Ure e Shtrentje

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Ure e Shtrentje is a small village in the mountain valleys of the Shkodra region, Albania. It is a very small and poor community making a basic living of the land. One specialism being developed are their honey making skills. The honey produced by the bees is very aromatic, being created by a wonderful mixture of wild chestnut, sage and thyme pollen.

The village is divided in two by a deep gorge, which used to be crossed by a large stone bridge.

A few years ago, the waters of the river were so high that the old bridge was washed away. The community didn't have the resources or the money to replace it with a similar one, so all they could do was to lay down a narrow metal plank to serve as a bridge. But not only is this extremely unsafe, it's also little use when, in the springtime, melting snow from the mountain causes the river to swell again. The waters swallow the little makeshift bridge, and can stay that high for up to five or six weeks. During that time, people on one side of the village are totally isolated from the rest of the community, and indeed from everyone and everything else.