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Natural Park of Thethi

The National Park of Thethi

Thethi, one of the most special countries in the Albanian Alps, situated at the north part of Shale commune, Shkodra district, is positioned in a hale 700-950 meters over the sea level and it is inhabited permanently.
In 1937 opened a tourist agency. On 18th of July 1956 was created first alpine movement on our country. On 1966 was built a micro central nearly 45kw/h 24kw/n and on 1967 it is implemented an aggregate to threat woody materials. In 1956 was opened a tourist center at the building of hotel, mainly for worker’s holidays and alpinist’s holidays. In 1976 has been praised National Park on 2630 ha and actually is the second national park, After Dajti National Park, according to the size-quantity.
Geographical position 
Thethi is positioned in the head of Shala’s Valley and also the Shkodra division/district too.Nature supple a beautiful, fascinated and relaxed view that is so wanted in our day. Thethi Country is composed from teetanic-glacier hides that make it look like a trough/washtub 6km long and 1km width. Lowest level is 700m over sea level. At the North is grey and undressed Arapis Peak 2217.2m over sea level, too much referred from alpinist for its difficulty according to international level. At the East, you must see a wonderful hale where lies Jezerca, 2692m over sea level. Peak of Alise 2471m,peak of Pullaka 2569m,in this port you can climb to peak of Boshi 2471 above Dreri’s peak from where you can see other mountains hill peak of Hekurave 2559.4m and2125.5m.There mountains are positioned one after another like white carter with different forms and glacier and carstic phenomenon. Mountain at the west side of peak of Arapi is peak of Rryshbullit 2431m going dower to peak of Zorgji 1663.8m,peak of Bigos se Gimajve 2230m.From peak of Radonimo could be seen Bjeshket e Namuna and Alps in generally, hill the center mountainous region. A sea of mountains circle Thethi, giving it the beauty of European Alpes. This join is narrowed from rocks to peak of Dren and steeps of Zorgji. In this narrowing is created big canyon of Grunasi with great carbonated formations. It is 2km long with a 76/1km slope, 30-60m deep and 2-3m wide. In side of these rocks are grave of Zorgji, grave Qyqe Ret, grave, grave that is in Thethi the Pepes’s field to old and “Hole of water” to pass of Pea, grave of Arapi and grave of Rratheve which have large digressions and interesting like underground lakes, galleries and siphons of stalactites and stalagmites.
Thethi country cultural attractions beginning with traditional clothes, churches, characteristic houses way of living. Traditional clothes are xhubleta for women and trip and xhamadan (doublet) for men. Women use traditional veil, brides use veils with roses and light colors and other takes black veils tied to the throat. Utilizes even homes of habitants because free and with a small investment could be transformed to very comfortable homes for visitors. There are fields alpine tents can be pitched up. Men use woolen traditional hat called Kesule Characteristic housed are build by stones and their roofs are very sloppy, to slope the snow. They are with 2-3 flat, builds on descents or near the mountains. For these house are characteristic stairs, at the external part of the house, that bring you to the second flat because the first flat is usually used for animals. In the second flat is guest’s room & rooms for other members of family. That’s what can bear Lulash Keqi’s house in a perfect way. The tower with 3 flats, wooden roof, very small window just to air the tower, it has no stairs only one door this kind of tower was  used from wan one kin, to be protected, when they had conflicts with one or more kins. There live only men of the kind from which must revenge. They live there till the oldest members of the country interfere to solve the conflict. Men in the tower were nourished from woman towards them was not permitted to revenge. In 1892, based on documents, Thethi is known like parson. The first person to Thethi’s church was an Italian called in Findez. P. Gabrielda Danga who died and buried inside Thethi’s church this years. It is said that in this country was found a bell from the period of Turkish conquests. Habitants has the bell to the groves underground where is spoken for this bell generation after generation. The way of living and the position of houses at strategic parts protected from natural factors and in suitable parts of living like: near sources and agricultural land.
Another characteristic is that roads in the country are separate for people and for animal. They are
surrounded by walls made with stones or by hedge. New that automobilist road is open their utilization
have changed a bit.

Climatic conditions
Clime, with cold winter and fresh summer with mountainous phenomenon, is favorable for tourists. You can breath fresh our coming dawn from the mountains.
Utilization of sun rises richened with ultraviolet, especially at 09.00, are very healthy. Annual rainfall are 2900-3000m.They are spread among seasons: in spring 21%,in summer 9%,in autumn 32% and in winter 38% .Rainfall appear like snow that create a sustainable layer for some months.
Flora and fauna
Region of Thethi is characteristics for its natural diversity like forest sub alpine and alpine meadow, rugged descent, carstic and rival holes. High level of diversity is crossed with the indications of Mediterranean mountainous clime that have produced a light level diverse business and flora. Current zone has a business at the same level with Central Europe and great height where we can select Amm’s wood and probulli’s wood. Estren hed geology. It is spread through Eastern Europe, Balcan, Turkey and Russia being positioned like a kind of western Europe. It is founded in forest zones with vegetation.
Blind male, Bicoloured white-tooth threw. Fauna is characterized by animals like Brown Bear, Wolf, Red Fox, Weasel, Western polecat, Pine marthn, Beech marten, Badger, Wild Cat, Brown hare, Wild Boor, Chamois, Roe deer.


