After several days of traipsing through the quieter mountains of Kosovo, Day 7 returns to the grand alpine scenery that makes Peaks of the Balkans so memorable! Catching a transfer to avoid 13km of newly paved road, a well-defined trail climbs steadily to Jelenka Pass (2,272m), the highest point on the official route, passing alpine lakes, broad mountain meadows, and dramatic limestone peaks along the way.
Although part of the route overlaps with the ridgeline traversed on Day 4, travelling in the opposite direction offers an entirely different perspective, with expansive views stretching across the borderlands of Kosovo and Montenegro.
This comprehensive guide to Day 7 of Peaks of the Balkans contains detailed section times, route recommendations, adventurous side trips, and heaps of insider tips— use it to plan your hike & then refer back on the trail so you always know what to expect!
>>> Read my Peaks of the Balkans hiking guide for the full 12-day adventure itinerary
Peaks of the Balkans: Day 7 overview
- trail time: 5hrs
- distance: 15km
- elevation: 1050m gain / 1060m loss
- border crossing: Kosovo to Montenegro
*Trail times reflect the time we spent hiking, excluding extended breaks where we removed our backpacks to eat lunch, swim in alpine lakes, or otherwise luxuriate along the trail. These figures are best used to understand realistic hiking times between major waypoints, but we definitely recommend building in 1-2hrs of additional daily leisure time to properly enjoy the route!
Transfer from Drelaj to Te Liqeni
With newly paved roads stretching from Drelaj into neighbouring Leqinat, most sources recommend a transfer to the start of the forest trail near Restaurant Te Liqeni— and we were all too happy to avoid 13km of rather uninteresting hiking on the pavement!
Transfers can easily be arranged through guesthouses in Drelaj (Shqiponja organised ours at 20€ for two people), local companies such as Zbulo, or Agron from Triangle Woodhouse, where I highly recommend staying tonight.
Te Liqeni to Jelenka Pass (2hrs)
Setting off on a trail near Restaurant Te Liqeni, the day begins with a gentle ascent through shady forest for approximately 2km (45min) to Lake Leqinat, the larger of two lakes visited this morning and a popular camping spot along Peaks of the Balkans.
Wrapping around the left shoreline of the lake, the route heads uphill briefly and then downhill for about 15min to reach Dëbani i Malësorit, a charming turf-roofed shepherd’s hut and guesthouse tucked beside the trail.
This point marks the beginning of the next major ascent, gaining 500m on a steep, sunny trail up to the day’s high point at Jelenka Pass (2,272m).
Quickly after beginning the ascent, pass beautiful Drelajve Lake on your right. Compact, crystal clear, and framed by a ring of emerald pines and limestone peaks, it’s far more inviting for a swim than the larger Lake Leqinat and easily one of the prettiest lakes on the entire route!
The climb to Jelenka Pass takes roughly an hour from the turf-roofed guesthouse, turning right at a confusingly signed junction in the final 15min and crossing lingering snowfields early in the season. Aside from this, the trail is incredibly well-maintained and easy to follow!
Behind you, the jagged limestone towers of the Guri i Kuq massif rise abruptly above the valley, their sheer cliffs and scree-filled gullies creating a dramatic backdrop for the ascent.
At 2,272m, Jelenka Pass marks the highest point on the official Peaks of the Balkans trail (though you’ll regularly exceed this on my custom route, reaching a max of 2,656m on Gjeravica). This is a gorgeous spot to pause for a snack, with much of the afternoon’s route visible ahead along the opposite ridgeline.
>>> Check out my custom 12-day Peaks of the Balkans route
Jelenka Pass to Zavoj Pass (1.25hrs)
From Jelenka Pass, descend on a gentle trail that contours along the left side of the valley for about 1.5km to arrive at Bajrakut Pass and its distinctive pond, which should be familiar from Day 4.
The next section of the hike shares the same high ridgeline route recommended earlier in the itinerary, but hiking it in reverse offers a new perspective as the forest opens up to the wide valley views at Zavoj Pass. Tap-dancing between the Kosovan and Montenegrin border a dozen times, you’ll officially cross into Montenegro here for the next few days of the trek.
>>> Read more about border crossings on Peaks of the Balkans
Zavoj Pass to Babino Polje (1.75hrs)
From the wooden shelter at Zavoj Pass, the trail descends around 700m over the next 5km toward Babino Polje. Initially gentle, the descent gradually steepens as a series of switchbacks wind through flower-filled meadows with increasingly expansive views down the valley.
Follow a dirt road for the final minutes into Babino Polje, a small Montenegrin settlement surrounded by rolling pastureland and mountains. Though rather unassuming, we had a truly memorable stay here that was a highlight of the entire route!
Night 7: Triangle Woodhouse
Owned by the charismatic Agron, who was involved in the original development of Peaks of the Balkans, Triangle Woodhouse was my absolute favourite stay on the official route! And it’s truly Agron who makes this place so memorable— fluent in English, German, and several other languages, he genuinely enjoys chatting to every hiker who passes through, sharing stories about the trail, and even learning every guest’s name!
This was the most interaction we had with any host on the entire route and definitely the biggest dose of Balkan hospitality. Hikers from nearby guesthouses even came to hang out here and enjoy the incredible atmosphere!
Accommodation at Triangle Woodhouse includes several private rooms in the main house and a handful of charming timber cabins out back, all with shared bathrooms. The guesthouse is even equipped with lightning-fast Starlink internet, making it one of the best-connected places on the trail.
Full board costs 45€ per person, and the exceptional food alone justifies the price. This was hands-down the BEST dinner of our entire trek: a giant beef and potato bake cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven and served alongside plenty of stories from Agron himself!
>>> Book a room at Triangle Woodhouse directly on their website or on Booking.com
For more information on guesthouses, check out this post: Peaks of the Balkans guesthouses: what to expect & how to book (+ best 2026 guesthouses)
Read all of my Peaks of the Balkans posts
- start here >>> Peaks of the Balkans hiking guide & 12-day itinerary
- accommodation >>> best guesthouses on Peaks of the Balkans & what to expect
- Day 1: Valbona to Çerem via Prosllopit Pass + Zla Kolata summit
- Day 2: Çerem to Dobërdol
- Day 3: Dobërdol to Gacaferi via Gjeravica summit
- Day 4: Gacaferi to Milishevc via Zavoj Pass
- Day 5: Milishevc to Rekë e Allagës + Via Ferrata Shpellat
- Day 6: Rekë e Allagës to Drelaj via Hajla summit
- Day 7: Drelaj to Babino Polje
- Day 8: Babino Polje to Plav
- Day 9: Plav to Vusanje via Bora Peak
- Day 10: Three Peaks Loop, Prokletije National Park
- Day 11: Vusanje to Theth via Buni Jezercës + Maja Bojës summit
- Day 12: Theth to Valbona
- navigate confidently on & off the trail >>> Peaks of the Balkans GPS map
- essential gear >>> Peaks of the Balkans packing list
