Vjosa River

The Vjosa runs about two hundred and seventy kilometres from the Pindus in Greece, where it is the Aoos, to the Adriatic near Vlora, and it is one of the last large rivers in Europe that run their whole length without a dam, which is why it became the subject of a long campaign and was declared a national park in 2023, the first wild river national park in Europe. What that protects is a braided gravel-bed river that moves across a wide floodplain, splitting and rejoining, with islands, side channels and gravel banks that shift each year, together with its tributaries. It supports a large number of species, some found nowhere else. The valley road follows much of it, and rafting and kayaking run on several sections.

What you actually see

• A braided undammed river - channels and gravel islands that move each year.
• Europe's first wild river national park - declared in 2023.
• The valley from the Greek border - the road following the river north-west.
• Rafting and kayaking sections - the descents run from Permet and Tepelene.

When to go

April to June for high water and rafting; July to September for low water and easier access to the gravel banks. A day for a section, several to follow the valley. Spring snowmelt makes it dramatic.

Honest expectations

The national park designation is recent and infrastructure is minimal, with no visitor centres and little signage. Tributary dams and gravel extraction remain live issues. Access to much of the riverbed is on rough tracks. Rafting operators vary in quality.

Nearby

Permet and Lengarica are upstream; Tepelene lies downstream.