Day hike from Korçë to Maja Çardhakut and Drenova National Park

I wasn't quite sure what hike I wanted to do in Korçe as there were no trails in any map app and very little recorded in this app. So I followed one recorded by jotirol and noticed that he turned around in the middle of the trail (no summit of any kind) and so, I decided to continue onwards and make my own circuit :)

Anyway, the trail follows the same trail that goes to the mountain with the cross (I don't know if this is Mount Morave) but once you get to the first zig zag of going up via the road, you take a dirt road/trail that goes north. You follow it through the river canyon. You'll notice I turned around as I wasn't sure I was on jotirol's trail. In the end, it led me to a semi visible goat trail that stays on the slope and it's not too stable. So I suggest just stay on the trail that follows the river. Eventually, the trail separates into two but don't worry, they merge after a km or two so doesn't matter which one you pick.

At km 5.7 and once you start going northeast, the trail isn't so well visible. Sometimes you see a goat trail and sometimes it disappears. So I decided to go up (northwest) and around a bit and found a well-marked goat trail. This one basically joins the way jotirol went up and remains very well marked all the way up to the ridge to go up Maja Çardhakut. The ridge trail is just a dirt road which you follow all the way down and through the national park.

Once at the summit (I think it's next to the antenna complex), you just follow it a bit to the east and then south and it's difficult to lose it after. Watch for dogs as I encountered a few and can get dangerous (there's also a dog-and possibly a guard-in the antenna complex). Once you enter the northern limits of the national park, you're greeted by these gorgeous rock formations that are nowhere else in this area. Thousands of years' worth of wind/rain chipping away at this awesome structure. It's just magnificent. There are 4 caves that go straight through the first massive rock and even a bunker-style structure uniting the last two. Crazy!

I tried to get a good view from the south (better angle for sunlight) but there was too much forest. So enjoy it while you can when there. Anyway, this is the highlight of the hike I think. I was sad there was trash in the park so I brought some back. Please do if you go.

You then follow the road all the way down but then after a while, I started to get bored so I deviated north after passing what looked like an abandoned mining village. This part was special as you see all the oxidized minerals encrusted onto each other forming a colorful cake (copper, manganese, etc.) it was a real treat seeing this part. You then go down to the valley and follow the river to end up in Mborje before reaching Korçë again.

A real nice hike that pleasantly surprised me. I definitely recommend it. Even if you don't want to do it all, at the summit, you have at least one (maybe two after the passing the summit) option to go down a dirt road and shortcut to the valley and get to Mborje faster. I obviously recommend doing it all!