda, Kelmendi, Kastrati, Dukagjini, Shkreli, Shala, Nikaj, Krasniqi, Gashi, Kuci and Rugova) refer to their geographical locations within the range.

Geology

 
Gjeravica, eastern face
 
Ski resort of Bogë
 
Maja Harapit – 1000m unscaled wall face, as seen from Thethi

The Accursed Mountains are a typical Dinaric karst high mountain range with a pronounced steep topography and glacial features. Maximum relief differences of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) are found in the Valbona, Grbaja and Ropojani and Cem valleys. Overhanging walls and ridges forming pointed peaks are typical of the western and central Accursed Mountains. The eastern mountains are less rugged with lower relief. The valleys show characteristic effects of Pleistocene glaciation. Most of the area was modified by glacial activity with karstic areas in the western parts.

The range was formed by the folding resulting from the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. Nowhere in the Balkans have glaciers left so much evidence of erosion. After the Alps, these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet. They have very steep limestone slopes with abundant karst features. The Accursed Mountains are a large, rugged, pathless range. It is one of the rare mountain ranges in Europe that has not been explored entirely.

In some areas, the Accursed Mountains run almost parallel with the Šar Mountains in North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. This tectonic crash produced the unusual zig-zag shape of the range and also their curving from the dominant Dinaric northwestern – southeastern direction toward the northeastern one.[9] In the western and central parts of the range the composition of the mountains is of mainly uniform with Mesozoic limestones and dolomites of the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages. In the eastern Accursed Mountains in addition to the limestone and dolomite series, there are rocks from the late Palaeozoic and Triassic periods, medium-Triassic volcanic rocks and Jurassic metamorphic rocks.

The Kalktafel is cut deeply with valleys in a variety of rock blocks of the mountains north of Përroi i Thatë, the Biga e Gimajive south of it, the Jezerca block between Shala and Valbona valley, the massif of the Maja e Hekurave, the plateau of the Maja e Kolats north of Valbona and Shkëlzen northeast of Valbona. The valleys were formed by glaciers which created very steep walls and hollows up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) deep. The south wall of the Maja Harapit is 800 metres (2,600 ft) high, making it the highest rock face on the Balkan Peninsula.[10]

Although some scientific research gives the Accursed Mountains the status of a separate mountain chain,[citation needed] in most other ways this chain is still considered the highest of all Dinaric areas, connected with the Dinaric mountain chain in terms of geology, morphology, and ethnography.

Massifs

The Accursed Mountains are made up of many large sections or mountain massifs/groups, all of which are connected to one another. These massifs include the Popluks group with a height of 2,694 m (8,839 ft), the Shkurt group at 2,554 m (8,379 ft), the Radohimës group at 2,570 m (8,430 ft), the Zaborës e Krasniçës at 2,625 m (8,612 ft), the Bjelic group at 2,556 m (8,386 ft), the Karanfili-Brada group at 2,554 m (8,379 ft), the Rabës group at 2,232 m (7,323 ft), the Ershellit group at 2,066 m (6,778 ft), the Kakinjes group at 2,359 m (7,740 ft), the Shkëlzen group at 2,407 m (7,897 ft), the Bogićevica group at 2,533 m (8,310 ft), the Horolac group at 2,199 m (7,215 ft), the Kershi Kocaj group at 2,399 m (7,871 ft), the Maja e Zezë group at 2,400 m (7,900 ft), the Lumbardhit group at 2,522 m (8,274 ft), the Kopranik group at 2,460 m (8,070 ft), the Strellc group at 2,377 m (7,799 ft), the Gjeravica group at 2,656 m (8,714 ft), the Junik group at 2,296 m (7,533 ft), the Starac-Qokorr group 2,426 m (7,959 ft), the Hajla group at 2,403 m (7,884 ft), the Stedim-Ahmica group at 2,272 m (7,454 ft), the Zleb-Rusulija group at 2,382 m (7,815 ft), the Mokna group at 2,155 m (7,070 ft) and the Suva Planina group at 1,750 m (5,740 ft).[9]

Canyons and valleys

 
Tamara Gorge in Albania

Erosion during glaciation left many telltale features behind. Deep river canyons and flat valleys wind around the ridges of the mountains. The largest canyon is Rugova Canyon. It is situated in Kosovo and is 25 km (16 mi) long from the border with Montenegro to Peja and is 1,000 m (3,281 ft) deep.[11] It has very steep vertical mountain slopes on both sides. Valleys common at lower altitudes are found at the alpine level, creating mountain passes and valley troughs, such as Buni Jezerce in Albania. Buni Jezerce means "Valley of the Lakes" and it contains six small glacial lakes, the biggest being called the Big lake of Buni Jezerce.

Canyons in the Accursed Mountains

Valleys in the Accursed Mountains

  • Vermosh Valley
  • Valbona Valley
  • Thethi Valley
  • Ropojona Valley
  • Gerbja Valley
  • Buni Jezerce
  • Cemi i Nikçit Valley

Rivers and lakes

The Accursed Mountains include many of the important rivers of the southeastern part of the Western Balkans. Rivers in this range fall roughly into two main categories, those that flow into the Lim and those that enter the White Drin and meet the Black Drin downstream at the Drin confluence. The southern and eastern slopes of the Accursed Mountains fall into the latter category. The Tara and Lim rivers, two major sources of the Dinaric river system, originate on the northern borders of the Accursed Mountains. The Vërmosh originates in the northwest mountainous part in Montenegro, close to the border with Albania. As a tributary of the Drina it drains into the Danube and then into the Black Sea. The Lim flows through the Plav lake. The Ibar, which originates on the slopes of the Hajla, takes a similar route into the Danube via the West Morava in Serbia.

In the southern Accursed Mountains, the Drin dominates. It drains most of the ranges with its tributaries and when measured from the source of the White Drin in Radavc to the mouth of the Drin near Lezha, it is 335 km (208 mi) long. However, not all of the Drin flows near or parallel to the Accursed Mountains. One Drin tributary is the Valbona, which drains into the Adriatic Sea, and its eastern tributary the Gashi River. To the west of the mountains is the Cem, which drains the northwestern part of the Montenegrin-Albanian border area to the Adriatic. Water levels fluctuate because the karst topography drains the water underground. Some rivers or streams, such as Përroi i Thatë in Albania, dry out completely during the summer droughts. Although the Peja Bistrica in Kosovo is short, it is very powerful and carved the Rugova Canyon.

There are about 20 small alpine lakes of glacial origin in the Accursed Mountains. Many lakes are in the Bogiçevica border area between Kosovo and Albania and the Buni i Jezercë trough near the Jezerca and Bojs peaks. Some lakes, such as Lake Liqenat in Kosovo and Hrid Lake in Montenegro, are tourist attractions. Hrid Lake is a clear example of a well-preserved glacial relief. In the Pleistocene period this was a collection area for ice that fell down over steps of rock from surrounding peaks, dragging with it heterogeneous material. Precipitation washed away smaller rocks, but larger ones remain on the southwestern and western lake shore. The lake is 295 m (968 ft) long, 110 m (360 ft) wide and about 5 m (16 ft) deep on average. In addition to precipitation, it receives water from sources near its shores.[12] The largest lake is Lake Plav in Montenegro. The lake lies at an altitude of 906 m (2,972 ft) above sea level in the Plav valley, nestled between the Accursed Mountains and the Visitor range.

Waterfalls are found in some parts of the range. The White Drin Waterfall in Kosovo reaches a height of 25 m (82 ft). Because it is not far from Peja, it is easily accessible and frequented by many visitors. The Grunas Waterfall in Albania is 30 m (98 ft) high and is in the Theth National Park. The Ali Pasha natural springs in Montenegro near Gusinje are the premium attraction for the town.

