Blue Eye / Syri i Kalter

You know those stories when you arrive at a place and what you expected is different from what you actually find? That was the case this time, when we reached the spring called Blue Eye.

Located on the way from Gjirokastër to Ksamil, it is the source of the Bistricë River, with azure-colored, incredibly cold water. Combined with the spring's depth of more than 50 meters, you'd expect a stunning sight. This expectation is fueled by beautiful photos on blogs and Instagram showing an empty spring and beautiful nature.

Fun fact: divers have gone down about 50 meters, but the real depth of this karst hole is still unknown. The water stays at only 10 to 13°C all year round.

On site, however, we were surprised by many things - starting with lots of cars on the access road, paid entrance, lack of parking spaces, and ending with the spring itself, where there was literally a crowd of people. People came as though it were something extraordinary.

It seems that summer is not the best time to visit this place, or maybe it has just become too popular?

Good to know: swimming in the spring itself is not allowed, and the area has been protected as a natural monument since 1996. If your kids dream of a dip in icy water, Albania has a second Blue Eye near Theth in the Albanian Alps, where swimming is allowed.