Mirditë municipality

Understand

It contains a number of towns including Milot, Rrëshen and Rubik. The region is known as a stronghold of Albanian nationalism and devout Catholicism. It is an ancient settlement area, traditional guest houses, full of trails for the adventurous, high pastures, cliffs, mountains, fascinating views, prehistoric caves, ruins of castles, and heavy with history of mining and isolation.

More than 200 churches and ruins are mentioned in the 15th century in Mirdita, evidence that this region was populated and had a religious tradition with deep roots. Rubik's Monastery has been mentioned since 1166.

Visitor information center 1 Mirdita Tourist Information Center and Museum (Infokulla Mirditë), Rubik (from Tirana, heads towards Kukës on the Road of the Nation, exit at Rubik), ☏ +355 69 560 2970, [email protected]. Daily 09:00-17:00. Opened in November 2017, the tourist center provides free tourist information for the local area, administers hiking trails in the muncipality and has a museum about the history and wildlife of the region. Museum: 200 lekë, €2. (updated Oct 2021)

Getting there

By plane Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza is 66 km away from Mirditë District. There you can get a taxi to the Regional Bus Terminal - North and South Albania just outside Tirana and wait for the Rrëshen bus to take you in Mirditë. Kukës International Airport Zayed is nearly 83 km from Mirditë. You can get a taxi or the bus to Tirana in Kukës and stop in Rubik or Rrëshen. 1 Kukes International Airport (Albanian: Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Kukësit Zayed-Flatrat e Veriut, IATA:KFZ IATA), ICAO: LAKU) is an international airport 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of the city of Kukës. 2 airlines operate service to Kukes, with direct flights from some European cities.

Air Albania, the national carrier operates service from Basel and Zurich. Wizz Air (from Basel, Memmingen, Karlsruhe and Vienna).

By bus Mirdita and its municipalities (urban: Rubik and Rrëshen, rural: Fan, Kaçinar, Kthellë, Orosh and Selitë) are accessible from Tirana or Kukës through A1 motorway. You can take the bus to Rrëshen at the Regional Bus Terminal - North and South Albania just outside Tirana. The departure is every one hour starting from 06.00 in the morning until 18.00 in the evening. The ticket to Milot costs 200 lekë (€1.50) and to Rubik 300 lekë (€2.50).

By car From Tirana, Mirditë is 85 km away following the A1 motorway. The road from Montenegro will take you first to Shkodra, which is nearly 85 km from Mirditë following E851 and E762. If you come from Kosovo, the easiest way is through the A1 motorway. Mirditë is nearly 95 km from the Albanian border with Kosovo.

Getting around

When you get there, you can get around by car, or better by foot so you can enjoy more the cities or the places in nature. As people are friendly, you may also ask for a ride from the hotel or passing locals.

See

The Fan. The Fan is a river in northern Albania. It is formed by the confluence of two source rivers: the Great Fan and the Little Fan, that join a few kilometers west of the town Rrëshen. The Great Fan rises near the village Kryezi, Qafë-Mali municipal unit, in the Shkodër County. It flows generally southwest through Fushë-Arrëz and Gjegjan. The Little Fan rises near the village Thirrë, in the municipal unit Fan, Mirditë municipality, Lezhë County. It flows southwest through Reps and just north of Rrëshen. West of Rrëshen the two source rivers unite and the Fan continues west to Rubik, and then south until its outflow into the river Mat, east of Milot. (updated Jul 2021) 1 Rubik Monastery Church (Kisha e T'Shëlbuemit Rubikut). In Rubik but about a 45-minute walk from Mirdita. This church is at least 1,000 years old and of historical importance. Ever since it was constructed, it has served as a 4-year educational institution for people in the area. Some of the most famous Albanian writers and devoted religious figures such as At Gjergj Fishta and At Zef Pllumbi have been faculty members. The church has an old part that contains drawings and icons dating back to its founding. It also boasts a wonderful view of the city, as it is on the top of a hill. (updated May 2026) Gurra e Domgjonit. located in Mirditë and it is an old tunnel which exists for 6 centuries now. It is pretty unique and it is the only one in the region, but also in the Balkans because it is pretty hard to find a similar one. Its length is 100 meters. Together with the Rubik Monastery Church they create "the little city" (this is how the locals call it, because it was in important living place since the 6th century.) Both the Monastery Church and Gurra e Domgjonit are important Cultural Monuments in Albania. (updated Jul 2021) 2 Munellë Mountain. Munellë Mountain has a considerbale number of karst caves and pits , which are protected natural monuments. It is a flat-ridged mountain with many limestone

Do

Rreshen (Rrëshen (Albanian definite form: Rrësheni) is a small town and a former municipality in Lezhë County, in northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform, Rrëshen became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Mirditë. It was the administrative seat of the former Mirditë District. The population at the 2023 census was 6,773.). (updated Apr 2025)

Hiking Cities in the region of Mirdita are a great opportunity for going hiking and visiting a lot of historical places at the same time. Some of them are marked with red and white symbols and different signs. You can walk for 1 hour and 30 minutes and go to the Monastery Church in Rubik. The road is not difficult and you will not be alone because some friendly dogs of the places nearby will come and accompany you.

Vau i Dejës (Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipality in Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Bushat, Hajmel, Shllak, Temal, Vau i Dejës, and Vig-Mnelë, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Vau i Dejës. The total population is 30,438 (2011 census),in a total area of 499.35 km2. The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 8,117.). (updated Apr 2025)

Rubik Rubik is a village on Vela mountain at an elevation of 1,171 m above sea level, with steep rock walls and a wide variety of flora and fauna. You can take great hikes there, with beautiful views down to the sea. There is a place where you can take long walks and enjoy an outstanding nature and sea view from high peaks, combined with religion, history, tradition and culture. Eco-tourism is also possible, as there is a guest house, hotels and restaurants serving local products in the region of Katund i Vjetër. You can also find medical herbs in autumn in Rubik, if you know where to look. There is an annual pilgrimage of Lady of Vela on the first Saturday of June to a nearby Catholic shrine.

Buy

Usually a lot of people that come in Mirdite and in the cities around, have a stop in Milot to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from th