Highest peaks

Peaks over 2,600 m (8,530 ft)

Peaks over 2,500 m (8,202 ft)

Peaks over 2,400 m (7,874 ft)

Peaks under 2,400 m (7,874 ft)

Climate

The Accursed Mountains are on the whole the wettest area of Europe. In the village of Boga in the valley, precipitation is 3,033 millimetres (119.4 in) per year, and otherwise 2,000 to 2,500 millimetres (79 to 98 in) per year is normal.[8] At higher elevations snow is found even in summer, except in very dry years.[14]

Glaciation

There are at least five active glaciers that probably formed during the late Holocene period, and some inactive glaciers between 1,980 and 2,420 meters high.[14][15][16] The trough valleys of Ropojani, Grbaja and Valbona were carved by kilometres of glaciers during the last ice age. Detailed geomorphological mapping was used to reconstruct the positions of former glaciers. The longest glacier of Ropojana had a length of 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) and a surface area of 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi); others include Valbona glacier at 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) and 10.5 square kilometres (4.1 sq mi), Grbaja Glacier at 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) and 6.7 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) and Bogićevića Glacier at 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) and6.9 square kilometres (2.7 sq mi).[14] In addition, there are about 20 small lakes of glacial origin as described above, including the Buni Jezercë group of lakes on the northern side of the Jezerca Peak, the Ridsko Lake, the Bukumirsko Lake and the Rikavačko Lake.

 
Panorama of Thethi mountains in Albania.

A recent report from geographers at the University of Manchester details the discovery of four previously unknown glaciers in the Albanian part of the mountain range at 1980–2100 m high, found in the area close to Maja e Jezerces. The glaciers, the largest of which is currently the size of six football pitches, vary in size every year according to the amount of winter snowfall and temperatures during the following summer. Their average total surface area is 5 hectares (0.019 sq mi). Glacier-climate modeling suggests that these glaciers require annual accumulation of between 4,137 and 5,531 mm (162.9 and 217.8 in) (rainfall equivalent) to balance melting, which would correspond to between 49.7 and 66.4 metres (163.1 and 217.8 ft) of snow. A significant proportion of this accumulation is likely to be sourced from windblown snow and, in particular, avalanching snow. It is estimated that the total accumulation needed to balance melting is potentially up to twice the amount accumulated from direct precipitation.[citation needed] The presence of these glaciers, the southernmost in Europe, at altitudes well below the regional snow line highlights the importance of local controls[clarification needed] on glacier development. The geographers think at least eight glaciers were present in neighbouring mountains[clarification needed] during the 19th century, correlating with the culmination of the Little Ice Age in the European Alps.[16]

Flora

 
Pinus heldreichii in front of Popluks and Jezerca peaks.
 
Wulfenia baldaccii, an endemic species
 
Ancient forests around Gjeravica

The vegetation of the Accursed Mountains is among the richest on the Balkan Peninsula and one of the main central European regions for flora. To date, 1,611 wild plants have been described in the Albanian part alone.[17] As of 2013 50 flora species are endemic, sub-endemic and endangered plant species.[18] The southern edge of mountains have a sub-Mediterranean character. Various evergreen bushes are found in the deepest valleys of the canyons and sunny slopes,[19] and in the higher valleys deciduous Shibljak shrubs are common. In the mountains over 100 medicinal herbs are found, including species of the genus Primula, Satureja and Sideritis.[citation needed] Because of its altitude and its favored habitat, the range is one of the centers of arcto-alpine relict flora of the Balkan Peninsula.[20] Out of 77 arcto-alpine species of former glacial flora on the Balkan Peninsula, a little over 50 species can be found in the Accursed Mountains.

The levels of vegetation in the Accursed Mountains meet the alpine level, from upland valleys through the montane mountain stage on forest-free alpine and subalpine mats and subnivale tundra caused by permafrost in vast heaps of rubble with raw soils.[citation needed] A real snow level is not widely spread, although in the high altitudes snow and fern fields can also keep during the summer on four very small glaciers at high altitudes, the highest one found in the shade of Jezerca.

Beech, fir and silicate spruce forests dominate the mountain areas. Rarely, however, the Northern Europe species are found, typically the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). The drought-resistant Mediterranean-sized black pine (Pinus nigra) is also common. Aspens (Populus tremula) grow in damp sites alongside mountain maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Norway spruce (Picea abies). The Accursed Mountains are one of the southernmost areas where spruce grow in Europe. The "combat zones" of the forest are formed with dense thickets of mountain pine (Pinus mugos). Conifers like the snakeskin pine (Pinus heldreichii) are on carbonate rocks and the Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce) of silicates are typical elements of the endemic Balkan flora.

A cushion-sedge and blue grass lawn of (Seslerion juncifoliae) grows in alpine areas and, on shallow limestone soils, Oxytropidion dinaricae, to which the alpine grass krumm grows as in the Alps. Other plants include Alpine aster Aster alpinus, edelweiss Leontopodium alpinum and white mountain avens Dryas octopetala.[21] These plants are atypical alpine plants specially adapted to the short growing season, UV radiation, cold and thin soils.

The flora in the rocky areas of the Accursed Mountains are particularly noteworthy, because they are rare rich and endemic species, including the Tertiary relic Amphoricarpos neumayeri. Many species of flora are either endemic or are mainly found in the Accursed Mountains. A plantain plant Plantaginaceae is found in the central Accursed Mountains as a variant of the alpine Wulfenie, but 700 km away it does not grow. Petasites doerfleri is only found on the Jezerca peaks, and the Albanian lily Lilium albanicum and Viola ducagjinica are only found at the top of the Maja Radohimës slope.[19] Also noteworthy is the Viola vilaensis Hayek. Viola chelmea belong to a violet species that occur on the Montenegrin-Albanian border area, especially at the lake Bukumirsko Jezero at 2,100 meters, and are only found on Asia Minor and the Balkans where they can grow due to woody, robust rhizome, cleistogamous flowers, and a lack of foothills. The Accursed Mountains are also the only European area where the Tertiary relic Forsythia europaea grow.

Fauna

 
Lynxs are one of the largest predators in the area

Large mammal species that have long been extinct in other regions are found here, such as the Eurasian brown bear, grey wolf, red fox, European wildcat, roe deer, fallow deer, red deer, wild boar and European otter.[22][19][23] The highly endangered Balkan lynx, a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx, is mainly found in the Theth National Park where about roughly 20–50 individuals still roam, though poaching is still a large threat. Chamois are found throughout the high altitudes; about 720 chamois live between the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro.[24] There is speculation that the mouflon roamed the Accursed Mountains until World War I, when it disappeared.[25]

Bird species include the golden eagle, snake eagle, honey buzzard, peregrine falcon, capercaillie, rock partridge, scops owl, Eurasian eagle owl and the snow finch.[26] So far 140 species of butterflies have been found, which makes the Accursed Mountains the richest area in Europe for butterflies.

The rivers are home to a growing number of marble trout. Among the amphibians are the alpine salamander (southernmost habitat),[27] fire salamander, yellow-bellied toad and fire-bellied toad . The rich herpetofauna include the fence lizard, green lizard, Greek tortoise and snakes such as the true vipers, including the venomous horned viper and adder. The Accursed Mountains have one endemic species of lizard, the Prokletije rock lizard or Dinarolacerta montenegrina, named after the range.[28]

Early climbing

British climbers Sleeman, Elmalie and Ellwood were the first to reach the summit of Maja Jezercë on 26 July 1929.[29] Years later Austrian mountaineers also scaled the summit. Many explorers and scientists have visited the Accursed Mountains, collecting rocks and samples to display in museums. Before any of these expeditions, the highest peak of the range was believed to be Shkëlzen at 2,407 m (7,897 ft) high, followed by Maja Radohimës at 2,570 m (8,432 ft). By early summer 1929 all the summits were measured by Italian geodetes.

