Theth: Breathless in the Alps
THETH
Breathless in the Alps
June 21, 2025
PART I
I woke up to an idyllic scene I didn’t want to leave. I could have easily spent an entire week at that homestay doing nothing more than lying on the lawn, reading, playing with the dog and simply being. After spending so much of the trip rushing from one destination to the next, the thought of staying put for once felt almost revolutionary.
I swore I would return one day. But, as always, life goes on. And so, after breakfast, I made my way back to the village and hopped into a cab that took me to the trailhead of one of the area’s most popular hikes – the trail leading to the Blue Eye of Theth.
The Blue Eye of Theth
Right from the beginning, the landscape was far more impressive than I had expected. Limestone cliffs draped in dense vegetation towered above a craggy gorge, through which a cerulean river coursed.
I continued alongside the water, scrambling over rocks and crossing small bridges until I finally reached the Blue Eye – a natural spring surrounded by forest and limestone, its deep blue and turquoise water gathering in an elliptical pool that gives the site its name. It looked less like a place for swimming and more like a portal to another world. Simply surreal!
Luckily, I had arrived early enough to enjoy the place without the crowds. Exhausted and sweating in the midday heat, I quickly stripped down and jumped in. I probably should have thought twice. You see, as a diver, I knew about the mammalian diving response, through which facial immersion and breath-holding can slow the heart rate. What I had failed to anticipate was the cold-shock response triggered by suddenly immersing my entire body in freezing water.
For a full ten seconds, I couldn’t seem to draw a proper breath. It felt as though my body had gone into complete shock and my lungs had literally frozen. At first, all I could manage was to exhale. Then, after what felt like an eternity, I finally gasped and managed to take a proper breath. I had swum in cold water before. I had done the friggin’ Polar Plunge in Antarctica, for God’s sake. But this was another level entirely!
I spent around an hour there, alternating between drying off in the sun and jumping back into the Blue Eye whenever I became too warm. Watching other people’s reactions as they entered the freezing water was endlessly entertaining. Each person approached confidently, only to emerge seconds later gasping and flailing. So fun!
Grunas Waterfall
Knowing that my time was limited, I eventually returned to the trail and made my way towards another of the area’s highlights – Grunas Waterfall.
The walk itself was relatively easy, but the waterfall was incredible. I had grown somewhat indifferent to waterfalls after years of travelling, yet this one managed to break through my increasingly unreasonable standards. Here, the water plunged roughly 25 metres down the rock face into a clear blue-green pool – contrasting vividly with the brown stone and verdant forest surrounding it. The spray cooled the air and formed tiny rainbows whenever the sunlight caught it at the right angle – which seemed to be just about every single angle.
Once again, by the time I reached the village, my sobriety was definitely questionable. I returned to the homestay to collect my belongings and then made my way back to the village centre. I had a few hours to kill before catching a shuttle back to Shkodër, so I spent the afternoon relaxing beside the river, watching the water glide through the valley and occasionally bathing in its icy current.
After the heat, the wrong turns, the dehydration and the beers, simply lying beside the river felt like the perfect conclusion to my time in Theth. I felt completely renewed!
One Last Stop
Before reaching the village, I had one final stop – the iconic Church of Theth. Built in 1892 and restored in the early 2000s, the small stone Catholic church stands alone in the middle of the valley.
Its simple grey roof and modest bell tower, framed by some of the most dramatic mountain peaks in the Albanian Alps, make it one of Theth’s most recognisable landmarks and remains a reminder of the region’s long-standing Catholic heritage. It was difficult to imagine a more spectacular setting for such a humble little church!
Before reaching the village, I had one final stop – the iconic Church of Theth. Built in 1892 and restored in the early 2000s, the small stone Catholic church stands alone in the middle of the valley.
Its simple grey roof and modest bell tower, framed by some of the most dramatic mountain peaks in the Albanian Alps, make it one of Theth’s most recognisable landmarks and remains a reminder of the region’s long-standing Catholic heritage. It was difficult to imagine a more spectacular setting for such a humble little church!
PART II
The Road From Hell
The drive back to Shkodër was an adrenaline-fuelled nightmare. The driver absolutely went for it, despite the narrow mountain roads, hundreds of hairpin bends and seemingly endless stream of oncoming traffic.
Normally, I place blind faith in local drivers. After all, driving these roads is their full-time job. They travel along them every day and presumably have no desire to die while doing so. This time, however, I genuinely thought we weren’t going to make it out alive.
The couple beside me clutched each other for dear life. A French woman repeatedly exclaimed, “Mon Dieu!” while gripping the seat in front of her. I merely side-eyed everyone, pretending I wasn’t equally terrified. Every roadside cemetery suddenly felt like a grim omen.
By the time we finally reached Shkodër, I counted myself incredibly lucky that we had all arrived in one piece – albeit my stomach was in pieces.
Back on Solid Ground
Back in the city, I checked in to the same hotel I had been staying in before my departure. Somehow, even though it had only been two days since I left, it felt like it had been an entire lifetime.
Over those two days I had questioned everything about my life. From my existential crisis back in Shiroka as I wondered what my next step in life would be to my existential crisis back on Komani Lake as I realised I had only roughly about forty summers left to live. Or when I realised I was in need of different kinds of adventures in Fierzē and when I briefly lost sight of the bigger picture while trekking from Valbona to Theth – only to rediscover the joy of travelling and living in the icy cold waters of Theth. Life certainly has many ways of surprising you, huh?
The minute I was shown to my room, I took to my journal and started scribbling away. Then, it was a long nap, and after, I went out for a casual stroll. After icy rivers, wrong turns and a drive that had aged me by several years, the simple pleasure of wandering around on solid ground felt perfect. For once, I had no desire to chase the next adventure. I was simply grateful to be alive – and to have both feet planted firmly on the ground.