Hiking the High Scardus Trail: Three-week trek through the mountains of North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania

Trek one of Europe’s wildest and least explored long-distance routes on the High Scardus Trail (HST), a 296km journey through the mountains of the Western Balkans.Crossing Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia, the trail runs from Staro Selo on the edge of Sharr Planina National Park to the monastery of Saint Naum on the shores of UNESCO-listed Lake Ohrid, linking remote border ridges, high summits and traditional mountain villages over three challenging weeks. The route begins in the Sharr Mountains (Shar Planina), traverses the Korab and Deshat ranges, and includes an ascent of Mount Korab (2,764m), the highest mountain in both Albania and North Macedonia.Continuing south, the trail explores the Jablanica and Galicica mountains, often following the border ridge itself before descending into cirques, pastures, valleys and gorges, and finally reaching Saint Naum Monastery above Lake Ohrid. The High Scardus Trail is described in 22 daily stages and divided into three sections, with short