National parks

See also: Theth National Park, Valbona Valley National Park, Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, Prokletije National Park (Montenegro), and Prokletije National Park (Serbia)
 
Grunas Waterfall in Thethi National Park
 
Valbona River in Valbona Valley National Park

There are four national parks in the Accursed Mountains — one each in Montenegro and Kosovo, and two in Albania. The Theth National Park in Albania was designated in 1966[30] and covers an area of 2,630 ha (10.2 sq mi) along the Thethi River. The main attraction in the park is the Grunas Waterfall.[30] The Valbona Valley National Park in Albania was also designated in 1996 and covers 8,000 ha (31 sq mi) including the Valbona Valley and the Valbona River.[31] This park is also referred to as the Gem of Albania. Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro are planning to create another tri-state park in the area, that will be called the Balkans Peace Park.[32]

There are plans to create the enlarged Albanian Alps National Park in Albania, which would include areas of Vermosh, Thethi, Valbona and Gashi River in a massive area of 86,000 ha (330 sq mi).[33][34] The park on the Kosovar side was established in 2012 with an area of 50,000 ha (190 sq mi), covering the high alpine areas as well as the Rugova Canyon and important rivers. The Montenegrin part of the mountain range was declared a national park in 2009, comprising an area of 16,000 ha (62 sq mi).

A part of Maja e Ropës mountain was declared a floral mountain reserve in 1955, covering an area of 25 ha (62 acres) of mainly Macedonian pine, pine and beech. In the same year the Kozhnjar area was declared a fauna reserve in particular to protect the chamois, covering an area of 161 ha (400 acres).[35]

Illegal deforestation is a major problem. To some extent even the national parks are affected. In dry summers forest fires are common. All the large mammals including wolves, chamois, foxes, badgers and wild boar are hunted without regard to national park boundaries.[36]

Settlement, economy and transport

 
View from Bajram Curri of the mountains north of the city

The Accursed Mountains are home to Albanians, Montenegrins, Serbs and Bosniaks, but they are only very sparsely populated. At the edges there are some settlements: the Albanian Koplik and the Montenegrin Tuzi in the west near the Skadar Lake; Plav and Gusinje in of the northern valley of the upper Lim river in Montenegro and Bajram Curri, the main town of the district Tropoja, in the eastern part of the mountain range. Even the somewhat more distant, larger cities of Shkodra, Podgorica, Gjakova and Peja create their sphere of influence and are frequently visited by inhabitants of the highlands for errands, administrative procedures and market sales.

 
Koman Gorge serves as a transport route for ferries

In the mountains, villages only have up to a few hundred inhabitants. They are often scattered settlements without a clear core. Among the biggest are Tamara and Selca, both in the valley of the Cem and belonging to the community of the Kelmend. The community of eight villages – including Vermosh – comprises 6,600 inhabitants.[citation needed] Tamara is currently the only place in the central mountains with infrastructure such as a secondary school. Tamara and Vermosh share a maternity hospital. Until the collapse of communism there were such facilities, for example, in the Shala Valley. Many residents of the villages in the interior such as Boga, Theth or Valbona live there only in the summer months, as the villages are cut off for many weeks during winter.[22]

In addition to the seasonal migration, the whole mountain area is suffering from a severe "brain drain", as its income from agriculture is low. Many leave to seek work and a little more comfort in the region of Shkodra and Koplik, Tirana or abroad.[37] As the year-round population dwindles as the terrain becomes less accessible, there are few state or local government employees such as teachers. Local income comes from agriculture, semi-illegal forestry and tourism.

In a few places like Theth tourism has been revitalized by recreational hiking. With the help of GTZ, 40 private houses (also referred to as guest houses, or han in Albanian) have been transformed into tourist accommodations or B&Bs. In 2010 there were 130 beds available in total – 100 more than in 2007. Additionally, hiking trails have been marked and trails maps and travel guides published. In the period from 2006 to 2009, the number of tourists rose from 300 to around 7,500 per year. Unlike in the rest of Albania, the increase was due to foreign tourists. Lakes such as Plav and Hrid also receive many tourists during the summer months. In many villages there are small hydroelectric power plants that supply the village with electricity.[38]

Many villages were already settled by the 15th century,[citation needed] and some valleys have been inhabited since the Stone Age. At the end of communism, however, several thousand people emigrated and depopulated the area.

Transport in Albania

 
Azem Hajdari Highway in Valbona Valley, part of the Albanian Alps
 
SH20 at Leqet e Hotit in Kelmend region

SH20 road crosses the Accursed Mountains in the Kelmend region of northwestern Albania, stretching from the eastern shore of Lake Scutari at the Han i Hotit border crossing with Montenegro, to the first pass into the valley of Cem. It then leads to the source elevation of the Qafa e Predelecit after Vermosh, followed by another border crossing, ending at Gusinje. As of 2015 the SH20 stretch between Hani Hotit and Tamare has been paved and upgraded to European standards.

From west to east, there is only the SH21 road recently paved from Koplik to Boga. The road from Qafa Thores leading to Theth has been recently paved with crash barriers and guard rails added, but is still steep, winding and narrow in places.[39] From Theth, there is a bad track down to the Shala Valley Church and only a walking path along the river leads to Shkodra. SH22 road over the Qafa e Morinës at Bajram Curri after Gjakova has been reconstructed. In the past, the only route for crossing the border between Montenegro and Kosovo was via Rugova Canyon, which was very dangerous and steep. With the construction of the Peja–Rožaje highway the situation has greatly improved.[40] In addition, SH42 road leading to Razem from SH21 has also been recently reconstructed.

Historically, a caravan route between Podgorica and Plav crossed the mountains along the Lim and Cem rivers.[41][42]

Notes

a.   ^ The political status of Kosovo is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, Kosovo is formally recognised as an independent state by at least 101 out of 193 (52.3%) UN member states, while Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own territory. Conflicts have arisen over whether the number of recognizing countries is larger, due to claims that additional states which have recognized subsequently withdrew them.

References

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  13. ^ "Karanfili : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org.
  14. ^ a b c Milovan Milivojević, Ljubomir Menković and Jelena Ćalić (November 2008). "Pleistocene glacial relief of the central part of Mt. Prokletije (Albanian Alps)". Quaternary International. 190 (1, 1): 112–122. Bibcode:2008QuInt.190..112M. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2008.04.006.
  15. ^ Hughes, Philip D (2009). "Phil Hughes: Twenty-first Century Glaciers and Climate in the Prokletije Mountains, Albania" (PDF). Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 41 (4): 455–459. doi:10.1657/1938-4246-41.4.455. S2CID 111383505.
  16. ^ a b Glaciers discovered in 'cursed' mountains of Albania, The University of Manchester, 27 January 2010
  17. ^ Marash Rakaj: Floristic and chorological news from north Albania, in: Botanica Serbica, 33 (2), Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden Jevremovac, Belgrad 2009, Seiten 177–183
  18. ^ Lulezim Shuka; Mullaj, Alfred; Hoda, Petrit; Kashta, Lefter; Miho, Aleko (2017). "Overview of the flora and vegetation of the Albanian Alps - the degree of conservation and threats". doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.23064.70400. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. ^ a b c Petrit Imeraj, Joost Smets, in: Gilian Gloyer: Albania Bradt Travel Guide, Bucks 2006 (zweite Ausgabe), ISBN 978-1-84162-149-4
  20. ^ Stevanović V, Vukojičić S, Šinžar-Sekulić J, Lazarević M, Tomović G & Tan K. 2009. Distribution and diversity of Arctic-Alpine species in the Balkans. Plant Syst. Evol. 283: 219–235. Distribution and diversity of Arctic-Alpine species in the Balkans.
  21. ^ Treasures
  22. ^ a b Michael Galaty. "Dr. Michael Galaty in Northern Albania". Millsaps College – News & Events. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
  23. ^ Wolfgang Fremuth (Herausgeber): Albania – Guide to its Natural Treasures, Verlag Herwig Klemp, Tirana 2000, ISBN 3-931323-06-4
  24. ^ "Lov - Lovački portal SRBIJALOV - www.srbijalov.com". www.srbijalov.com.
  25. ^ "Euronatur: Albaniens Wilder Norden – Schatzkammer der ökologischen Vielfalt in Europa". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
  26. ^ "BirdLife IBA Factsheet". Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  27. ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Salamandra atra". 14 December 2008.
  28. ^ "Prokletije Rock Lizard, Dinarolacerta montenegrina". Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  29. ^ Reveue de géographie: – Volumes 10–13 – Page 8
  30. ^ a b Thethi-Guide. "Historia e Parkut Kombetar Theth" (in Albanian). Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  31. ^ Albanian National Agency of Tourism. (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  32. ^ Sulejmani, Edlira. . Alsattv (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  33. ^ "Journey to Valbona » Blog Archive » Something New is Happening : The Albanian National Park of the Alps". journeytovalbona.com.
  34. ^ . Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  35. ^ Summit Post – Bogiçevica
  36. ^ "Illegal Logging Ravages Albania's Forests". BalkanInsight.com. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  37. ^ Renate Ndarurinze: Albanien entdecken, Trescher Verlag, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-89794-091-4
  38. ^ Ismail Beka (24 April 2010). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  39. ^ The Highway to Theth - Albania 2021
  40. ^ Volker Grundmann: Albanien: Das komplette Reisehandbuch, Unterwegs-Verlag, Singen 2008, ISBN 978-3-86112-257-9
  41. ^ Shala Valley Project – Final Report of the 2006 Field Season 31 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  42. ^ James Pettifer: Albania & Kosovo – Blue Guide, A & C Black, London 2001, ISBN 0-7136-5016-8

