Lake Koman

Lake Koman is the reservoir behind a dam on the Drin, flooding a deep gorge in the northern mountains for about thirty-four kilometres, and the ferry that runs its length from Koman to Fierze exists to serve villages with no road, but it has become one of the best-known journeys in the Balkans: the boat threads between rock walls rising several hundred metres, through narrows where the gorge closes to a few dozen metres, past small settlements and river mouths with no other access. The crossing takes about two and a half hours. It is the standard route between Shkoder and Valbona, with onward transfers at Fierze, and most travellers do it as part of that circuit rather than as a return trip.

The landscape

• Gorge walls hundreds of metres high - the flooded canyon of the Drin.
• Narrows in the rock - sections where the gorge closes right in.
• Roadless villages - settlements served only by the boat.
• The Shkoder to Valbona route - the ferry as part of the standard circuit.

When to go

May to October, when the ferry runs a reliable service and the onward transfers to Valbona operate. A day. Book ahead in July and August, when boats fill. The road to Koman is rough in places.

Good to know

The ferry is a working service and can be crowded, with vehicles and freight aboard. Timetables change and services reduce sharply outside summer. The road to the Koman jetty is poor with a long tunnel. Onward transfers must be arranged in advance.

Nearby

Valbona is reached from Fierze at the northern end; Shkoder lies south.

Key facts