The Osum Gorge () is a river

gorge A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cu ...

in southern

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

, near the town of

Çorovodë Çorovodë ( sq-definite, Çorovoda) is a town and a former municipality in Berat County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Skrapar. The population at the 2011 census was 4,051.< ...

. The river

Osum The Osum is a river in southern Albania, one of the source rivers of the Seman. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . Its source is in the southwestern part of the Korçë County, near the village Vithkuq at an altitu ...

, which passes through the town of

Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and east of Fier. Berat is located in ...

, flows through the canyon. The Osumi river gorge is one of the most spectacular natural attractions of Albania. During the spring, high water from melting snow makes it possible to explore the whole length of the gorge from the river. Spring is also the best time to view the many waterfalls in the gorges, which thunder from above as explorers pass below on boats. The rapids are Class II, so one does not need prior white water experience to navigate them. At the end of the summer, when the water is lower, the full length of the gorge is not navigable, but there are various walks with opportunities for swimming in various pools and streams. The edges of the gorge have an unusual ecosystem that preserves the greenery on both sides of gorge year-round. Mediterranean bushes like heath and briar flourish along with a rich flora and fauna. On the slopes of the gorge, erosion has created pockmarked cavern walls with small caves. Some of the rock formations in the gorge have fanciful names such as the Cathedral, the Eye, and the Demon's Door. The gorge is 26 km (16 miles) long, at an altitude of 450 m. They are thought to have been formed 2-3 million years ago by water erosion. There are many underground passages and unexplored caves throughout the length of the gorge. It is generally thought that many years ago the river flowed underground, but over time the rock above the river disappeared, creating the current form of the gorge. In the gulf of this gorge that is passed from Osum river in both its sides, outflow falls from different villages which pass in a rock chain. In the slopes of the gorge, erosion has created a rock chain, one of the rarest found in Albanian gorges. The local inhabitants tell many interesting legends, such as those of Mulliri i Babait, Vrima e Nuses and Saint Abaz Ali. The gorge includes six narrow sections ranging from 1.5 m wide in the riverbed up to 35 m wide further up the sides of the gorge.

External links

Albania Rafting Group

References

{{coord, 40.47, 20.255, display=title Canyons and gorges of Albania Geography of Berat County Tourist attractions in Berat County

External links

See also

References