Further reading

  • Boenzi Federico, Giovanni Palmentola: "Glacial Features and Snow-Line Trend During the Last Glacial Age in the Southern Apennines (Italy) and on Albanian and Greek Mountains", in: Journal of Geomorphology, 41, 21–29, Berlin 1997.
  • Cook, Steve and Marash Rakaj. "Social Changes in the Albanian Alps During Communism". Middle States Geographer 28, 1995:84–90.
  • Jovan Cvijić : "Ice Age in Prokletije and Surrounding Mountains". The – Glass SKAN, XCI, Belgrade 1913th (Original: Cvijic, J. 1921: Ledeno doba u i Prokletijama okolnim planinama .- Glasnik Srpske Akad Kraljevske XCL, 1913, XCIII.)
  • Jovan Cvijić: Geomorphology I-II, Belgrade 1924/26.
  • Edith Durham : High Albania, London 1909
  • Helmut Eberhart, Karl Kaser (Editor): Albania – Tribal Life between Tradition and Modernity, Böhlau Verlag, Wien 1995, ISBN 3-205-98378-5
  • Rose Wilder Lane: Peaks of Shala, Harper & Brothers: New York, 1923.
  • Milovan Milivojevića, Ljubomir Menkovića and Jelena Calic: "Pleistocene Glacial Relief of the Central Part of Mt Prokletije". In: Quaternary International, v. 190, 1, 1 November 2008, 112–122
  • Franz Nopcsa : Geography and Geology of Northern Albania, Institutum Regni Hungariae Geologicum, Budapest 1929
  • Christian Zindel, Barbara House Amman: Hiking North Albania – Thethi and Kelmend, Huber Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-940686-19-0

External links

Academic

  Media related to Prokletije at Wikimedia Commons   Prokletije travel guide from Wikivoyage

  • Prokletije on BirdLife
  • Prokletije at summitpost.org

News articles

  • Neville, Tim (29 March 2013). "Hiking Beyond Borders in the Balkans". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  • Knott, Jonathan (18 May 2012). "Walking in Albania's 'Accursed Mountains'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  • Rue, Geraldine (20 March 2017). . Le Monde. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2017. (French)

