‘Landscapes as wild as they get in Europe’: family hiking in Albania and Montenegro

Mountain hikes, river swims and centuries-old traditions appeal to the whole family on a trip to the Balkans ‘Uno, Uno, Uno No Mercy!” the six-year-old son of our hosts for the day bellows while leading my boys, 10 and 12, into his dimly lit corrugated iron home. I let out a little sigh of relief. The popular card game is a much-needed icebreaker as ominous clouds close in on the remote stan (the Albanian word for a shepherd dwelling). Despite the language barrier, much laughter and consterna...

By Holly Tuppen