Novosej is one of the villages of the former

Shishtavec Municipality Shishtavec () is a former municipality in Kukës County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Kukës. The population at the 2011 census was 3,835.Kukës County Kukës County (; sq, Qarku i Kukësit) is a landlocked county in northeastern Albania, with the capital in Kukës. The county spans and had a total population of 74,388 people as of 2021. The county borders on the counties of Dibër, Lezhë a ...

in Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality

Kukës Kukës ( sq-definite, Kukësi) is a city in the Republic of Albania. The city is the capital of the surrounding municipality of Kukës and county of Kukës, one of 12 constituent counties of the republic. It spans and had a total population of 16 ...

. Novosej is inhabited by

Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...

, whereas many of the surrounding villages are populated by Slavic-speaking Muslims of the

Gorani people The Gorani (, ) or Goranci (, ), are a Slavic Muslim ethnic group inhabiting the Gora region—the triangle between Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia. They number an estimated 60,000 people, and speak a transitional South Slavic dialect, c ...

. The region was isolated until 1978, when a road was built from Kukës to Shishtavec, which provided a link to the city of Kukës and the national highway. With no subsequent investment in the road, its condition deteriorated, but an initiative in 2012 resulted in it being upgraded, and a extension being built. There were proposals for an additional , to open up the area, and this was funded by German development grants. In addition to the road, the initiative, which was administered by the Albanian Development Fund, provided a water supply for Novosej and the nearby villages of Borje, Shtrezë and Oreshkë. The village is located in the Shishtaveci Alps, an area with hiking trails, forests, and waterfalls, and as well as providing access to Kukës, the road has enabled tourism to develop, while the water supply has assisted the development of agriculture and livestock farming. The establishment of small hotels and other types of accommodation for tourists has become a source of extra income for local people. The village holds a traditional celebration of "Saint George" each May. This has been encouraged by the Rural Association Support Programme, a

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organisation established in 1997 to promote sustainable development and tourism in Albania. Several sporting events are held on the first day of the festival, including horse riding, wrestling and football. In the afternoon, "potka" are collected, accompanied by music and dancing. "Potka" consists of fresh leaves from the

white birch ''Betula papyrifera'' (paper birch, also known as (American) white birch and canoe birch) is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named for the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper like ...

tree, and these are placed in water, together with eggs, and the water is then used to wash children. After this, the potka are placed in items of importance, such as houses, gardens and cars, and the following morning are taken to agricultural holdings. The 2009 festival was supported by many from other villages in the region, together with visitors from other parts of Albania and abroad. To the west of the village is the Novosej

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

-forest, some of oak woods, situated at an altitude of over above sea level. The trees, of type Quercus Pubescence, have grown there naturally, but at an altitude much higher than is normal for the species. To the south of the village, near to the Lake of Novosej reservoir, is another forest at a similar altitude, this one covering and consisting of

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...

trees. The extent of the forest is unusual, and such large areas of natural birch forest are only found in the Kukës region, and are on Albania's red list, because the habitat is so rare. Novosej is very close to the border with

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

, and during the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...

of 1998 and 1999, it is estimated that some 3,350 missiles fired in Kosovo crossed the border and landed in the Kukës prefecture. During a prolonged bombardment lasting for 79 days, Novosej was one of 11 villages in Kukës which suffered damage from the stray missiles, as well as 14 in the Has district and 14 in the Tropojë district.

Bibliography

References

{{Kukës div Populated places in Kukës Villages in Kukës County