Kroi i Nene Mbretereshes
The Queen Mother's Spring: a stone fountain with two spouts beside the road. Bring bottles, as people drive up from Tirana to fill them.
Destinations
Qafshtama National Park
Black pine forest and limestone peaks at the pass on the Kruja to Burrel road, about 20 km from town, with the spring Albania bottles as Qafshtama water.
1,250 m Altitude at the pass
20 km Road from Kruja
6,864 ha Protected area
Free Entry
About
Pine forest and a famous spring above Kruja.
Qafshtama is the pass at about 1,250 metres on the mountain road from Kruja to Burrel. The forest around it was made a national park in 1996, and in 2022 the protected area was enlarged to 6,864 hectares. It is about 20 km from Kruja by road, half an hour or a little more by car, and it stays quiet even on days when the castle is busy.
Most of the forest is black pine, some of it around 20 metres tall, with oak lower down. Brown bears, wolves and foxes are recorded in the park, though few visitors ever see them.
The best-known stop is Kroi i Nene Mbretereshes, the Queen Mother's Spring, a stone fountain beside the road named after the mother of King Zog. The story goes that a 1932 analysis in Vienna rated its water the best in the country, and the royal family drank little else. The same water is bottled today and sold across Albania under the name Qafshtama.
Practical Info: Free and open all year. About 20 km from Kruja by road (30 to 40 minutes). Several degrees cooler than the town, so bring a layer even in summer.
What to see
What to look for.
This is a park you walk rather than tick off. Four things are worth stopping for.
Shkembi i Vajes
The overhanging rock on the road up from Kruja, and the story of the ninety girls of Kruja that goes with it. Worth a stop on the way up or down.
The black pine forest
Tall, shaded and smelling of resin, and several degrees cooler than Kruja. This is why families from the plain come up on hot weekends.
The views from the pass
Limestone peaks and forested valleys open up on both sides of the road. Use the pull-ins rather than stopping on the road itself.
On the ground
What there is to do.
Nothing here is strenuous. It is a park for walking, picnics and cooler air, which suits an afternoon after a morning in the bazaar.
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Fill a bottle at the spring
Kroi i Nene Mbretereshes is right beside the road, so there is no walk involved.
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Walk the forest tracks
Unsurfaced tracks run off between the pines. They are wide and mostly gentle, and ordinary walking shoes are fine.
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Picnic in the shade
This is what most local visitors come for. Bring food and water: there is a restaurant at Qafshtama, but little else to buy.
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Combine it with the castle
The castle in the morning and Qafshtama in the afternoon. The drive up passes Shkembi i Vajes.
Plan your visit
Best time to visit
Entry is free all year, but at 1,250 metres the seasons are sharper than down in Kruja.
Spring
April to May
Green and fresh, with the springs and streams running full.
Summer
June to August
The main season: several degrees cooler than the town, and in deep shade.
Autumn
September to October
Clear air and colour in the oaks. The quietest good time to go.
Winter
November to March
Cold, with snow possible at the pass. Check conditions before you drive up.
Getting there
How to reach the park.
Qafshtama is on the SH38, the mountain road from Kruja to Burrel. The Queen Mother's Spring is about 20 km from the centre of Kruja, 30 to 40 minutes by car, and the road carries on over the pass at about 1,250 metres.
There is no gate and no entry fee. The road is narrow and winding, with an uneven surface in places, so take it slowly and use the pull-ins to stop.
It is several degrees cooler than Kruja. Bring an extra layer even in summer, and food and water if you plan to walk.
Directions in Google Maps
Nearby
More places close by.
Shkembi i Vajes
The cliff above Gryka e Vajes, where Kruja remembers ninety young women who chose the drop over capture.
Droja River Canyon
A limestone gorge 4 km north of Kruja, with waterfalls, deep green pools and a stretch protected as a natural monument.
Communist Military Tunnels
Cold War tunnels in the cliffs of the gorge road and an abandoned military base, 10 minutes north of Kruje.
Add the park to a day in Kruja.
The castle in the morning and the forest in the afternoon is the best-balanced day we run.