Vermosh (definite form ''Vermoshi'') is the northernmost village of

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, located in the former Kelmend municipality. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality

Malësi e Madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality in Shkodër County, in northwestern Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and ...

. The village lies in a valley of the

Albanian Alps The Accursed Mountains (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Prokletije, Проклетије, separator=" / ", ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Albanski Alpi, Албански Алпи, separator=" / ", li ...

, along a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

with the same name.

Geography

Vermosh is part of the ''Bjeshkët e Namuna'' ("Accursed Mountains") or

, a mountain range in Northern Albania that extends to western

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

and Eastern Montenegro and the highest point of which, '' Maja Jezercë'', lies 18.8 kilometers (12 miles) south of Vermosh, in the Theth and Valbona National Park. Vermosh comprises the quarters of Pjetroja (also known as Qendra, "the center"), Velan, Bashkim ("junction", incl. the Lepushë valley), Velipojë, and Maliaj. When first explored it was called ''Bjeshkët e Seljanave''. Its mountain pastures are called ''Seferçe'', ''Smutirogë'', ''Lugu i Dolit'', ''Përbicë'', ''Greben'', etc. Vermosh is the place of the

border crossing Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it als ...

with

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

near Vjeternik on the road from

Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra; historically known as Scodra or Scutari) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, fifth-most-populous city of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. Shkodër has been List of o ...

( away) and Koplik to

Gusinje Gusinje (, ; ) is a small town in Montenegro in the northern region. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 1,673 and is the administrative center of Gusinje Municipality. Name Two alternative etymologies have been proposed ...

and Plav in Montenegro.

The Vermosh river

Vermosh extends around the 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the Vermosh river (''Lumi i Vermoshit'' in Albanian) which belong to Albania. The Vermosh river appears under the Montenegrin name of ''Vrmoša'' below the Maglič peak in the Kuči area of eastern Montenegro, just before running into Albania. It re-enters Montenegro at Vjeternik under the name of ''Grnčar''. Receiving the stream ''Vruje'' from the right in

, it continues as the ''Ljuča'' for a few more kilometers where it empties into the Lake Plav, creating a small delta. There it flows out of the lake to the north, next to the mountain ''

Visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

'', under the name '' Lim'' for the remaining 197 kilometers (122 miles) through Montenegro, Serbia and

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

, where it joins the

Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...

at the

Višegrad Višegrad ( sr-cyrl, Вишеград, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rests at the confluence of the Drina and the Rzav (Drina), Rzav river. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 10,668 in ...

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

History

According to folklore, the three brothers Seli, Vuli and Nili founded Vermosh, and they are eponymous to the villages of Selca, Vukli and Nikci. The border was drawn in 1878 by the

Berlin Congress At the Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878), the major European powers revised the territorial and political terms imposed by the Russian Empire on the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of San Stefano (March 1878), which had ended the Rus ...

which gave Plav,

Tuzi Tuzi (, ; or ''Tuzi'') is a small town in the central region of Montenegro, and the seat of Tuzi Municipality. It is located along a main road between the city of Podgorica and the Albanian border crossing, just a few kilometers north of Lake S ...

and

Ulcinj Ulcinj () is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 11,488. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast, it was founded in 5th ...

to the

Principality of Montenegro The Principality of Montenegro () was a principality in Southeastern Europe that existed from 13 March 1852 to 28 August 1910. It was then proclaimed a Kingdom of Montenegro, kingdom by Nikola I of Montenegro, Nikola I, who then became King of M ...

at the expense of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Part of the Malësor highlanders, the local Kelmendi mountain tribe has been known for its warring tradition, mostly against foreign occupiers. It has been traditionally

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Monarchist rule

The

Principality of Albania The Principality of Albania () was a monarchy from 1914 to 1925. It was headed by Wilhelm, Prince of Albania, and located in modern Albania in the Balkans, Balkan region of Europe. The Ottoman Empire owned the land until the First Balkan Wa ...

