Grunas Waterfall

The Grunas waterfall drops about thirty metres over a rock step into a pool at the head of a small canyon below the village of Theth in the Albanian Alps, and it is the easiest walk from the village, roughly forty-five minutes each way on a marked path through pasture and beech, with the last section on rock beside the stream. The water comes off the surrounding peaks and is strongest in early summer with snowmelt, dropping later in the season. Below the fall the Grunas canyon runs on, narrow and deep, and can be looked into from viewpoints on the path. The whole area is within Theth National Park, and the walk is usually combined with the Blue Eye further up the valley.

What you actually see

• A thirty-metre fall - dropping over a rock step into a pool.
• The Grunas canyon - the narrow gorge running on below the fall.
• Beech and pasture on the path - the walk up from the village.
• Snowmelt flow in early summer - the water at its strongest in June.

When to go

June to September; the Theth road is closed or difficult with snow outside that. Two to three hours for the return walk. Flow drops considerably by late August. Mornings are quieter.

Honest expectations

Flow reduces a great deal by late summer and can disappoint. The path has rock sections that are slippery when wet. The road into Theth is rough and the drive is long. There are no facilities at the fall.

Nearby

Theth village is below; the Blue Eye of Theth lies further up the valley.