TIRANA, August 2 /ATA/ Drive past the first two tunnels on the Arbri Road from Tirana. Once you see wooden stalls selling mountain tea and fresh vegetables, you have arrived. Park your car here to start the trail up to Petralba Castle. Also called White Stone Castle, it sits 778 meters high on a mountain ridge above the Mati Valley in Klos.
According to an onsite sign, Petralba was a main stronghold of the Kastriot family. Historian Marin Barleti and local tradition suggest that Gjon Kastrioti’s family lived here, making it the suspected birthplace of Skanderbeg.
The area is part of the “100 Villages” project and a good choice for history and nature lovers.
Before the final climb towards the castle, we surprisingly find ourselves in front of a large, new building on the side of the road.
The Historical and Cultural Museum of Klos is located there, inaugurated but closed to visitors. Maybe because it is summer, maybe because the area does not yet receive enough visitors, but from the outside we see that the museum is well-organized and modern.
As we learn from the table, the project was implemented through the European Union’s Cross-Border Cooperation Albania-North Macedonia program, in partnership between the municipality of Klos and several organizations.
From official sources we learn that the museum preserves and promotes the rich heritage of the region, which includes important ethnographic elements (traditional Mat clothing, tools, objects of daily life) as well as historical evidence of the area, including the strong connection with the Kastriots and the early history of gunpowder production in Klos.
The return route from the castle is also open and leads to the canyon of the Mat River. The further you go down, the more you feel the freshness of the valley surrounded by greenery.
At one point opposite, the large Vasha Bridge appears, part of the Arbit Road at the height of the slopes, while below is the old, historic Vasha Bridge above the Mat.
There are only a few kilometers of trail that bring you to a unique landscape between the two bridges.
Vasha Bridge, a centuries-old stone bridge, declared a First Category Cultural Monument, is located at the exit of a narrow canyon over the Mat River. The bridge has served as a historical and natural connecting bridge between Klos and the tourist village of Guri i Bardhë.
Local shops have changed the river area by the bridge into a nice place to rest, eat, and drink outdoors.
The river has enough water for swimming and diving, while children are the ones who enjoy it the most. The water is clear and reflects the greenery of the slopes, while on the bridge you can see the canyon between the mountains far away.
Enjoy a fresh Sunday escape near the capital. A newly paved access road now leads you down to one trail connecting two unmissable destinations./p.s./
