Shtamë Pass National Park, National park in northern Albania
Shtamë Pass National Park is a protected area in northern Albania, about 25 km east of Kruja, with an area of 6,864.36 hectares. It consists mainly of pine forests, small lakes and major water sources. The highest point is Maja e Liqenit at 1,724 meters, rising steeply north of the pass road.
The park was established as a protected area in 1996 by the Albanian government. Its protected status was expanded in 2022, marking an increase in conservation efforts for the region.
The spring Kroi i Nenës Mbretëreshë takes its name from the Albanian royal family: water from it was reportedly judged the country's best in a Vienna laboratory in 1932, and a truck carried it daily to Tirana in the 1930s. The name refers to the Queen Mother, likely Sadije Toptani, mother of King Zog. A lung-treatment centre and a bottling plant now stand by the spring.
The park offers several hiking routes with varying difficulty levels, from gentle paths to mountain peaks. Bring sturdy footwear and water since higher elevations can be cool and windy even in warm months.
On 29 April 1997 an explosion in an underground ammunition bunker on the east side of the pass killed 23 people, many of them young residents of the nearby village of Selishtë. The tunnels dated from the communist era and had been dismantled in the 1990s.
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