Day trip to the Kelmend passing the Cem Valley
- Written by Portal Editor
Our first tour into the Cem valley had already led to euphoric enthusiasm, so no wonder that we planned another trip together with our camper guests in the direction of Tamara passing Cem valley.
Coming from Shkodar from Legjenda Camping, we have chosen the road branche off into the Kelmend at »Han i Hotit« on the north east of Lake Shkodra just before the border with Montenegro.
It passes the railway bridge, right after the houses and the church of Han i Hotit. Quickly the road climbs to nearly 800 meters - on the way you have a nice view back to the Shkodra lake.
Looking back, the size of the Shkodra lake can be recognized again.
After passing the village of Rrapsh, a broad high valley opens shortly afterwards. At the other end, the ground abruptly falls about 600 meters deep into the valley of the Cem river.
The view, which opens here, is one of the biggest attractions of the region. Far down the Cem Gorge with steep rock faces, surrounded by the impressive mountains of the Kelmend and behind it a few peaks of the Montenegro bordering the north.
From a glass balcony you have the most beautiful view into the deep ravine - an obligatory photo stop.
The road, which was built at the end of the 1960s was recently asphalted, winds down the slope in many serpentines.
Down in the valley, the road winds further north-east into the center of the Kelmend.
We first follow the Cem valley downstream, where nature is still practically unaffected and the construction of a new connecting road with a border crossing in the direction of Podgorica is planned.
The road terminates abruptly before burnished stones and gravels stopped us, the way back continues with several stopps at interesting view points.
Until in the end we came to another parking were some tables showing the seights on the way to Tamara were newly fixed. Good job.
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