Holiday apartment in Kus – Cave and gorge at the Erzen

Kus belongs to the administrative unit of Bërzhitë, which includes the tourist destination of Shpella e Pëllumbasit on the Erzen River. Fields surround this destination. In the surrounding area, a distinctive landscape of caves and gorges, historical traces, hiking trails and regional products come together to create a multifaceted picture of the locality.

Nature

The administrative unit of Bërzhitë, to which Kus belongs, contains two mountainous areas and a valley. The landscape is predominantly hilly and also includes fields, mountains and valleys. The animals found there include wolves, foxes, wild boar, hares, martens, quails, partridges and turtle doves, among others. These animal species are particularly common in more densely vegetated areas.

In the surrounding area of Kus, Gryka e Skoranës is a canyon formed by river erosion in limestone in the middle course of the Erzen, near Shpella e Zezë and Pëllumbas. The gorge is approximately 1 km long, over 120 m deep and about 20 m wide. A large karst spring emerges on its left slope, a few dozen metres below Shpella e Zezë.

The nearby Shpella e Zezë also has notable dimensions: it is approximately 360 m long, 10 to 15 m wide and 15 to 45 m high. The cave contains stalactites and stalagmites.

History and culture

In the surrounding area of Kus, Shpella e Zezë, also known as Shpella e Pëllumbasit, was declared a natural monument in 2002. Shpella e Pëllumbasit in Pëllumbas, Bërzhitë, is listed as a Category I cultural monument. The cave of Pëllumbas was later used by early humans as a settlement site during the Middle Palaeolithic.

In the surrounding area of Kus, the Pjateli shooting sports facility in Bërzhitë has two shooting ranges for the disciplines of Skeet, Universal Trap, Percorso di Caccia, Olympic Trap and Double Trap.

Routes

The traffic conditions are also part of the local character. The Kocaj–Ura Kakunjë road section is the only through route for Kus, Lugë and Shalqizë. It is mostly unpaved, and the existing asphalt surface is damaged. In the administrative unit of Bërzhitë, to which Kus belongs, the built-up area lies on both sides of the Tiranë–Elbasan national road.

In the surrounding area of Kus, Gryka e Skoranës can be visited via the approximately 27 km-long Tiranë–Ibë–Pëllumbas road. A hiking route leads from Pëllumbas to waterfalls along the Erzen River. In addition, an approximately 2 km-long, scenic hiking trail runs through an impressive gorge landscape above the Erzen River to the entrance of the Pëllumbas Cave.

Regional cuisine

In the surrounding area of Kus, the Shpella e Pëllumbave restaurant serves chicken with pilaf as a traditional dish and produces two types of raki itself. The Sallaku restaurant in Bërzhitë serves traditional dishes and uses products from the region.

In the surrounding area of Kus, Rozmarinë produces and sells olive oil, wine, raki, honey, jam, cheese and butter as an agritourism business. Regional cuisine is therefore represented both by individual restaurant dishes and by a broad range of its own products.

More locality pages: Baldushk, Petrelë, Pinet, Vaqarr, Kamëz, Priske e Vogel, Mullet, Vorë.

Also important are the included services, individual price components, and booking and cancellation conditions. The information on the specific page is authoritative; compare these points directly before booking.

To the higher-level travel overview: Tiranë.