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Benca valley, named after the village, is part of Vjosa river valley
in the district of Tepelene
1. DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA
Bença valley, named after the village, is part of Vjosa river valley
in the district of Tepelenë.
Fig.1 Situation of the nature and environmental education zone: Gjirokaster
prefecture (1B) with the Bença environmental conservation area and pilot
zone in Tepelenë district (1C).
Together with the Kurvelesh highland (Fig. 1) it is an area of outstanding natural
beauty. It represents all the typical karst-forms such as canyons, caves, natural
bridges, springs and waterfalls. Its altitude ranges from about 250 m to just
over 2100 m. As such it offers a great diversity in living conditions so that
we encounter a diverse flora and fauna. Inventories so far identified black
trout as an endemic species of the river in which also the otter was identified.
In the mountains occur wild cat, wolf and wild goat just to mention a few. The
mediterranean flora is rich in aromatic plants such as Sideritis roeserii which
is also used for tea. Among the trees, summer oak and mediterranean oaks, (Quercus
spp), the balkan plantane and fir species cover the slopes of the mountains.
The just described characteristics give the area a high value from a nature
conservation point of view. Apart from the village of Bença with only
250 inhabitants five other villages (Fig. 1, ) occur in the area. They are reached
by a gravel road which is presently being improved by the Tepelenë district
council. The other villages are Lekdush, Progonat, Gusmar, Rexhin, and Niviça.
The latter are situated in the Kurvalesh highlands (Fig. 1) at altitudes of
900 to 1000m. Unfortunately also armful effects such as overgrazing, accelerated
erosion, illegal hunting and fishing, and pollution of the environment by oil
waste due to leaking oil towers, and illegal hunting is probably present. Recent
information tells that a project has started to stimulate natural forest growth
and renovation of a spring.
2. HOW TO GETT THERE, ACCODOMATION, INHABITANTS
Take the gravel road from Gjirokaster to the villages Lekdush, Progonat en Benca.
In the smaal village Benca the Eco tourist villa is situated in just near the
road and has a nice overview over the valley and the river Vjosa (I am not sure
if the river was called Vjosa?). the toilets are clean. In the building also
a kind of bar/restaurant is present. In the morning and evening it is possible
to reach the place by hitch hiking. If you are a visitor from abroad the most
easy connection is probably by travelling via the famous Greek island of Corfú.
Corfu is connected by ferry on a daily basis (less than two hours cruise) to
the nearby Albanian coastal town of Sarande. The host and hostess were very
kind but lacked any knowledge of english in 2001. Near the eco village a (botanical)
nice beautiful garden and plant nursery was present which could serve as a bio-diversity
and demonstration area. The people live of sheep and goat keeping including
some cows, fruits (apples, pears, citrus, figs, walnuts etc.), fuel wood collection,
bee keeping and hunting. In the area there are quite a lot of footpaths in this
mountainous area without a description. We had a guarded trip with an uncle
of the owner of the village but this guide was at the age of 65 more used at
walking in the mountains than us at the age of 30 so the walk was quite tough.
3 THE ECO CENTRE
Eco-tourism: the area of Bënça has great potential; presently
it offers the following.
Infrastructure: the Eco centre with 6 double rooms, 5 toilets and bathrooms
with hot and cold water, a sitting room/ restaurant with kitchen, three ample
balconies with a beautiful view over the valley and river; a terraced garden
with fruit trees and endemic plants. The gravel road to Kurvelesh is possible
for all type of cars.
Qualities of the area:
· Food in the centre is virtually all home-made and produced without
use of herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilizer. It includes items such
as bread, cheese, yogurt, fruit trees including citrus, figs and nuts. Because
of irrigation vegetables and crops can be produced during the whole season.
Wine and raki are also locally produced.
· Local art and traditional skills: baking of bread, cheese making,
beekeeping, honey production, preparation of wine and raki. Weaving of traditional
clothes and carpets, wood and stone-carving. Special is the manufacture of the
shepherd flute. Traditional polyphonic music by the Bënça group,
which is nationally famous.
· In the higher part at about 900 to 1000 m you find suitable flat camp
grounds.
· Family of the owner of the eco center can function as local guides
· The area in Southern Albania is a karst area with many springs, canyons
and caves and with a rich flora and fauna. A gravel road traverses the area
from Tepelene to the Kurvelesh highlands (altitude from 900 to 2200 m).
· A mountainous scenery with impressive canyons, waterfalls and other
karst phenomena such as poljes and dolines.
· It is possible to visit a local diary/milk factory at Prognat were
they make cheese and to fish in the Vjosa river. At the milk factory also dozens
of the Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia) are present.
· A diverse insect population such as of butterflies of which the species
composition is largely unknown. Present is Emperor Moth, Jersey Tiger (Euplagia
quadripunctaria), nettle-tree butterfly (Libythea celtis), Southern White Admiral
(Limenitis reducta), Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) and Swallow
tail (Papilio machaon). Frogs and toads deserve attention as well. If you look
for the Pfeilnatter (Coluber jugularis) you will find this snake. The large
and the small Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus)
· Several Libelloides, Dragonflies and Damselflies. (Calopertyx virgo,
Aeshna isoceles, Orthetrum cancellatum, Gomphus sneiderii en Cordulegaster
bidentata and C. boltonii.)
· Mammiferous animals such as wild cat, wolf, wild goat, wild pig, lynx
and bats (in caves).
· Plants: Orchids like the Tongorchis, Spinnenorchis, Hondskruid of Pyramide
orchis (Orchis pyramidalis) and the Vanilla orchis, Glaskruid and Bremrraap
(Orobranche ).
· Birds: rare birds of prey such as the Bonelli's and Imperial eagle
and two vultures (including Egyptian vulture) where present. Further common
Falcon, common Raven and Buzzard. Crag Martin, Dipper and Grey wagtail are common.
Red-rumped Swallow was nesting on the Eco centre's wall.
· Endemic trout (possibly Salmothymus obtusirostris) and Common
eel (Anguilla anguilla) are present in the Vjosa river.
INFORMATION
http://photos.yahoo.com/characea/
http://photos.yahoo.com/landelijkejongeren
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/characea/my_photos
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/landelijkejongeren/my_photos
Kurvalesh Geofraphic
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/characea/album?.dir=ddf3&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/characea/my_photos
INSECTS
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/landelijkejongeren/album?.dir=8967&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/landelijkejongeren/my_photos
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/characea/album?.dir=1861&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/characea/my_photos
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/characea/album?.dir=1861&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/characea/my_photos
