Albania · Northern Albania

Lake Koman

Directions

Liqeni i Komanit

Lake Koman is a long reservoir on the Drin in northern Albania, squeezed into a narrow valley between densely forested hills, steep slopes and deep gorges. The Drin feeds it together with the Shala and Valbona rivers, and the ferry that crosses it between Koman and Fierza is one of the best-known trips in Albania.

How it formed

Koman is a reservoir. The valley is so narrow that the lake takes it up entirely, and its narrowest gorge is bounded by vertical canyon walls. The dam of the Koman Hydroelectric Power Station, near the village of Koman, was built between 1979 and 1988 and created the lake.

History

The lake is one of the Drin cascade reservoirs, made for hydropower.

Nature

The mix of narrow valley and water has created a number of habitats. Golden jackal, red fox, European badger, Eurasian otter, beech marten and European polecat are the main predatory mammals of the region, and many kinds of birds have been seen there, among them the common kingfisher, the grey heron and the black-headed gull.

Gallery

4 photos

Photo: Marie Čcheidzeová · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: You may re-use this image under the terms of the license using the following reference: Image: Wikipedia / Tobias · CC BY 3.0

Show all photos

Visit

Getting there

Nearest settlement: Koman

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

The Lake Koman ferry runs daily between Koman and Fierza and connects the town of Bajram Curri and the region of Tropojë; the trip takes a couple of hours and is popular with foreign visitors. Smaller boats carry people and goods to remote villages that can be reached only by water. Check the operators for the current timetable and prices.

The ferry trip

The crossing takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. The Berisha ferry is listed as running daily from mid-April to early November, with departures from Koman in the morning and from Fierzë around midday, but operators use different timetables and the ferry does not run all year, so confirm before you go. Tickets are sold online or at the dock, arrive 20–30 minutes early, and bring water, snacks and a camera. Do not book a tight connection after the ferry, because delays at the terminal are common. The Koman harbour can be crowded, noisy and unshaded.

Combining it with a trip

Some tours add a stop on the Shala river, and some operators sell packages that include a shuttle from Valbona to Fierzë and a return to Shkodër. If the main ferry is not running, a smaller boat, the Dragobia, has been reported to leave Fierzë early in the morning.