Shebenik National Park is a roughly 34,500-hectare mountain park on Albania’s eastern border with North Macedonia, running from valley floors near 300 m to about 2,250 m, with beech and fir forest, alpine pasture, and 14 glacial lakes. It was declared a park mainly to protect one of the last ranges of the Balkan lynx, along with bear and wolf.
The military story is the border itself: after the 1948 Tito–Stalin split this ridge was a closed Albania–Yugoslavia frontier, patrolled and dotted with Hoxha-era bunkers through the 1970s and 1980s, and that isolation is why the forest and the large animals survived; it is now part of the European Green Belt of former Iron Curtain borderlands.
But this is not why we are here. We are always looking for Authentic Life to experience vs tourist sites. We are staying on a family farm owned by Neri an Albanian Farmer whose family has owned property here for some 400 years. Neri is no ordinary farmer. He is both steeped in Albanian culture and tradition, but also a highly educated attorney who chooses to continue his families legacy of goat and sheep farming high in the Albanian country side.
Also, this is not some “dude’ farm like in the U.S. It is as real as it gets, and our experience here tops all that we’ve seen. He genuinely welcomes us as if long lost relatives (I’m nicknamed Armen by his uncle), and immerses us in traditions, cultures, meals, and celebrations of his ancestors.
We have also met some of the most amazing people here who are fellow travelers searching for a life of the past that our modern world has forgotten. Nigel & Dianne from the U.K (ThisisVanLife.com), Jurgen & Mandy from Holland (Rooftoptravel.com), and Greg, his wife Alex and two adorable kids, all of whom are on a life journey to see the world first hand…
We rolled up to Neri making trout and potatoes for all of us at a family table. (Video courtesy of Mandy – Rooftoptra el.com). Also seated with us was “The old guy” as Neri called him. An 80+ year old friend who had walked 6km up the dirt road to pay homage to Neri’s grandfather who had recently passed. This is a tradition where for 52 days people come to the house. Some 1800 friends had visited from the town below… An amazing evening.The farm has about 20 sheep that roam around the house. Two guardian dogs instinctively guard these sheep with their lives.Sasha is the lead dog. Not to be messed with. Has battled bear, wolves and other evening demons. Missing one eye and two ears. Still an ever watchful eye on all things going on.At least once a day Neri or Nori, Neri’s uncle cooks us a family meal as they eat.Sharing stories of life from other travels over these meals is a highlight.The simple kitchen Neri’s grandfather used for decades. Still in use.Living and eating off the land. Today was an edible mushroom day as we took our three hour hike. Neri takes us out each day for an adventure. Not ‘cause we are paying him (we aren’t), but because he wants to show us where he walked with his grandfather since he was 5-6 years old.Listen to his stories and you may get a feel for the richness of this experience.You may have heard about the Communist regime in Albania with the closed boarders. The dictator built 56,000 bunkers throughout and close to the borders. Boys and girls at 15 – 16 years were trained to shoot and field strip (to clean), a rifle. All men required to serve.With intense fear of German, Italian, or Yugoslavian invasion, soldiers were constantly stationed on watch. This one held two men.And then the goats. Over 500 of them watched by 1 Sheppard and 10 Guardian dogs. Sheppard moves them up and down the mountain each day. He watches them like Sheppards in the bible. If one is lost he will find it.Tucked in for the night. Game cameras keep an eye on night activity, but it is the dogs that respond.Then there’s vipers on the trails. One goat and one cow bitten in the last week. Very poisonous.The Guardian Dogs ever watching. See the two white ones far up the hillside. These are not Sheppard dogs. They don’t herd the goats, they protect them. Born on the ground in the middle of the goats, they are instinctively taught to care for the goats and will die protecting them.Main production from goats is milk for cheese. 120 liters of milk makes 30 kilos of cheese. With water rotated every 15 days and kept in the shade, the cheese will last 6 months.The Sheppard’s accommodations next to the goats. Work goes on 24/7 rain or snow. Up & down walking them, milking, & guarding.With Fall in the air work takes other forms as well including preparing for heating stoves in the winter.They also have a stone mill driven by a water wheel when the water is high. Neighbors come and stand in line to use the mill. Neri said his sisters job when she was 6 was to sit at the door and charge 20 cents for people to use it. (She’s now a Cardiologist in Italy). Amazing people this family!As I sit here trying to wrap this up. Here is Neri with a delivered lunch plate. Pork, potatoes, and cheese from the farm.Ah Raki. An alcoholic moonshine type drink made from only grapes. Held fermented for 21 days then boiled. A sweet type of hard liquor. Appropriate as a final “Gezuar” (Cheers), to three days of the life we were searching to find. And finally. Friends from many backgrounds and countries we will never forget! ♥️ 🇦🇱
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