Llogara

Llogara National Park was created in 1966 in south-western Albania, in the Ceraunian mountains, and at some 10 km² it is one of the smallest national parks in the country.

Its defining feature is the Llogara pass, at about a thousand metres, from which the mountain falls almost vertically to the Ionian Sea and the view of the Albanian Riviera opens out. That abrupt drop and the exposure to sea winds produce a characteristic phenomenon: the pines at the higher altitudes grow leaning and deformed by the constant wind, and some trees are locally called flag pines for their silhouette.

The vegetation combines black pine and Scots pine woods, Greek fir stands and beech woods on the shaded slopes, with Mediterranean scrub at lower altitudes. The wildlife includes roe deer, wildcat, fox and a cliff-dwelling birdlife with golden eagle and peregrine falcon, and the pass is also a watchpoint for the migration of raptors between Europe and Africa. The pass has historical resonance too: Julius Caesar is said by tradition to have crossed it with his legions during the civil war against Pompey.