Mount Tomorr, Albania’s second highest peak filled with stunning views, with its sacred peak overlooking untamed scenic natural landscapes throughout the skyline, is one of the most popular and most visited tourist attractions in Albania. The mountain of Tomorr is famous for its national park, and also for the deeper, spiritual significance to the Bektashi order as the most important place of an annual pilgrimage for Bektashi faithful.

However, unfortunately enough, a trip to the summit has been always exasperating and wearisome due to the lack of the long-promised yet never built road over the decades. The situation today is however totally different. The new road leading to the holy peak is taking its final shape day by day, and it will shorten travel time and ease travel for countless visitors to sacred mountain, home to religious sites, and open up new development prospect for tourism in this blessed area.

“It is a road that that the Bektashi faithful, and not only, have long wished for, as the new road will also have a significant impact on local tourism,” Mayor of Berat Ervin Demo said as he accompanied Prime Minister Edi Rama during an inspection of the ongoing work to construct the new segment, which has already shortened the first seven kilometres of the distance. “All the heads of the governments since the ‘90s have constantly pledged to build this road, but they never delivered on their promise,” Mayor went on saying, adding “this was not because of the lack of funds, because everyone can find the opportunity when you wish to do so and make up an excuse when failing to do so. Today, we would like to thank you Mr. Prime Minister not only on behalf of the Bektashi believers, who used to spend many hours travelling and driving to reach the mountain’s holy peak, but also on behalf of visitors as the road opens up fresh opportunities for development of tourism in whole district of Berat and opportunity for everyone to enjoy all four seasons at the peak of the holy Mount of Tomorr. With the new road complete, the drive time to the shrine of Abbas Ali, on top of the mountain, is estimated at 30 minutes only. The drive time previously was estimated at around 1.5 to two hours and Bektashi believers set out on wearisome trips along with their kids to attend the annual pilgrimage there. Today, what is most important, apart from the religious aspect, the new road opens up a very significant perspective for tourism development in the area.”

The Minister of Tourism and Environment Blendi Klosi noted that with the investment in place, the annual pilgrimage traditionally held during the summer season, will take place amid a completely new and easy accessible infrastructure for pilgrims and visitors alike. “We are also rehabilitating the whole square adjacent to the shrine at the summit in order to create a suitable environment. But the new road will definitely turn the area into a popular tourist attraction. The mount of Tomorr is unquestionably one of the most beautiful mountains in Albania for its scenic natural landscapes. This is a major investment for entire Bektashi community and this is a significant day, as the new road will complete ahead of the annual pilgrimage this summer, whereas the entire area will be rehabilitated. The road linking Berat and Polican has been already asphalted and this means that visitors and believers will travel easily and comfortably from Tirana to the shrine of Abas Ali.”

Expressing his pleasure over the project’s finalization, the Premier called for accelerated construction work on all infrastructure projects, in order to complete them on time and make up for the lost time over the decades. “Considering the access and the fresh opportunities the new road offers for investments in agro-tourism projects and for more space to welcome a growing number of visitors, the road is much more important and complementary with that part that has to do with the traditional magnet of this holy site to the faithful. But in addition to believers – the Premier went on saying – this area is incredibly attractive due to its amazing natural beauties and the opportunity for a 360-degree experience in this blessed area. Therefore, I am really glad we managed to finalize this project. Of course, it should have been built earlier, just like many other things should have been done earlier, just like many other projects we are implementing nowadays, but we were not in office to do things one by one, but it is important that we keep doing all these and speed up work and do whatever it takes to compensate and make up for the lost time as soon as possible.”