Things to Do in Leskovik, Albania: Melesin Distillery & More

Located in the interior of southeastern Albania, just 15 kilometres from the Greek border, Leskovik is a small town embedded in one of the country’s oldest wine regions.

Its location in the Epir Mountains at the foot of Mount Melesin – an imposing limestone massif – is both dramatic and picturesque.

Leskovik was the ‘wild card’ of our Albania road trip, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our time in the country.

We originally chose the town because of its convenient position as a stopover on the drive between Permet and Korca. Leskovik’s merits extend beyond its location: It is a tiny but interesting town that is well and truly off the beaten path, home to time-frozen bunkers, close to secret thermal springs, and – perhaps most unexpectedly – the site of one of Albania’s best new boutique hotels.

This short Leskovik travel guide will show you the best things to see and do in and around town, where to eat, and where to stay.

I hope I can convince you to follow in my footsteps and spend a day or more exploring this hidden gem in Albania.

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Why visit Leskovik?

Let me start by saying that Leskovik is sort of in the middle of nowhere. The entire Albanian-Greek border region is under-explored in my estimation, and most people drive right through (or around) Leskovik without a second thought.

Leskovik is located on the main road between Permet and Korca. This route that hugs the legendary Vjosa River (known as the Aoos River in Greek) is certainly one of Albania’s most scenic drives (up there with the coastal Llogara Pass). And thanks to recent roadworks that were just about complete at the time of my trip, it is an easy and pleasant journey.

I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to visit Leskovik, but if you are travelling between the two cities, it makes perfect sense as a pitstop.

What I do suggest is that you stay overnight in the town. Leskovik’s Melesin Distillery – a gin and raki distillery with a terrific restaurant and boutique hotel attached – is one of the most memorable accommodations in Albania.

Leskovik has an interesting history. In the Ottoman era it was used as a summer resort. Later it was a theatre of war. And in between, it was an important centre for the Sufi Bektashi order (several tekkes can be found in the hills around town).

Leskovik’s strong heritage of viticulture dates back to the Ottoman era. Vineyards around the town are situated at 550-700 metres above sea level, and thanks to the mineral-rich soils and natural rainwater irrigation, produce some of Albania’s finest grapes.

In the communist era, Leskovik’s Mavrud wines and raki were earmarked for the elite, much like Georgian wines from Racha were set aside for Stalin and the party. In the town centre, there are several Brutalist-style apartment buildings plus other architectural remnants from this period.

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How to get to Leskovik

Leskovik is located 50 kilometres (around 75 minutes) from Permet and 135 kilometres (around 2.5-3 hours) from Korca. The first part of the road towards the Greek border hugs the Vjosa, Europe’s last wild river. It is astonishingly beautiful.

Buses that connect the two cities stop in Leskovik, as do buses that link Gjirokaster/Saranda and Korca. There are approximately four departures per day – check times and fares online via Gjirafa.

You will definitely get more out of the journey if you have your own car. There are numerous lookouts and points of interest along the way – see the next section for my suggestions.

Thinking of self-driving in Albania? I recommend hiring a car from a local agent via Local Rent. Prices are competitive, and most vehicles do not require a cash deposit or a credit card. I used Local Rent on my recent trip to Albania and couldn’t have been happier with the service.

The road between Permet and Leskovik is completely sealed and in excellent condition. At Carshove village there is a turnoff for a mountain road that looks like a shortcut to Leskovik. I do not recommend trying it – stick to the main route.

Ample free parking is available in the centre of Leskovik, including directly in front of Melesin Distillery.

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Where to stay in Leskovik: Melesin Distillery

Launched in April 2023, Melesin Distillery is a new boutique accommodation in Leskovik. Set inside a heritage red brick building in the centre of town, it is a fully functioning distillery that specialises in gin made from locally sourced juniper berries, raki, and wine.

With the help of German equipment and Italian experts, Melesin aims to set a new standard for ‘made in Albania’ alcohol, and support local families in the process. Given that half of all Leskovik households are directly involved in viticulture, their impact could potentially be huge.

