Ore mines and mining villages

The small town of Bulqizë, home to around 8,000 residents, is situated at an altitude of 700 meters along the main SH 6 road that runs from the coastal plain through Burrel to Peshkopi. Towering 2,000-meter peaks surround Bulqizë, giving it an alpine charm. When chrome was discovered here in 1948, mining operations began with Soviet assistance. The village grew into a town, quarries were developed, and mines were dug across the region. Although chrome mining has since declined, around 1,000 people still work in the industry out of an original 6,000. The chrome ore is transported via gravel roads by trucks, and these gravel roads make a perfect playground for off-road enthusiasts.

By combining several transport routes, longer off-road tracks can be created—such as the route from Bulqizë southward to Vërri. The road surface is consistently well-maintained and relatively wide. There are no significant challenges, although one should expect truck traffic along the way.

The track begins west of Bulqizë at the SH 6. The gravel road passes several abandoned quarries and mining facilities before eventually reaching the mining town of Krastë.
Continuing on the broad gravel track, it frequently passes active mining operations. About halfway along the route, the chrome mining region comes to an end, and the road narrows while truck traffic ceases. The path winds through a rocky area covered in mixed forests, passing bunkers from the 1970s. The final section descends in curves and switchbacks, eventually reaching the valley near Vërri, where the gravel gives way to asphalt.