Albania is one of Europe’s most underrated road trip destinations, especially for nature lovers. The country packs an incredible variety of landscapes into a small area, so you can drive from towering mountains to peaceful lakes in just a few hours. With crystal-clear lakes, rolling green highlands, and stretches of untouched countryside, Albania is ideal for scenic drives.
In this guide, you’ll discover five of the most beautiful lakes in Albania and the panoramic routes that surround them. Each drive features breathtaking viewpoints, traditional villages, and hidden spots waiting to be explored. With car hire in Albania for tourists, it’s easy to reach remote lakes and scenic viewpoints that many visitors never get to see.
Many of Albania’s lake regions remain pleasantly uncrowded, with quiet rural roads and very little traffic. In some areas, you may share the scenery only with local farmers or wandering livestock.
These routes are well-suited to slow travel and spontaneous exploration. You can stop whenever something catches your attention, whether it is a hidden beach, a roadside café, or a wide panoramic viewpoint. Driving allows you to experience authentic Albania rather than following crowded tour routes. From small fishing villages by the lakes to family-run restaurants, the journey feels relaxed and unhurried compared to busier parts of Europe.
The best seasons for a lake road trip are spring and autumn, when the scenery is at its most vibrant and roads are quieter. In spring, hillsides turn bright green, and wildflowers bloom. Summer offers reliable sunshine and a lively atmosphere. You can enjoy the lakeshores, although midday heat can be intense. Autumn is the most scenic season, as forests and orchards turn gold and copper while lake areas remain calm and mellow.
From high mountain reservoirs to ancient UNESCO-listed waters, the lakes of Albania offer some of the country’s most rewarding scenic drives. These routes combine dramatic landscapes, peaceful villages, and ever-changing viewpoints
The Lake Ohrid scenic drive runs from the town of Pogradec to the village of Lin and covers around 12 miles of well-maintained road. Without stopping, the journey takes about 30 minutes. The road follows the edge of the lake almost the entire way, with calm blue water on one side and gentle hills on the other. Lake Ohrid is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of Europe’s oldest lakes, and its water often appears an intense shade of blue. On still days, you can see fish swimming close to the surface.
Pogradec is the southern starting point of the route. It is a lively lakeside town with Albania’s largest sandy beach on Lake Ohrid. In summer, the waterfront fills with swimmers and families relaxing near cafés. As you leave town, you may notice small concrete bunkers near the shore. These structures date from the communist period.
Just outside Pogradec, Drilon Park lies in the village of Tushemisht. This peaceful area features clear ponds and narrow canals fed by natural springs. Swans glide across the water beneath willow trees, and several cafés provide a pleasant place to pause for a coffee. It is an easy stop and a good way to break up the drive early on.
Continuing north, the road stays close to the lakes. One of the most striking views looks across the water towards Mali i Thatë, whose pale slopes rise sharply on the opposite shore. The drive ends in Lin, a small peninsula village. Stone houses with red tiled roofs cluster tightly together, surrounded by water on almost every side. Cars must be left at the entrance so you can explore on foot.
A short 10- to 15-minute walk leads to the hilltop above Lin, where the remains of a 6th-century Byzantine church sit above the lake. Intricate floor mosaics are still visible, and the panoramic view from this point is unforgettable. To finish the day, consider a swim near the shore or enjoy freshly prepared Koran trout in a local restaurant.
This drive begins in the historic city of Shkodër and follows a quiet road along the lake to the village of Zogaj on Lake Shkodër. The route is around 10 to 12 kilometres one way and takes about 20 minutes to drive without stops. The road is paved but narrow, winding closely along the shoreline at the foot of Taraboshi Mountain. Traffic is very light, which also makes it popular with cyclists. A normal car is perfectly suitable for this drive. It is best done during daylight, as there are no streetlights.
Lake Shkodër is the largest lake in the Balkans, with roughly one third of it lying in Albania and the rest in Montenegro. Leaving Shkodër, you pass through Shiroka, a lakeside neighbourhood about 5 kilometres from the city centre. Shiroka has a recently built waterfront promenade. From here, the lake opens out wide, framed by distant mountains. The lake is a protected natural area and one of Europe’s most important wetlands, supporting birdlife including the rare Dalmatian pelican, herons, and other waterbirds.
From Shiroka, the road continues west along the shoreline, passing small fishing villages that sit right on the water. Locals head out early in small boats to catch carp and eel. About 6 kilometres beyond Shiroka, you reach Zogaj, a village that feels remote and peaceful. Throughout the drive, views alternate between calm blue water and steep green slopes. In places, the road rises slightly, offering glimpses of reed beds and mirror-like stretches of lake reaching towards the horizon.
Watching the sunset is a highlight of this drive. As the sun sets behind the Albanian Alps, warm colours spread across the sky and reflect on the lake’s surface. Whether viewed from Shiroka or Zogaj, the changing light adds to the peaceful atmosphere. Though short, this drive captures the essence of Albanian lakes.
Lake Fierza is a man-made reservoir set deep in the northern mountains. The drive from Kukës to Fierzë, near the Fierza dam, is a journey through dramatic, remote terrain. The distance is about 100 kilometres. Allow around 2.5 to 3 hours for driving, as the route includes winding sections and a few rough sections.