April 26, 2023
accursed, mountains, albanian, bjeshkët, nemuna, serbo, croatian, Проклетије, prokletije, pronounced, prɔklɛ, tijɛ, both, translated, cursed, mountains, also, known, albanian, alps, albanian, alpet, shqiptare, mountain, group, western, part, balkans, southernm. The Accursed Mountains Albanian Bjeshket e Nemuna Serbo Croatian Prokletiјe Prokletije pronounced prɔklɛ tijɛ both translated as Cursed Mountains also known as the Albanian Alps Albanian Alpet Shqiptare are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans It is the southernmost subrange of the 1 000 kilometre long 621 mi Dinaric Alps range Dinarides extending from northern Albania to southern Kosovo a and northeastern Montenegro Maja Jezerce standing at 2 694 m 8 839 ft is the highest point of the Accursed Mountains and of all Dinaric Alps and the fifth highest peak in Albania The range includes the mountain Zla Kolata which at 2 534 m 8 314 ft is the tallest mountain in Montenegro The range also includes the mountain Gjeravica which at 2 656 m 8 714 ft is the second tallest mountain in Kosovo One of the southernmost glacial masses in Europe was discovered in the Albanian part of the range in 2009 1 Accursed MountainsMaja Jezerce in the distance Highest pointPeakMaja Jezerce AlbaniaElevation2 694 m 8 839 ft Coordinates42 26 30 N 19 48 45 E 42 44167 N 19 81250 E 42 44167 19 81250 Coordinates 42 26 30 N 19 48 45 E 42 44167 N 19 81250 E 42 44167 19 81250NamingNative nameBjeshket e Nemuna Albanian Prokletiјe Prokletije Serbo Croatian GeographyCountriesAlbania Kosovo a and MontenegroParent rangeDinaric Alps Contents 1 Name 2 Location and relief 3 Geology 3 1 Massifs 3 2 Canyons and valleys 4 Rivers and lakes 5 Highest peaks 6 Climate 6 1 Glaciation 7 Flora 8 Fauna 9 Early climbing 10 National parks 11 Settlement economy and transport 11 1 Transport in Albania 12 Notes 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links 15 1 Academic 15 2 News articlesName EditPtolemy mentioned Mons Bertiscus which has been connected to the Accursed Mountains 2 failed verification Bertiscus lives on artificially in the form bertiscae in the scientific names for endemic species that have their locus classicus in the mountains such as Valeriana bertiscae Crepis bertiscae and Iris bertiscae 3 Both in Serbo Croatian Prokletiјe Prokletije and in Albanian Bjeshket e Nemuna mean the accursed mountains possibly because they are perceived as insurmountable and wild 4 The mountain range is also known as the Alpet Shqiptare meaning Albanian Alps 5 6 Location and relief Edit Annotated image of the area from the air The Accursed Mountains the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps stretch more than 60 kilometres 40 mi from Lake Skadar along the Montenegrin Albanian border in the southwest to Kosovo in the northeast These points are at 42 45 and 42 15 N in the Mediterranean zone of the western Balkan Peninsula 7 8 The southern boundary of the Accursed Mountains is found at the river Drin and its tributary Valbona In a broader sense the Accursed Mountains also include the mountain ranges to Mitrovica with the Hajla and Mokna massifs Some authors however see the river Lim as the northern boundary of the Accursed Mountains in geological terms From Lake Skadar the mountains stretch northeast along the Cem river then curve slightly to the east in the direction of Gjervica summit above the western Kosovo 450m basin From here the Accursed Mountains turn northwards over the Bogicevica massif and Cakor pass and continue with another row of mountains The Accursed Mountains finish in the area of upper Ibar River valley near Mitrovica just after the Suva Planina 1 750 metres 5 740 ft massif that encircles Dukagjin basin from the north and northwest The Accursed Mountains are ethnographically and sociologically diverse with many tribes living in the region as sheep herders Names of various Albanian tribes Hoti Gruda Kelmendi Kastrati Dukagjini Shkreli Shala Nikaj Krasniqi Gashi Kuci and Rugova refer to their geographical locations within the range Geology Edit Gjeravica eastern face Ski resort of Boge Maja Harapit 1000m unscaled wall face as seen from Thethi The Accursed Mountains are a typical Dinaric karst high mountain range with a pronounced steep topography and glacial features Maximum relief differences of 1 800 metres 5 900 ft are found in the Valbona Grbaja and Ropojani and Cem valleys Overhanging walls and ridges forming pointed peaks are typical of the western and central Accursed Mountains The eastern mountains are less rugged with lower relief The valleys show characteristic effects of Pleistocene glaciation Most of the area was modified by glacial activity with karstic areas in the western parts The range was formed by the folding resulting from the collision of the African and Eurasian plates Nowhere in the Balkans have glaciers left so much evidence of erosion After the Alps these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet They have very steep limestone slopes with abundant karst features The Accursed Mountains are a large rugged pathless range It is one of the rare mountain ranges in Europe that has not been explored entirely In some areas the Accursed Mountains run almost parallel with the Sar Mountains in North Macedonia Albania and Kosovo This tectonic crash produced the unusual zig zag shape of the range and also their curving from the dominant Dinaric northwestern southeastern direction toward the northeastern one 9 In the western and central parts of the range the composition of the mountains is of mainly uniform with Mesozoic limestones and dolomites of the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages In the eastern Accursed Mountains in addition to the limestone and dolomite series there are rocks from the late Palaeozoic and Triassic periods medium Triassic volcanic rocks and Jurassic metamorphic rocks The Kalktafel is cut deeply with valleys in a variety of rock blocks of the mountains north of Perroi i Thate the Biga e Gimajive south of it the Jezerca block between Shala and Valbona valley the massif of the Maja e Hekurave the plateau of the Maja e Kolats north of Valbona and Shkelzen northeast of Valbona The valleys were formed by glaciers which created very steep walls and hollows up to 1 000 metres 3 300 ft deep The south wall of the Maja Harapit is 800 metres 2 600 ft high making it the highest rock face on the Balkan Peninsula 10 Although some scientific research gives the Accursed Mountains the status of a separate mountain chain citation needed in most other ways this chain is still considered the highest of all Dinaric areas connected with the Dinaric mountain chain in terms of geology morphology and ethnography Massifs Edit The Accursed Mountains are made up of many large sections or mountain massifs groups all of which are connected to one another These massifs include the Popluks group with a height of 2 694 m 8 839 ft the Shkurt group at 2 554 m 8 379 ft the Radohimes group at 2 570 m 8 430 ft the Zabores e Krasnices at 2 625 m 8 612 ft the Bjelic group at 2 556 m 8 386 ft the Karanfili Brada group at 2 554 m 8 379 ft the Rabes group at 2 232 m 7 323 ft the Ershellit group at 2 066 m 6 778 ft the Kakinjes group at 2 359 m 7 740 ft the Shkelzen group at 2 407 m 7 897 ft the Bogicevica group at 2 533 m 8 310 ft the Horolac group at 2 199 m 7 215 ft the Kershi Kocaj group at 2 399 m 7 871 ft the Maja e Zeze group at 2 400 m 7 900 ft the Lumbardhit group at 2 522 m 8 274 ft the Kopranik group at 2 460 m 8 070 ft the Strellc group at 2 377 m 7 799 ft the Gjeravica group at 2 656 m 8 714 ft the Junik group at 2 296 m 7 533 ft the Starac Qokorr group 2 426 m 7 959 ft the Hajla group at 2 403 m 7 884 ft the Stedim Ahmica group at 2 272 m 7 454 ft the Zleb Rusulija group at 2 382 m 7 815 ft the Mokna group at 2 155 m 7 070 ft and the Suva Planina group at 1 750 m 5 740 ft 9 Canyons and valleys Edit Tamara Gorge in Albania Erosion during glaciation left many telltale features behind Deep river canyons and flat valleys wind around the ridges of the mountains The largest canyon is Rugova Canyon It is situated in Kosovo and is 25 km 16 mi long from the border with Montenegro to Peja and is 1 000 m 3 281 ft deep 11 It has very steep vertical mountain slopes on both sides Valleys common at lower altitudes are found at the alpine level creating mountain passes and valley troughs such as Buni Jezerce in Albania Buni Jezerce means Valley of the Lakes and it contains six small glacial lakes the biggest being called the Big lake of Buni Jezerce Canyons in the Accursed Mountains Rugova Canyon Decani Canyon Gashi Canyon Cemi CanyonValleys in the Accursed Mountains Vermosh Valley Valbona Valley Thethi Valley Ropojona Valley Gerbja Valley Buni Jezerce Cemi i Nikcit ValleyRivers and lakes Edit Leqinat lake Lake Plav The Accursed Mountains include many of the important rivers of the southeastern part of the Western Balkans Rivers in this range fall roughly into two main categories those that flow into the Lim and those that enter the White Drin and meet the Black Drin downstream at the Drin confluence The southern and eastern slopes of the Accursed Mountains fall into the latter category The Tara and Lim rivers two major sources of the Dinaric river system originate on the northern borders of the Accursed