Albania's Blue Eye: Fifty shades of blue

Almost no one knows anything about this country right in the south eastern part of Europe. It's small, it's sunny, it has beaches, mountains and friendly people, nice things to eat and wine and beer too. And it has gems like the Blue Eye of Albania named Syri i Kaltër is a cold, cold spring deep in a green jungle on the western slope of the Mali i Gjerë mountains.

We try to discover Albania, a small ghost under the all the nations on earth. By feet, of course, to have some adventures in Albania on mysterious ways - on rocky paths and empty places to the balcony of the Balkan.

Albania, a small state on the Adriatic Sea that was sealed off from the whole world like North Korea nowadays in the decades after World War II. No one was allowed in, no one was allowed out. That has changed in the meantime. But still the country with its population of not even three million is a piece of mysterious terra incognita in the middle of Europe. Part 1 of the story is here, part two here, three here and four + five

Whoever has been to Gjirokaster has not been to Gjirokaster unless he has seen the source that all Albanians are proud of. The Blue Eye is midway between Gjirokaster, the stone town, and the coastal port town of Saranda. At least outside of the high season, the roads are free and easy to drive on, you turn right once and you are already in the middle of the small jungle around the Blue Eye of Albania, which the locals call Syri i Kaltër. Which again means nothing other than blue eye.

No other name would be suitable for this magical place, which from a technical point of view with six cubic meters of water bubbles per second is simply the most water-rich spring in the mostly quite dry country. But at a visit the place turns out to be a destination that has much more to offer than just water in a small lake in the middle of the forest on the western slope of the Mali i Gjerë mountains.

A blue that shines

Syri i Kaltër is blue, as the name suggests, but a blue that shines and glitters in all shades of blue. Green is also there, underneath there is gray and brown, the rushing of the water is so loud that even the screeching of the children who dare to enter the lake can hardly be heard. One would happily spend the rest of one's life in this square if it weren't for the tourist buses that throng the parking lot if you're unlucky and come at the wrong time.

Every cruise ship that anchors in Saraganda unloads its passengers here, some visitors come over from Corfu by ferry, which then, in addition to all the fortresses, castles or ancient ruins and excavation sites, also visit this almost pristine nature in fast pace.

17 other springs

More time ist better, because Syri i Kaltër, like 17 other springs, is located in a 180-hectare nature reserve, but they all feed the nearby Bistrica reservoir, which was created in the 1960s to produce energy for the Albanians, who notoriously suffered from electricity shortages. But the very stubborn Albanians really don't care about observing the regulations.

Although it is forbidden - signs indicate this, everyone goes swimming and jumps from a specially built viewing platform into the whirlpool. Those who do not fear the prohibition signs don't fear the cold: the temperature of the water too. It is relatively constant and is just 10 to 13 degrees, shooting up from a crack in the rock.

The deep is unknown

How deep it really is unknown. In 1984, an attempt is said to have been made to find the bottom, but because of the high pressure with which the water shoots out of the earth, the divers only got 50 meters down. The exact depth is not known to this day. But one manages oneself in the Albanian way: The most water-rich spring in the country is officially described as 50 meters deep. That's definitely true, somehow.

It is believed that the Blue Eye is part of a large cave system with underground rivers between Drinos and Bistrica, but no one knows for sure either. What is certain, however, is that a stone thrown into the whirlpool from above does not sink, but jumps back to the surface due to the enormous pressure. Looks like it was spat out.

Hiking trails around

The area around the Blue Eye is a protected area which is considered a natural monument where you can enjoy the beauty of the forest with oak and sycamore trees. There are some information panels explaining more about the flora and founa in the area. There are also walking and hiking trails and camping is allowed.

Since the 1990s there has also been a restaurant in the immediate vicinity of the Syri i Kaltër, which is said to be closed at the moment. You can even rent wooden huts with sleeping places there and spend the evening at the Blue Eye, as do many locals who camp, have a barbecue and drink beer here.

A little above the Blue Eye is a platform from which you have a good view of the great color gradients in the water. From here you really think you are looking into Sauron's eye: it bubbles endlessly and without a break, it quacks and surges.

50 shades of blue

The contrast with the light limestone makes the water glow dark blue, said to have more than 50 shades of blue, as well as green and turquoise, the effect conjured up by the human eye, which interprets the contrasts in endless shades of blue.

If the eternally bubbling spring seems to look like a pupil, the surroundings give the impression of hiking in a fairytale forest. Old oaks and plane trees are overgrown with ivy, the paths are sandy and rocky, the undergrowth is dense. Fortunately, the attempt to breed fish in specially created tanks was ended. For what reason, no one seems to know. But this way you can at least enjoy the most beautiful place in Albania undisturbed. A moment of rest before heading to the next hike.

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