was established in 1914. In 1925, Albania was declared a republic. On September 13, 1914, Montenegrin troops entered Kelmendi and fought for three hours, sacked and burnt Selcë, Vukël, Tamarë, and Nikç, only Vermosh managed to save itself. A total of 90 men were executed, and the Montenegrin troops took with them 10,000 sheep, goats, and cattle. On May 23, 1923, Yugoslavia refused to evacuate Vermosh and the locality of the Monastery of Saint Naum, despite the decision of the Delimitation Commission. The Yugoslav minister renewed the protest regarding the issue. On July 28, 1925, the areas of the Monastery of Saint Naum and Vermosh were ceded to Yugoslavia. Zog I ceded the territories, as a friendly gesture and payment for the Yugoslav assistance to Zog's return to the throne, and in the agreement, Albania received

Peshkopi Peshkopi (; sq-definite, Peshkopia) is a town located in the mountainous regions of northeastern Albania, in Dibër County. It is the capital of both the county () and the district () of Dibër, and is the only county regional capital in Albania ...

and other minor concessions.

Communist rule

After Enver Hoxha died in 1985, many people from Vermosh tried to escape the country. Most were caught by the

Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

and brought to Shkodër. A noted event was the murder of 17-year-old Pëllumb Pëllumbaj, who had tried to cross the Yugoslav border through Hani i Hotit, but was caught by the Albanian border police and dragged through Shkodër tied to a truck. The event sparked a riot, in which the local government was forced to contact

Ramiz Alia Ramiz Alia (; 18 October 1925 – 7 October 2011) was an Albanian politician serving as the second and last leader of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1985 to 1991, serving as First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania. He ...

, and Hoxha's wife Nexhmije Hoxha. In the same year, a group of people from Bajzë attempted to cross the border in Vermosh, but were caught by the Albanian border police, which once again dragged their corpses throughout the Kelmend municipality, then to Shkodër.

Tourism

Most tourists come to Vermosh for its mountain views. There are also more than 30 kinds of

medicinal Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

plants. Popular activities in Vermosh include hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and the "Miss Bjeshka" ("Miss Mountains") pageant.Albanian National Agency of Tourism (Agjencia Kombëtare e Turizmit Shqiptar)

Demographics

Vermosh started being settled in the mid-19th century, first for the 4–6 months of the Spring and Summer because of the harsh winters (up to 3 feet of snow regularly). Most of the families living there originate from Selca, 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) south of Vermosh. In the 19th century, some Muslim Albanian families had settled from Guci, and

Peja Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbar ...

. The regional economy is based mainly on agriculture, immigrant remittances and tourism. Families from Vermosh include: Vushaj, Beqi, Bujaj, Vukaj, Cali, Dukaj, Gjoni (Gjonaj), Hasanaj, Hysaj, Koçaj, Lekutanaj, Lelçaj, Lumaj, Maçaj, Mernaçaj, Mitaj, Nacaj, Pepaj, Peraj, Pllumaj, Preljocaj, Rexhaj, Selmanaj, Smajlaj, Shqutaj, Staka, Tinaj, Volaj, and Vuktilaj

Notable people

* Prek Cali (fl. 1911–1930), Vermosh-born guerilla fighter, that fought in the Battle of Deçiq against the

, and later against the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...

and the communist forces under

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...

. Hoxha had him lured and killed him on

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...

. * Gjeto Gjek Vushmaçaj, also commonly referred to as Gjeto Gjeku Vushaj was a highlander in Kelmendi mountain tribe located in Vermosh who fought against the

and has been known for warring tradition against foreign occupiers.← *Llesh Marashi *Fran Llesh Tinaj *Mema Smajlaj *Martin Hasani * Gjon Çuni Hysaj *Luc Mark Gjelosh Hysaj *Zek Çuni Hysaj *Gjelosh Çuni Hysaj *Pjeter Gjek Hysaj *Marash Vata Lumaj, fought the Communist regime *Gjon Prec Rexhaj *Dod Prek Nika Bujaj, fought the Communist regime *Gjergj Ndou *Ded Lulashi *Fran Mali *Nik Marku Rexhaj *Ded Macaj

References

Sources

External links

Kelmend Municipality Official Website
{{Malësi e Madhe div Kelmend (municipality) Populated places in Malësi e Madhe Albania–Montenegro border crossings Villages in Shkodër County