Mountains The Vermosh originates in the northwest mountainous part in Montenegro close to the border with Albania As a tributary of the Drina it drains into the Danube and then into the Black Sea The Lim flows through the Plav lake The Ibar which originates on the slopes of the Hajla takes a similar route into the Danube via the West Morava in Serbia In the southern Accursed Mountains the Drin dominates It drains most of the ranges with its tributaries and when measured from the source of the White Drin in Radavc to the mouth of the Drin near Lezha it is 335 km 208 mi long However not all of the Drin flows near or parallel to the Accursed Mountains One Drin tributary is the Valbona which drains into the Adriatic Sea and its eastern tributary the Gashi River To the west of the mountains is the Cem which drains the northwestern part of the Montenegrin Albanian border area to the Adriatic Water levels fluctuate because the karst topography drains the water underground Some rivers or streams such as Perroi i Thate in Albania dry out completely during the summer droughts Although the Peja Bistrica in Kosovo is short it is very powerful and carved the Rugova Canyon There are about 20 small alpine lakes of glacial origin in the Accursed Mountains Many lakes are in the Bogicevica border area between Kosovo and Albania and the Buni i Jezerce trough near the Jezerca and Bojs peaks Some lakes such as Lake Liqenat in Kosovo and Hrid Lake in Montenegro are tourist attractions Hrid Lake is a clear example of a well preserved glacial relief In the Pleistocene period this was a collection area for ice that fell down over steps of rock from surrounding peaks dragging with it heterogeneous material Precipitation washed away smaller rocks but larger ones remain on the southwestern and western lake shore The lake is 295 m 968 ft long 110 m 360 ft wide and about 5 m 16 ft deep on average In addition to precipitation it receives water from sources near its shores 12 The largest lake is Lake Plav in Montenegro The lake lies at an altitude of 906 m 2 972 ft above sea level in the Plav valley nestled between the Accursed Mountains and the Visitor range Waterfalls are found in some parts of the range The White Drin Waterfall in Kosovo reaches a height of 25 m 82 ft Because it is not far from Peja it is easily accessible and frequented by many visitors The Grunas Waterfall in Albania is 30 m 98 ft high and is in the Theth National Park The Ali Pasha natural springs in Montenegro near Gusinje are the premium attraction for the town Highest peaks EditPeaks over 2 600 m 8 530 ft Maja Jezerce 2 694 m or 8 839 ft in Albania Gjeravica 2 656 m or 8 714 ft in Kosovo Maja Grykat e Hapeta 2 625 m or 8 612 ft in Albania Peaks over 2 500 m 8 202 ft Maja e Radohimes 2 570 m or 8 432 ft in Albania Maja e Popljuces 2 569 m or 8 428 ft in Albania Maja Briaset 2 567 m or 8 422 ft in Albania Maja e Hekurave 2 561 m or 8 402 ft in Albania Rodi e Kollates 2 556 m or 8 386 ft in Albania Maja e Shenikut 2 554 m or 8 379 ft in Albania Maja Tat 2 543 m or 8 343 ft in Albania Gusan 2 539 m or 8 330 ft in Albania and Kosovo Zla Kolata Kollata e Keqe 2 534 m or 8 314 ft in Albania and Montenegro Marijas Marijash 2 533 m or 8 310 ft in Kosovo Dobra Kolata Kolata e Mire 2 524 m or 8 281 ft in Albania and Montenegro Rosni Vrh Maja e Rosit 2 524 m or 8 281 ft in Montenegro Zuti kamen Guri i Kuq 2 522 m or 8 274 ft in Kosovo Maja Visens 2 517 m or 8 258 ft in Albania Maja Kokervhake 2 508 m or 8 228 ft in Albania Rops Maja e Ropes 2 502 m or 8 209 ft in Kosovo Peaks over 2 400 m 7 874 ft Maja Shkurt 2 499 m or 8 199 ft in Albania Maja Reshkullit 2 496 m or 8 189 ft in Albania Maja e Malesores 2 490 m or 8 169 ft in Albania Karanfili Veliki Vrh Kremeni Vrh Maja Gurt e Zjarmit 2 490 m or 8 169 ft in Montenegro 13 Maja e Ragamit 2 472 m or 8 110 ft in Albania Maja Bojs 2 461 m or 8 074 ft in Albania Koprivnik Kopranik 2 460 m or 8 071 ft in Kosovo Maja Vukoces 2 450 m or 8 038 ft in Albania Veternik 2 410 m or 7 907 ft in Albania Shkelzen 2 407 m or 7 897 ft in Albania Maja e Thate 2 406 m or 7 894 ft in Albania Pasji Peak 2 405 m or 7 890 ft in Kosovo and Montenegro Maja Bogicaj 2 404 m or 7 887 ft in Albania and Kosovo Hajla 2 403 m or 7 884 ft in Kosovo and Montenegro Peaks under 2 400 m 7 874 ft Rusulija 2 382 m or 7 815 ft Streoc 2 377 m or 7 799 ft Tromeđa 2 366 m or 7 762 ft Zljeb 2 365 m or 7 759 ft Maja e Kakise 2 360 m or 7 743 ft Liqenat 2 341 m or 7 680 ft Rrasa e Zogut 2 305 m or 7 562 ft Hajla e Veranocit 2 281 m or 7 484 ft Junik 2 280 m or 7 480 ft Maja Stogut 2 246 m or 7 369 ft in Albania Maja e Elbunit 2 231 m or 7 320 ft Decan Mountain 2 200 m or 7 218 ft Maja Harapit 2 218 m or 7 277 ft Maja Trojan 2 190 m or 7 185 ft Pogled 2 155 m or 7 070 ft Maja Dramadol 2 120 m or 6 955 ft Beleg 2 102 m or 6 896 ft Maja e Ershellit 2 067 m or 6 781 ft Maja e Vjelakut 2 014 m or 6 608 ft Hajla e Shkrelit 2 011 m or 6 598 ft Maja e Madhe 2 011 m or 6 598 ft Maja e Grebenit 1 864 m or 6 115 ft Lice Mountain 1 799 m or 5 902 ft Maja e Velecikut 1 725 m or 5 659 ft Climate EditThe Accursed Mountains are on the whole the wettest area of Europe In the village of Boga in the valley precipitation is 3 033 millimetres 119 4 in per year and otherwise 2 000 to 2 500 millimetres 79 to 98 in per year is normal 8 At higher elevations snow is found even in summer except in very dry years 14 Glaciation Edit There are at least five active glaciers that probably formed during the late Holocene period and some inactive glaciers between 1 980 and 2 420 meters high 14 15 16 The trough valleys of Ropojani Grbaja and Valbona were carved by kilometres of glaciers during the last ice age Detailed geomorphological mapping was used to reconstruct the positions of former glaciers The longest glacier of Ropojana had a length of 12 5 kilometres 7 8 mi and a surface area of 20 square kilometres 7 7 sq mi others include Valbona glacier at 9 5 kilometres 5 9 mi and 10 5 square kilometres 4 1 sq mi Grbaja Glacier at 5 kilometres 3 1 mi and 6 7 square kilometres 2 6 sq mi and Bogicevica Glacier at 6 kilometres 3 7 mi and6 9 square kilometres 2 7 sq mi 14 In addition there are about 20 small lakes of glacial origin as described above including the Buni Jezerce group of lakes on the northern side of the Jezerca Peak the Ridsko Lake the Bukumirsko Lake and the Rikavacko Lake Panorama of Thethi mountains in Albania A recent report from geographers at the University of Manchester details the discovery of four previously unknown glaciers in the Albanian part of the mountain range at 1980 2100 m high found in the area close to Maja e Jezerces The glaciers the largest of which is currently the size of six football pitches vary in size every year according to the amount of winter snowfall and temperatures during the following summer Their average total surface area is 5 hectares 0 019 sq mi Glacier climate modeling suggests that these glaciers require annual accumulation of between 4 137 and 5 531 mm 162 9 and 217 8 in rainfall equivalent to balance melting which would correspond to between 49 7 and 66 4 metres 163 1 and 217 8 ft of snow A significant proportion of this accumulation is likely to be sourced from windblown snow and in particular avalanching snow It is estimated that the total accumulation needed to balance melting is potentially up to twice the amount accumulated from direct precipitation citation needed The presence of these glaciers the southernmost in Europe at altitudes well below the regional snow line highlights the importance of local controls clarification needed on glacier development The geographers think at least eight glaciers were present in neighbouring mountains clarification needed during the 19th century correlating with the culmination of the Little Ice Age in the European Alps 16 Flora Edit Pinus heldreichii in front of Popluks and Jezerca peaks Wulfenia baldaccii an endemic species Ancient forests around Gjeravica The vegetation of the Accursed Mountains is among the richest on the Balkan Peninsula and one of the main central European regions for flora To date 1 611 wild plants have been described in the Albanian part alone 17 As of 2013 update 50 flora species are endemic sub endemic and endangered plant species 18 The southern edge of mountains have a sub Mediterranean character Various evergreen bushes are found in the deepest valleys of the canyons and sunny slopes 19 and in the higher valleys deciduous Shibljak shrubs are common In the mountains over 100 medicinal herbs are found including species of the genus Primula Satureja and Sideritis citation needed Because of its altitude and its favored habitat the range is one of the centers of arcto alpine relict flora of the Balkan Peninsula 20 Out of 77 arcto alpine species of former glacial flora on the Balkan Peninsula a little over 50 species can be found in the Accursed Mountains The levels of vegetation in the Accursed Mountains meet the alpine level from upland valleys through the montane mountain stage on forest free alpine and subalpine mats and subnivale tundra caused by permafrost in vast heaps of rubble with raw soils citation needed A real snow level is not widely spread although in the high altitudes snow and fern fields can also keep during the summer on four very small glaciers at high