The first floor of the building is dedicated to a restaurant-bar-lounge, with part of the the distillation process on show thanks to the open workshop.

Upstairs there are half a dozen hotel rooms. The Melesin Distillery is a bit of a splurge, but I think it’s worth it. This was by far the highest quality accommodation we stayed at in Albania – the design and attention to detail is immaculate.

Rates include a complimentary breakfast. We also ate lunch and dinner at Melesin, and had a taste of the first batch of gin (the copper was still in test mode at the time of our visit).

Check prices and availability for Melesin Distillery on Booking.com.

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Things to do in Leskovik & around

Stroll through town

Leskovik is a small town of just over 2,000 people. From the entrance off the highway, the town stretches west to the base of Mount Melesin, with the most interesting streets and architecture lying to the south-west.

From certain angles, the town looks like a Wild Wild West film set, with an empty main street framed by looming grey mountains.

Adjacent to the Melesin Distillery, there is a bust of Jani Vreto, the Albanian writer who famously managed the first Albanian printing house in Bucharest in the 1880s. He was born in a nearby village. Directly opposite, there is a row of newly finished apartment buildings that are decorated with grape vine murals.

Socialist-style apartment blocks line the main street, and the now defunct city hall has an interesting facade. The lemon-coloured minaret of the refurbished Leskovik Mosque comes into view before the street gets gradually steeper, leading you uphill.

You will notice water springs attached to ancient tree trunks all around Leskovik. There is one directly in front of the Melesin Distillery, and another around the corner.

At the top of the main street, past the mosque, Çesma e vendit të mirë or ‘The tap of the good country’ is another spring located inside a stone structure, with a small makeshift Orthodox chapel attached to it.

We continued walking down the lanes to the south, past houses with big gardens and private vineyards. Behind the mosque, shells of grand brick and stone villas with ornamental metal gates and painted shutters sit in a state of abandonment.

Further south, there is a small unnamed stone church and the Tomb of Baba Beko, a Dervish Türbe.

Peek inside the Leskovik Bunkers

While wandering between the farm houses on the western fringe of town we spotted something curious off in the distance: A dozen or more openings carved from the rocky slope of Mount Melesin. Upon closer inspection they turned out to be bunkers.

The higher row of bunkers is located at this point. A second lower row of bunkers is hewn from the rockface below.

The bunkers are currently being used to shelter livestock and store hay. We sheepishly approached some of the locked gates and could just make out diagrams and text on the concrete walls. One of the makeshift wooden gates was open far enough for me to sneak in and have a closer look.

I still can’t quite believe what I saw. During my time in Albania I ventured inside several bunkers, including the Cold War bunkers in Gjirokaster that are said to be well-preserved. But I never imagined I would step inside a bunker that contains original wall art.

The painted diagrams and drawings depict tanks and military arsenal. One looked like a PSA poster, advising people to dress in gas masks, gloves and protective gear. Also painted on the walls are passages of Albanian text describing the different components of grenades and various weapons.

I am not sure exactly when the bunkers were created or painted – but the drawings were very old and flaky. I later learned that Leskovik served as a training and supply centre for a group of communist guerillas who led incursions into Greece from Albania. I’m sure the bunkers must date to that period.

After our bunker adventure, we continued along the path and up the ridge to a viewpoint atop the rock massif. A giant metal pipe has been partially excavated by the weather – I suppose it once supplied the bunkers with fuel.

A lone shepherd was sitting at the highest point of the rock, smoking a cigarette. He almost frightened me out of my skin.

Eat and drink at the Melesin Distillery

The restaurant-bar at Melesin Distillery is open to the public for lunch and dinner daily. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, I still recommend dropping in for a meal.

We ate here three times and tried some interesting local Leskovik specialties, including a traditional pasta. The kitchen also offers Albanian classics: Meatballs, clay pot dishes, and salads. The simple baked chicken on a bed of pilaf rice was absolutely incredible.

The wine card features Mavrud, Cabernet, Shiraz and Pinot Gri made on local Leskovik grapes. Order a glass (or a bottle) and see for yourself why Albania is considered one of Europe’s most underrated wine regions.

