Excursion to Pirogoshi Caves

Albania is a land of mountains, rivers and lakes. To this triad could only be added a fourth element, that of natural cavities, or rather, caves. Pirogoshi Cave, at 1,500 meters in size, is the largest in the entire nation. It is located near Corovoda, a municipality famous because it is home to another phenomenal natural attraction, the Osum Canyon, also called the Grand Canyon of Albania.

Half-day tour to Pirogoshi Caves with a stop in Polican

First stop, Berat to Polican

We leave at 8:30 a.m. from Berat to reach Polican in about half an hour. Here we have a chance to make a quick visit to one of the villages that are symbolic for the excellence of the communist era. Until the 1960s, Polican was a small rural town. Then the regime, with the help of Chinese industrial power, decided to convert the area to large-scale arms production. Soon a small rural town became a city of more than ten thousand inhabitants, most of them engaged in the war industry. For this reason, the town of Pelican still teems today with forts and bunkers, which served to defend it.

Guided tour of Pirogoshi Cave 

We get back in the car, reaching Skrapar prefecture in just over thirty minutes. We are in a little-known area but very much in vogue among adventure lovers: in fact, nearby are the rapids of the famous Gradeci Canyon. When we reach our destination, we leave the vehicles and set off on a 20-minute walk to the entrance of the cave. Already from the opening we can get a taste of what lies ahead, a plunge into an adventure that engages body and soul. As we proceed inside the cave, even the most claustrophobic will feel at ease. On average, the cavern is 5 meters high and 30 meters wide. Inside, the spectacle is indescribable: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, petrified waterfalls, rock formations, small lakes and hidden passages. Pirogoshi Cave is a real labyrinth full of colors and exciting sounds. According to the ancient inhabitants of Skrapar, through this and other caves in the area, man had access to a higher reality, to that otherwise inaccessible mystical world. The feeling one experiences when entering the vast halls that open almost out of nowhere is precisely that of standing in front of something sacred. Pirogoshi Cave was initially explored by French and Dutch cavers, but it was only the Italians of the Puglia Grotte Group and the Dauno Speleological Group in 1995 who completed the exploration in its entirety.

Osum Canyon and minor caves.

Back in the open, we turn our attention to Osum Canyon. We make our first stop at Qarkorja and Flamurit, a vantage point that offers a real sight to behold. Continuing between the canyon and the riverbed, we encounter another cave, definitely smaller than the one we just visited. This is Vrima e Nuses, the Bride's Hole, a small cave often found in the tales and legends of the old men of Skrapar. Indeed, it seems that a young bride desperate for shelter had fled here. The mountain that had heard her crying opened a small wound in her body made of rock so that the girl could hide. The itinerary along the Osum River ends with a visit to the famous Ura and Zaberzanit bridges and a chance for everyone to take a swim.

• Due to the moderate amount of walking to reach the main attraction sites it may be best to wear comfortable shoes and clothes

• We suggest this tour to clients who are able to walk up and down roads and stairs

• This tour is not suitable for clients in wheelchairs

• In hot weather we recommend that you bring a beanie with you

• Be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the departure time.