altitudes the highest one found in the shade of Jezerca Beech fir and silicate spruce forests dominate the mountain areas Rarely however the Northern Europe species are found typically the Scots pine Pinus sylvestris The drought resistant Mediterranean sized black pine Pinus nigra is also common Aspens Populus tremula grow in damp sites alongside mountain maple Acer pseudoplatanus and Norway spruce Picea abies The Accursed Mountains are one of the southernmost areas where spruce grow in Europe The combat zones of the forest are formed with dense thickets of mountain pine Pinus mugos Conifers like the snakeskin pine Pinus heldreichii are on carbonate rocks and the Macedonian pine Pinus peuce of silicates are typical elements of the endemic Balkan flora A cushion sedge and blue grass lawn of Seslerion juncifoliae grows in alpine areas and on shallow limestone soils Oxytropidion dinaricae to which the alpine grass krumm grows as in the Alps Other plants include Alpine aster Aster alpinus edelweiss Leontopodium alpinum and white mountain avens Dryas octopetala 21 These plants are atypical alpine plants specially adapted to the short growing season UV radiation cold and thin soils The flora in the rocky areas of the Accursed Mountains are particularly noteworthy because they are rare rich and endemic species including the Tertiary relic Amphoricarpos neumayeri Many species of flora are either endemic or are mainly found in the Accursed Mountains A plantain plant Plantaginaceae is found in the central Accursed Mountains as a variant of the alpine Wulfenie but 700 km away it does not grow Petasites doerfleri is only found on the Jezerca peaks and the Albanian lily Lilium albanicum and Viola ducagjinica are only found at the top of the Maja Radohimes slope 19 Also noteworthy is the Viola vilaensis Hayek Viola chelmea belong to a violet species that occur on the Montenegrin Albanian border area especially at the lake Bukumirsko Jezero at 2 100 meters and are only found on Asia Minor and the Balkans where they can grow due to woody robust rhizome cleistogamous flowers and a lack of foothills The Accursed Mountains are also the only European area where the Tertiary relic Forsythia europaea grow Fauna Edit Lynxs are one of the largest predators in the area Large mammal species that have long been extinct in other regions are found here such as the Eurasian brown bear grey wolf red fox European wildcat roe deer fallow deer red deer wild boar and European otter 22 19 23 The highly endangered Balkan lynx a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx is mainly found in the Theth National Park where about roughly 20 50 individuals still roam though poaching is still a large threat Chamois are found throughout the high altitudes about 720 chamois live between the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro 24 There is speculation that the mouflon roamed the Accursed Mountains until World War I when it disappeared 25 Bird species include the golden eagle snake eagle honey buzzard peregrine falcon capercaillie rock partridge scops owl Eurasian eagle owl and the snow finch 26 So far 140 species of butterflies have been found which makes the Accursed Mountains the richest area in Europe for butterflies The rivers are home to a growing number of marble trout Among the amphibians are the alpine salamander southernmost habitat 27 fire salamander yellow bellied toad and fire bellied toad The rich herpetofauna include the fence lizard green lizard Greek tortoise and snakes such as the true vipers including the venomous horned viper and adder The Accursed Mountains have one endemic species of lizard the Prokletije rock lizard or Dinarolacerta montenegrina named after the range 28 Early climbing EditBritish climbers Sleeman Elmalie and Ellwood were the first to reach the summit of Maja Jezerce on 26 July 1929 29 Years later Austrian mountaineers also scaled the summit Many explorers and scientists have visited the Accursed Mountains collecting rocks and samples to display in museums Before any of these expeditions the highest peak of the range was believed to be Shkelzen at 2 407 m 7 897 ft high followed by Maja Radohimes at 2 570 m 8 432 ft By early summer 1929 all the summits were measured by Italian geodetes National parks EditSee also Theth National Park Valbona Valley National Park Bjeshket e Nemuna National Park Prokletije National Park Montenegro and Prokletije National Park Serbia Grunas Waterfall in Thethi National Park Valbona River in Valbona Valley National Park There are four national parks in the Accursed Mountains one each in Montenegro and Kosovo and two in Albania The Theth National Park in Albania was designated in 1966 30 and covers an area of 2 630 ha 10 2 sq mi along the Thethi River The main attraction in the park is the Grunas Waterfall 30 The Valbona Valley National Park in Albania was also designated in 1996 and covers 8 000 ha 31 sq mi including the Valbona Valley and the Valbona River 31 This park is also referred to as the Gem of Albania Kosovo Albania and Montenegro are planning to create another tri state park in the area that will be called the Balkans Peace Park 32 There are plans to create the enlarged Albanian Alps National Park in Albania which would include areas of Vermosh Thethi Valbona and Gashi River in a massive area of 86 000 ha 330 sq mi 33 34 The park on the Kosovar side was established in 2012 with an area of 50 000 ha 190 sq mi covering the high alpine areas as well as the Rugova Canyon and important rivers The Montenegrin part of the mountain range was declared a national park in 2009 comprising an area of 16 000 ha 62 sq mi A part of Maja e Ropes mountain was declared a floral mountain reserve in 1955 covering an area of 25 ha 62 acres of mainly Macedonian pine pine and beech In the same year the Kozhnjar area was declared a fauna reserve in particular to protect the chamois covering an area of 161 ha 400 acres 35 Illegal deforestation is a major problem To some extent even the national parks are affected In dry summers forest fires are common All the large mammals including wolves chamois foxes badgers and wild boar are hunted without regard to national park boundaries 36 Settlement economy and transport Edit View from Bajram Curri of the mountains north of the city The Accursed Mountains are home to Albanians Montenegrins Serbs and Bosniaks but they are only very sparsely populated At the edges there are some settlements the Albanian Koplik and the Montenegrin Tuzi in the west near the Skadar Lake Plav and Gusinje in of the northern valley of the upper Lim river in Montenegro and Bajram Curri the main town of the district Tropoja in the eastern part of the mountain range Even the somewhat more distant larger cities of Shkodra Podgorica Gjakova and Peja create their sphere of influence and are frequently visited by inhabitants of the highlands for errands administrative procedures and market sales Koman Gorge serves as a transport route for ferries In the mountains villages only have up to a few hundred inhabitants They are often scattered settlements without a clear core Among the biggest are Tamara and Selca both in the valley of the Cem and belonging to the community of the Kelmend The community of eight villages including Vermosh comprises 6 600 inhabitants citation needed Tamara is currently the only place in the central mountains with infrastructure such as a secondary school Tamara and Vermosh share a maternity hospital Until the collapse of communism there were such facilities for example in the Shala Valley Many residents of the villages in the interior such as Boga Theth or Valbona live there only in the summer months as the villages are cut off for many weeks during winter 22 In addition to the seasonal migration the whole mountain area is suffering from a severe brain drain as its income from agriculture is low Many leave to seek work and a little more comfort in the region of Shkodra and Koplik Tirana or abroad 37 As the year round population dwindles as the terrain becomes less accessible there are few state or local government employees such as teachers Local income comes from agriculture semi illegal forestry and tourism In a few places like Theth tourism has been revitalized by recreational hiking With the help of GTZ 40 private houses also referred to as guest houses or han in Albanian have been transformed into tourist accommodations or B amp Bs In 2010 there were 130 beds available in total 100 more than in 2007 Additionally hiking trails have been marked and trails maps and travel guides published In the period from 2006 to 2009 the number of tourists rose from 300 to around 7 500 per year Unlike in the rest of Albania the increase was due to foreign tourists Lakes such as Plav and Hrid also receive many tourists during the summer months In many villages there are small hydroelectric power plants that supply the village with electricity 38 Many villages were already settled by the 15th century citation needed and some valleys have been inhabited since the Stone Age At the end of communism however several thousand people emigrated and depopulated the area Transport in Albania Edit Azem Hajdari Highway in Valbona Valley part of the Albanian Alps SH20 at Leqet e Hotit in Kelmend region SH20 road crosses the Accursed Mountains in the Kelmend