Sunlight streams through small stone windows, warming wooden floorboards as the sound of sheep bells drifts in from the hills. The scent of baking bread mixes with the smoke from a previous evening’s fire. This is the experience awaiting visitors to Albania’s traditional kulla houses, which are being restored to offer a glimpse into the country’s ancient hospitality traditions.
These stone tower houses, found throughout northern Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, once protected families during times of conflict and sheltered travelers on trade routes. Many fell into disrepair in the 20th century, but a new initiative aims to return them to their former glory. The Albanian Agritourism Association has developed the Tower Trail, a long-distance route that passes through some of the least visited areas of north-eastern Albania.
The Tower Trail Route
The nine-day walking trail spans more than 100 miles through the Mirdita, Mat, Bulqiza, and Dibra regions. Designed to be walked with a guide, the journey takes travelers through traditional villages, high plains, forests, and river valleys. Future plans include cycling and 4×4 routes, though some stages are long enough to be broken into two days or shortened with car transfers.
The kulla is the central feature of the trail. Traditionally constructed from limestone and local wood, these structures were built by skilled craftsmen to withstand harsh weather and historical conflicts, including the 15th-century Ottoman invasion and tribal disputes. Many were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, but under the communist regime from 1944 to 1991, families had their kullas confiscated. When they reclaimed them, many were in disrepair. A mass exodus from rural areas to cities in the 1990s and 2000s left many of these structures empty.
Preserving Local Traditions
Nik Nikolli, director of Infokulla, a museum and cultural center in Rubik, notes that many villages along the route have only one or two families remaining. He explains that introducing tourism has been a slow process because accepting money from guests goes against established traditions of hospitality. Nikolli hopes the trail will encourage locals to open their kullas or farms as guesthouses, providing unique experiences for visitors while earning extra income for their families.
Travelers on the trail often encounter this deep-rooted hospitality. On several days, journeys take longer than expected as guides and visitors are regularly invited to sit for coffee and served freshly harvested grapes, plums, and walnuts. Agriculture is the mainstay of life in these areas, with people working from dawn until dusk, yet they always seem eager to take a break and share tales from the past.
Hajrija Qerimi, 91, grew up in a large kulla in the village of Bruç. Her father was a successful farmer known for his generosity, and the family regularly hosted travelers. Qerimi recalls that there were never fewer than 10 people at the dinner table. She says her father taught her that everyone who comes to the house is offered food and drink, and the important thing is that nobody leaves without receiving the best hospitality.
Restored Kulla Guesthouses
One of the highlights of the trail is staying in restored kullas. In the hillside village of Dushaj, Kulla Hupi opened as a guesthouse in 2021. Owner Luli Hupi spent years working in a nearby mine, saving money to restore the house room by room. He says that when you come here, you feel like you are at home with a family waiting for you.
Hupi supports the local community by working with more than 10 families who provide meat, cheese, honey, bread, and other produce for the guesthouse restaurant. He also serves as a guide for hiking, horseback riding, and cooking classes. He keeps guest numbers low and has no interest in mass tourism. He prefers having just 10 tables and requiring reservations a month in advance, rather than catering to large crowds.
Similar businesses are emerging in the wider region. At Butterfly Camping, a small site on the banks of the Black Drin River, owner Labinot Murrja built three small cabins and left room for tents. He and his father cleared the land themselves. Murrja targets adventurous travelers interested in nature and village life. He says local people were initially skeptical but were convinced when they saw guests arrive. Like Hupi, Murrja emphasizes providing a unique experience rather than making a big profit.
Source: The Guardian
