Kukës

Kukës is the only town in the world that has been nominated for a a Nobel Peace Prize. Kukës received this honor in 2000 for receiving refugees in their hundreds of thousands from the Kosovo War.

From and to Tirana there are frequent though irregular furgons, basically a passenger transport van, and a few daily departures of an autobus (both furgon and autobus are 600 lek). Kukës is by the A1 highway connecting Pristina and Tirana so you can arrive by bus from that direction.
Kukës has an international airport which was cleared to service international flights in 2016, and talks are being held opening routes to Kukës.

Walkable city. Taxis are available taking Albanian Lek and Euro, but agree the price before you get in.

• The Gjallica mountains to the east of Kukës, a local landmark visible from most parts of the city.
• The reservoir on 3 sides of Kukës is clear turquoise in colour. The bridges are worth seeing too.

• The locals love to shoot pool in various local establishments found along the Rruga Xhamia off the main road.
• Swimming in the reservoir in the summer heatwave days is the local way to cool off.
• There are rafting opportunities to the south of Kukës in the Drin run.

• Local Kukës produced raki kumbull (plum raki) and raki rrushi (grape raki) are good and available reasonably priced at the small supermarket beneath Bar Amerika on the street level.

Budget

• On Rruga Dituria there are various fast food restaurants offering among other things the local meatballs or roast chicken in buns and halal pizza.

Splurge

• Kulla Lumes

  phone: +355 67 230 0196
  address: SH23
  Nice selection of seafood, grill foods from Albania and popular European cuisine, selection of wines and an excellent view of the reservoir lake.

• Bar Amerika

• Hotel Gjallica

  phone: +355 24222527
  address: Rruga Dituria, Kukës
  The most luxurious hotel in Kukës with its own restaurant and terrace

• Hotel Amerika

  phone: +355 24 223278
  address: Lagjja Nr. 5, Kukes

• Oda Kuksit Hotel

  phone: +355685757408
  address: Rruga e Drinit Lagjia nr.4
  A family run hotel with a restaurant and terrace in the city center.

Residental hotels

• Hotel Emili

  phone: +355686752685
  address: Lagjja 1, Rruga Dy Drinat
  You can book a month of resident living in Hotel Emili for around 300€. Weirdly, this hotel in the old industrial area of Kukes i ri has UK-style electric sockets so you need to bring an adapter to use European style plugs with them.

If arriving from Kosovo you could be interested in a Vodafone or ALBTelecom prepaid sim card with several gigabytes of data for around only around 1000 lek. There is a Vodafone shop near where the furgons arrive and depart.

• Albanian Alps

• PrizrenOttoman-era town in Kosovo with Albanian, Serbian and Byzantine heritage.

• Gjakovatown in Kosovo with the largest Ottoman-era bazzar in the Balkans.

• Pristinacapital of Kosovo.

• ShkodraShkodra is the cultural center of northern Albania and Albanian Catholics.

• TiranaCapital of Albania.