region of northwestern Albania stretching from the eastern shore of Lake Scutari at the Han i Hotit border crossing with Montenegro to the first pass into the valley of Cem It then leads to the source elevation of the Qafa e Predelecit after Vermosh followed by another border crossing ending at Gusinje As of 2015 update the SH20 stretch between Hani Hotit and Tamare has been paved and upgraded to European standards From west to east there is only the SH21 road recently paved from Koplik to Boga The road from Qafa Thores leading to Theth has been recently paved with crash barriers and guard rails added but is still steep winding and narrow in places 39 From Theth there is a bad track down to the Shala Valley Church and only a walking path along the river leads to Shkodra SH22 road over the Qafa e Morines at Bajram Curri after Gjakova has been reconstructed In the past the only route for crossing the border between Montenegro and Kosovo was via Rugova Canyon which was very dangerous and steep With the construction of the Peja Rozaje highway the situation has greatly improved 40 In addition SH42 road leading to Razem from SH21 has also been recently reconstructed Historically a caravan route between Podgorica and Plav crossed the mountains along the Lim and Cem rivers 41 42 Notes Edita The political status of Kosovo is disputed Having unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 Kosovo is formally recognised as an independent state by at least 101 out of 193 52 3 UN member states while Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own territory Conflicts have arisen over whether the number of recognizing countries is larger due to claims that additional states which have recognized subsequently withdrew them References Edit Manchester University Glacier Evolution in a Changing World book edited by Danilo Godone ISBN 978 953 51 3544 9 Print ISBN 978 953 51 3543 2 Published 4 October 2017 John Lempriere Lorenzo L Da Ponte John David Ogilby 1838 Bibliotheca Classica Or a Dictionary of All the Principal Names and Terms Relating to the Geography Topography History Literature and Mythology of the Antiquity and of the Ancients with a Chronological Table W E Dean p 800 Karl Heinz Rechinger Ergebnisse einer botanischen Reise in den Bertiscus Nordalbanische Alpen 1935 in Feddes Repert Spec Nov 38 137 152 319 389 Annalisa Rellie 2008 Montenegro 3rd p 237 ISBN 9781841622255 Fjalor enciklopedik shqiptar N Zh dhe nje shtojce Akademia e Shkencave e Shqiperise 2009 ISBN 9789995610326 1953 dalloi tri krahina te medha natyrore Alpet Shqiptare Shqiperine e Brendshme dhe Shqiperine Bregdetare ndersa prof P Geco shih ne v 1963 dalloi kater krahina te medha Alpet Shqiptare Krahina Malore Qendrore Krahina Malore Galanti Arturo 1901 L Albania notizie geografiche etnografiche e storiche asa archiviostudiadriatici it Rome Societa Ed Dante Alighieri p 13 Retrieved 28 June 2021 Website des Montenegrinischen Tourismusministeriums Archived 30 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine a b Akademia e Shkencave e RPSSH Fjalor enciklopedik shqiptar Tirana 1985 und Gjeografia fizike e Shqiperise Tirana 1990 a b Dinaric Alps Climbing Hiking amp Mountaineering SummitPost summitpost org Maja e Arapit Geoquest Kletterfuhrer PDF Geoquest Verlag August 2010 Retrieved 3 September 2010 permanent dead link Rugova Canyon Pec 2018 All You Need to Know Before You Go with Photos TripAdvisor www tripadvisor com Bogicevica Bogicevica Climbing Hiking amp Mountaineering SummitPost summitpost org Karanfili Climbing Hiking amp Mountaineering SummitPost www summitpost org a b c Milovan Milivojevic Ljubomir Menkovic and Jelena Calic November 2008 Pleistocene glacial relief of the central part of Mt Prokletije Albanian Alps Quaternary International 190 1 1 112 122 Bibcode 2008QuInt 190 112M doi 10 1016 j quaint 2008 04 006 Hughes Philip D 2009 Phil Hughes Twenty first Century Glaciers and Climate in the Prokletije Mountains Albania PDF Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research 41 4 455 459 doi 10 1657 1938 4246 41 4 455 S2CID 111383505 a b Glaciers discovered in cursed mountains of Albania The University of Manchester 27 January 2010 Marash Rakaj Floristic and chorological news from north Albania in Botanica Serbica 33 2 Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden Jevremovac Belgrad 2009 Seiten 177 183 Lulezim Shuka Mullaj Alfred Hoda Petrit Kashta Lefter Miho Aleko 2017 Overview of the flora and vegetation of the Albanian Alps the degree of conservation and threats doi 10 13140 RG 2 2 23064 70400 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help a b c Petrit Imeraj Joost Smets in Gilian Gloyer Albania Bradt Travel Guide Bucks 2006 zweite Ausgabe ISBN 978 1 84162 149 4 Stevanovic V Vukojicic S Sinzar Sekulic J Lazarevic M Tomovic G amp Tan K 2009 Distribution and diversity of Arctic Alpine species in the Balkans Plant Syst Evol 283 219 235 Distribution and diversity of Arctic Alpine species in the Balkans Treasures a b Michael Galaty Dr Michael Galaty in Northern Albania Millsaps College News amp Events Archived from the original on 14 December 2012 Retrieved 16 August 2008 Wolfgang Fremuth Herausgeber Albania Guide to its Natural Treasures Verlag Herwig Klemp Tirana 2000 ISBN 3 931323 06 4 Lov Lovacki portal SRBIJALOV www srbijalov com www srbijalov com Euronatur Albaniens Wilder Norden Schatzkammer der okologischen Vielfalt in Europa Retrieved 27 July 2009 BirdLife IBA Factsheet Retrieved 19 June 2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Salamandra atra 14 December 2008 Prokletije Rock Lizard Dinarolacerta montenegrina Archived from the original on 23 January 2013 Retrieved 24 January 2011 Reveue de geographie Volumes 10 13 Page 8 a b Thethi Guide Historia e Parkut Kombetar Theth in Albanian Retrieved 28 July 2010 Albanian National Agency of Tourism Valbona Valley National Park in Albanian Archived from the original on 25 July 2011 Retrieved 28 July 2010 Sulejmani Edlira Bashkepunimi rajonal bisedime per nje park kombetar shqiptaro kosovaro malazez Alsattv in Albanian Archived from the original on 3 September 2011 Retrieved 28 July 2010 Journey to Valbona Blog Archive Something New is Happening The Albanian National Park of the Alps journeytovalbona com Parku Kombetar i Alpeve nen mbrojtjen e Shqiperise dhe Kosoves Archived from the original on 21 September 2015 Retrieved 17 October 2015 Summit Post Bogicevica Illegal Logging Ravages Albania s Forests BalkanInsight com 16 December 2009 Retrieved 13 August 2010 Renate Ndarurinze Albanien entdecken Trescher Verlag Berlin 2006 ISBN 3 89794 091 4 Ismail Beka 24 April 2010 Grenzuberschreitende Destinationsentwicklung fur Bergtourismus Albanien Montenegro Kosovo PDF Archived from the original PDF on 29 March 2012 Retrieved 17 August 2010 The Highway to Theth Albania 2021 Volker Grundmann Albanien Das komplette Reisehandbuch Unterwegs Verlag Singen 2008 ISBN 978 3 86112 257 9 Shala Valley Project Final Report of the 2006 Field Season Archived 31 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine James Pettifer Albania amp Kosovo Blue Guide A amp C Black London 2001 ISBN 0 7136 5016 8Further reading EditBoenzi Federico Giovanni Palmentola Glacial Features and Snow Line Trend During the Last Glacial Age in the Southern Apennines Italy and on Albanian and Greek Mountains in Journal of Geomorphology 41 21 29 Berlin 1997 Cook Steve and Marash Rakaj Social Changes in the Albanian Alps During Communism Middle States Geographer 28 1995 84 90 Jovan Cvijic Ice Age in Prokletije and Surrounding Mountains The Glass SKAN XCI Belgrade 1913th Original Cvijic J 1921 Ledeno doba u i Prokletijama okolnim planinama Glasnik Srpske Akad Kraljevske XCL 1913 XCIII Jovan Cvijic Geomorphology I II Belgrade 1924 26 Edith Durham High Albania London 1909 Helmut Eberhart Karl Kaser Editor Albania Tribal Life between Tradition and Modernity Bohlau Verlag Wien 1995 ISBN 3 205 98378 5 Rose Wilder Lane Peaks of Shala Harper amp Brothers New York 1923 Milovan Milivojevica Ljubomir Menkovica and Jelena Calic Pleistocene Glacial Relief of the Central Part of Mt Prokletije In Quaternary International v 190 1 1 November 2008 112 122 Franz Nopcsa Geography and Geology of Northern Albania Institutum Regni Hungariae Geologicum Budapest 1929 Christian Zindel Barbara House Amman Hiking North Albania Thethi and Kelmend Huber Verlag Munich 2008 ISBN 978 3 940686 19 0External links EditAcademic Edit Media related to Prokletije at Wikimedia Commons Prokletije travel guide from Wikivoyage Prokletije on BirdLife Peace parks of Prokletije Montenegrin Prokletije Prokletije at summitpost org GTZ Successful Cooperation Sustainable Results Examples from Europe Caucasus and Central Asia Berlin 2010News articles Edit Neville Tim 29 March 2013 Hiking Beyond Borders in the Balkans The New York Times Retrieved 31 March 2013 Knott Jonathan 18 May 2012 Walking in Albania s Accursed Mountains The Guardian Retrieved 26 May 2012 Rue Geraldine 20 March 2017 Le charme des Balkans dans les Alpes albanaises 1 Le Monde Archived from the original on 29 June 2019 Retrieved 27 March 2017 French Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Accursed Mountains amp oldid 1150535574, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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