Europe's wild free-flowing river & Ottoman-bridge hot springs.
Europe's wild free-flowing river & Ottoman-bridge hot springs.
The Vjosa runs free for some 270 km from Greece to the Adriatic — one of the last large undammed rivers in Europe, protected since 2023 as a Wild River National Park — and at Bënjë, near Përmet, it meets thermal springs beside a centuries-old stone bridge.
Unlike almost every other major European river, the Vjosa has no dams on its main stem — it braids across gravel banks and shifts course with the seasons, supporting rare fish and birds. The campaign to save it from hydropower made it a symbol of European river conservation, and in 2023 it became Europe's first Wild River National Park.
At Bënjë, near Përmet, sulphur-rich thermal pools steam beside the Lengarica river under the Ottoman-era Katiu bridge, with the Lengarica canyon just upstream. Soaking in the warm pools while the cold river rushes past is the local ritual.
A river that still does what rivers used to do — with a hot soak and a 250-year-old bridge overhead.
Restaurant recommendations land here once we have eaten there.
Add a stay, a car or a clinic visit without leaving the plan you have built.
A guided 6-day motorbike road trip — 1,650 km through Theth, Valbona, Berat and the coast, with support van and local guide. From €1,299.
See the motorbike tour →Coastal roads are best done at your own pace. From €17/day, full insurance, airport pickup.
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Riverside eco-camping (tents & caravans) on the Vjosa, 3 km from Përmet.
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