This weekend, a young man from Tirana biked along 163 km of the Vjosa river, in order to raise awareness regarding the recognition of all water-bodies pertaining to this river, as a National Park.

Erind Gjoni, 33 years old, father of two, who views cycling as his passion and has been exercising it for years, biked this Saturday from ‘Tre Urat’ in Permet all the way to the estuary of Vjosa in the Adriatic Sea. An itinerary which lasted him 7 hours and 46 minutes, across the breathtaking landscapes that this area has to offer.

By describing his initiative that started on social media, to Euronews Albania, Gjoni said that his idea to travel for 163 km by bicycle, came to him one year ago, when he was introduced to the commitments of the environmental organizations trying to rescue Vjosa River from hydro-power dam projects.

In his day-to-day life, Erindi works in marketing and says that to him “cycling and nature are an equilibrium between professional and family life”.

“My passion is cycling, I rode for 163 km in a day, in order to say my word for Vjosa. Others can hike up one of the mountains in the surrounding areas where this river wanders off, others can canoe along the river, and there’s other ideas too but what’s important is to find a way to attract the necessary attention for this matter. Only in this way we can inspire others and make Vjosa a National Park,” said Gjoni.