Driving east up to the mountains from Koplik, you'll pass through the Shkreli region, with the villages of Reç, Zagora, Bzheta, Dedaj and Vrith. The landscape here is not as dramatic as deeper in the mountains, but there are many beauty spots and good places to eat well and stay for a few nights. A bus to Shkreli departs from Koplik every hour. Reç village - turn right at the prison complex to reach it - is famed for the pylli i geshtenjave chestnut forest with 30,000 trees, some up to 300 years old, part of the Shkrel National Park. It's a pleasure to walk around here any time of year, but for chestnut season you should visit in September or October - and try fresh roasted chestnuts served with pomegranate seeds and honey. Farmers here sell honey, jam and fresh fruit, while the hills around are full of fragrant herbs like thyme, sage, lavender, chamomile and juniper.
The annual Chestnut Festival in autumn has a lively fair with traditional music and local food. Slightly hidden under the barren hill to the north, the large Shpella e Pëllumbave or pigeon cave has a shaft of sunlight streaming inside in the mornings.