Sportive activities that could be realized
Fishing/Swimming
There are possible places for fishing trout to Shala river. One of most suitable places under the Bridge of Gertes, a magnificent opportunity for swimming. Also, to Nderlysa you could catch a big fish. Is possible going for swimming through Shala river or through different water falls. It is a wonderful place/area near the waterfall. 

Canoe/canoeing
We can canoe very well to Thethi’s river in autumn and in spring when river is very torrential, caused by raining and snow melting. Canoeing is helped from river’s flaw.
Walks
You can walk to marvelous paths and ways when you go to Thethi, Always companied with an indigenous guide man/conductor, for one or some days. Tour to Thethi country. A fantastic tour for 3 or 5 hours most be done around the most beautiful and most interesting places. This tour will bring you to the Church and the cemetery of country, will recognize you with the mini-hydro central and naturally with 2 monumental towers. Then you can go to waterfall and to Bridge of Gertes more than 30 meters over river Shala.
An impressing walk is from pass of Peja along to Jezenca Mountain. You can do this trip by foot for 10 hours and you can spend a couple of nights in dairy but in pass of Peja. Existence of null lakes with tectonic and flicker origins, eternal snow and forms of planks around will surely make this trip very kind for all of them, who are fond to mountains tourism. A walk to mountain of Radovila, which is the most panoramic point, from where you can see Bjeshket e Namuna andAlpes generally and Korabi too tell central mountains region. Another walk is in Valbona saddleback which takes about 5-10 hours there and back. From there you can see Valbona river and Dragobia.

Mountainous cycling
Tour of Mountainous cycling in mountainous paths/reads from Koplik to Thethi through Bunit Theres(1733m) and from Thethi along rivers Shala and Kiri. Return to Shkodra would be one of the best tours of mountainous cycling in Europ e. Nearly 100kmmountinous rood not asphalted that pass between on of the most beautiful landscapes of Albania will satisfy a cyclist int erested over natural beauties, multi-kind local culture and a hard tour. Bicycles can not be renting to Shala valley equipments must be brought from Tirana from abroad.

Speleology/Rock climbing
Arap cave, 13 km long with 3 Circles cave, 120 m long with tectonic shapes with water wells. Last years different groups from Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland came to see different graves and to explore others unknown till now. In this zone there are graves explored and unexplored. Guide man brings you in to the grave to peak of Arapi. Tunnel inside this grave will send you to 3 internal lakes, you should be well equipped. There is a vertical face nearly 900 meters. It seemed very challenging for rock climbers. No guide men and no equipment can be found in this zone for rock climbers. In two caves of Denell one, of which has a relatively large size 
Walking on the snow
Wintry tourism to Albanian Alpes is a real adventure. To Thethi, in winter, snow usually is over than 2 meters. Indigenous use specialequipments called “circles” (rrathe).With these “circles” you can walk from Boga to Thethi and after a rest to Thethi you may continue to Valbona or turn back to Boga. Also, this rood could be traversed by cross country ski.
Sky diving
In the mountains of Theth people can jump with parachutes because there is a dramatic rough mountain side favors this kind of sport 

Actual capacities for the development of tourism 
The region of Albanian Alps is a very important tourist destination even in international level. The combination of natural beauties and the extraordinary sources with the tradition of hospitality of the local community, is the biggest capacity of tourism development in this region.
Thethi composes a special model as a tourist destination which during the last years recognizes a considerable growing. Surely it is impossible to have an exact number of the tourists but the habitants of Thethi and especially the guest houses, refer for a number as 4000 visitors which come to stay one or more nights in the families or in individual tends. What is special for Thethi, is the fact of the type of the tourist. Differently from the other destinations where the number of the Albanian tourist dominates, in Thethi every 10 tourists, 9 are from Europe or USA. Thethi has become an excellent model thanks to a wonderful collaboration of local community with all the Albanian and foreign partners which have given and still give their contribute for tourist development in Theth. The project will increase for Valbona and Kelmendi regions with the same ways and will make possible that at the summer of 2008, these areas can guest visitors with high standard of accommodation. 
At 2005 started an initiative for the development of the tourism in the area of Albaninan Alps. Barbara Hausammann and Dr. Christian Zindel, two Swiss experts in the mountain tourism, with the support of Technical Collaboration German Office, GTZ, started to interview for the tourist potentials mostly in Theth and Kelment and after in Valbone. This had to do with interview of the families and the valuation of the possibilities to guest visitors in the condition of the house tourism. They prepared the information GPS to produce maps for the mountainous tourism in this region, where the cultural and natural attractions would be in evidence.    
There are realized 50 interviews with different families habitants in this area, and so far, the project has made possible 9 guest houses, in able to accommodate circa 70 persons in very comfortable conditions. All this, thanks to the special financial support of GTZ and UNDP.
There are explored and opened 27 tourist walking ways with GPS and there are prepared the material for a tourist guide which will be published soon in Germany.   
It is ready also a map for all the tourist region Kelmend-Theth-Valbonë-Koman at the scale  1:50.000 for walking in GIS with the description of all the itineraries which can be used also with GPS. This map also will be ready for this year.  The information about tourism in Theth have found bis space in the media, from Albanian and foreign authors, in different tourist guides etc. the most important promotion comes from the Albanian media and from Albanian ambassadors which propose Thethi to their friend and collaborators. 
How this areas can become more attractive and frequented through necessary marketing? The growing of tourist capacities with the winter and river tourism. The area contents high potential of diversity of activities during all the seasons. 
It is important to mention the trip with snowy rackets in Boga and the kayaking in Shala River from a foreign kayak group.

 

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