The road leads into the heart of the Albanian Alps, climbing and descending along steep hillsides above the reservoir. Services and villages are sparse, so refuel in Kukës and carry water and snacks. A standard car can manage the drive, but caution is needed on sharp bends.
Fierza Lake, also known locally as Liqeni i Fierzës, was created by a dam on the Drin River and stretches like a long fjord between towering mountain peaks. Leaving Kukës by another reservoir, the road heads west into ever more rugged terrain. Soon, sweeping views appear over the lake, where blue-green water snakes through deep gorges below. Forested slopes and terraced hillsides rise sharply from the shoreline, dotted with small farms. At times, the landscape feels almost Nordic, and locals often compare this region to Norway because of its steep cliffs and dramatic scale.
One of the most striking points on the drive is near the Fierza dam. As you approach Fierzë village, the massive hydroelectric structure comes into view, holding back the lake’s vast waters. The road climbs above the dam, revealing a panorama of the reservoir on one side and the Drin River valley on the other.
Much of the road follows the curves of the lake, sometimes close to the water and at other times high above it. The scenery changes constantly, with narrow inlets, sheer limestone cliffs, and dense patches of forest. One popular lookout is the Belvedere of Kukës, where a long stretch of the lake can be seen bending between the mountain peaks. Eagles are occasionally spotted circling overhead.
Lake Fierza is also part of the Komani ferry route. If you have time, consider stopping in Fierzë to see the ferry dock. The daily boat journey between Fierzë and Koman passes through sections of the lake that are inaccessible by road.
Lake Bovilla, known locally as Liqeni i Bovillës, is a reservoir set in the mountains about 20 to 25 kilometres northeast of Tirana. A Bovilla Lake road trip makes an ideal half-day escape from the capital, with the scenic drive taking around one hour each way.
The first 16 kilometres from Tirana follow a paved road through small villages, while the final 8 kilometres are on a gravel road that climbs towards the lake and its dam. This last section is uneven, and while a higher-clearance vehicle can be helpful, it is not essential in dry conditions.
The lake sits on the edge of Mali i Dajtit National Park, enclosed within a canyon formed by Mount Gamti and surrounding limestone ridges. Its water is a vivid turquoise that contrasts sharply with the grey rock faces and patches of green scrubland. Bovilla is an important drinking water source for Tirana.
As the road climbs, several natural vantage points offer views of the canyon and the lake below. Near the dam, a small seasonal waterfall can sometimes be seen trickling down the rock face. The lake is long and winding, filling the narrow valley between steep cliffs. One side of the lake is bordered by an almost vertical rock wall formed by Mount Gamti's flank.
There's a parking area at the end of the drivable road near the Bovilla dam. From here, you can walk across the dam itself, with calm lake water on one side and a dramatic drop on the other. For those wanting a bit more adventure, a steep hike to the Mount Gamti viewpoint begins nearby and takes about 45 minutes. From the top, the lake lies around 500 metres below.
The Prespa Lakes are two interconnected bodies of water in the far south-east of Albania, comprising Great Prespa Lake and Small Prespa Lake. A scenic drive through this region feels like stepping back in time. From the city of Korçë, you can reach the Prespa National Park area and the village of Pustec, also known as Liqenas, in about 30 kilometres, which takes roughly 40 minutes.
The road is fully paved and generally in good condition, winding gently over a low mountain pass before descending towards the lake. Traffic is very light, and the journey is calm and unhurried. You can continue beyond Pustec to nearby lakeside villages such as Zaroshkë and Goricë e Vogël, creating a relaxed out-and-back drive of around 60 to 70 kilometres.
The Prespa region is one of the most remote and least visited parts of Albania. Great Prespa Lake is shared by Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece and sits at an elevation of around 850 metres. As you crest the final hill and the lake comes into view, the scene is striking. The water spreads out wide and calm, surrounded by mountain ridges on all sides. Large reed beds line the water’s edge, forming important wetlands that support a wide variety of wildlife.
In Pustec, you will notice the slow pace of life. The village sits on the lakeshore and has a small harbour where wooden boats float gently. The population here is largely ethnic Macedonian. Bilingual signs, Orthodox churches, and local traditions set it apart from other parts of Albania.
One of the area’s hidden landmarks is Maligrad Island, a small rocky island visible from certain points along the shore. Although it cannot be reached by road, its cliffs are clearly visible from the mainland. The island contains a 14th-century cave church hidden among fig trees, adding a layer of cultural depth to the landscape. Driving through the villages along the shore offers constant views across the lake towards the mountains of neighbouring countries, creating a peaceful and pastoral scene.
Albania’s scenic lake drives prove that this country’s beauty goes far beyond its famous coastline. These inland routes around Albanian lakes can rival the tranquility of Alpine lakes or the drama of Scandinavian fjords. Each drive we explored offers something special, such as the historic charm of Lake Ohrid, the bird-rich serenity of Lake Shkodër, the alpine adventure by Lake Fierza, the jaw-dropping cliffs of Bovilla, and the untouched peace of the Prespa lakes.
Rent a car in Albania with Final Rentals to discover hidden gems like tiny peninsula villages, panoramic hilltop churches, and family-run trout restaurants by the water. With Final Rentals, booking a car online is fast and simple. Select Tirana International Airport as your pickup location, enter your travel dates, and choose a vehicle for your trip.
Book and manage your car rental at any time. Download the Final Rentals app on Google Play and the App Store.