In the future, Melesin plans to introduce gin degustations and wine tastings.

Shop for local wine

At the intersection near Melesin Distillery you will see a few small restaurant-guesthouses. A little further down the street, there is a small grocery shop with a royal blue tiled counter and nazar amulets dangling from the ceiling.

The shelves are lined with jars of pickles, gliko fruit preserves, and all kinds of local goodies, and there is a lovely set of old-school scales on the counter.

The owner of the small shop is very sweet. We dropped in for a look around then came back the following day to buy a big bottle of red Leskovik wine – it was very tasty.

Bathe in the Sarandaporo Thermal Springs

Located 10 kilometres from Leskovik right on the border with Greece, the Sarandaporo Thermal Springs are a nice alternative to the popular pools at Benja near Permet. Locals know them, but the area is relatively unexplored by tourists.

We saw the pools on Google Maps and considered driving down on our way into Leskovik. We decided against it – but that evening, our waiter at the Melesin Distillery restaurant encouraged us to go, reassuring us the road was in good condition.

The next morning we set off along the freshly tarred road. We had to drive a little ways over gravel – around 10 minutes in total – then walk for around 30 minutes through the dry river bed to reach the pools.

The first natural pool we encountered was cold. The main pools were warm, full of bubbling water with a strong sulfur odour. The deep bathtubs assembled from stone look medieval and command an amazing view of the river.

There is no trail to the baths – you must walk along the river bed. The pools are right on the state border and at one point, we accidentally walked into Greece!

The whole landscape is stunning, especially when there’s no one else around. There are sweet little fairy pools, milky streams and thick forest. Apparently there is also a sulfur cave used for medicinal purposes (we noted an abandoned sanatorium nearby) – but we couldn’t find a clear path through the forest to the cave, so we had to abandon our mission.

Visit the Vjosa River bend viewpoint

There are a few points of interest on the road between Permet and Leskovik that I will also mention here.

As I described, the first section of road towards the Greek border follows the Vjosa River. This marked viewpoint is a safe place to pull over on the road shoulder. It overlooks the spot where the river makes a horseshoe bend, similar to the Pavlova Strana Viewpoint over Lake Shkoder in Montenegro.

Unfortunately for us, there was heavy rain and thick fog on the morning we drove along the river (funnily enough, we also had the same exact conditions on Lake Shkoder!).

Still, the river bend and distant limestone mountains looked eerily beautiful. The rock formations reminded me very much of Ha Giang in Northern Vietnam.

Find the abandoned bridge

This abandoned suspension bridge is another scenic place to stop on the drive from Permet. In the past, it was a lifeline for the small villages on the opposite bank, but it has long since been replaced with a modern bridge.

The bridge runs across the Vjosa River, which was a brilliant baby blue colour at the time of our visit. In October, the surrounding landscape is painted in majestic autumn hues. This was by far the best example of fall foliage we saw in Albania.

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Where to go next: Onward travel from Leskovik

If you are heading towards the coast and Tirana, Permet will be your next port of call. The road is fully sealed and beautiful to drive. Find all the best things to do in Permet – Albania’s emerging slow-food and ecotourism hotspot – here in my Permet guide.

We were travelling the opposite way so departed Leskovik and continued our drive to Korca and Voskopoja. This road was refurbished in summer 2023 and at the time of our visit, small sections were still being worked on.

We encountered a few unsealed gravel patches. Our small sedan managed just fine, but it was slow going. I am still surprised that we didn’t get a flat tire.

On the way to Korca I recommend stopping for the WWII memorials in Barmash and Ersekë. The latter village also has a very stirring memorial to the victims of a terrible WWII massacre.

Kamenica Tumulus archaeological site is also en route. Unfortunately it was closed when we passed through on a Monday.

If you are travelling Albania by bus, you will find several departures from Leskovik’s small bus station in the morning, between 8am and 9.30am. Destinations include Permet (75 minutes travel time), Gjirokaster (2.5 hours travel time), and Korca (2.5-3 hours travel time).

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