This is a journey far from mass tourism and hotel castles.

Spectacular scenery and a culture brimming with hospitality – this fascinated one mountain guide so much that he put together a very special trekking route through Albania.

Mountain guide Martin Plankensteiner from South Tyrol in the Italian Alps has spent years working with Albanian farmers to curate a tour unlike any other in Europe.

The film accompanies him and three tour participants as they enter a mountainscape full of surprises. They spend the night in guesthouses and on local farms. The Malsore – as the mountain folk are known – are a proud, courageous and independent people.

Just like 24-year-old Marjana Koçeku, who runs a very special guesthouse with a dreamy view over a turquoise lake. Here, visitors find peace, tranquility and the opportunity to immerse themselves in a life from another time.

Marjana Koçeku is convinced when guests and locals work together, the result is a kind of tourismthat preserves the character and beauty of the area. The concept, which she calls “Neomalsore” – new mountain dwellers – builds on tradition, but interprets it in a new way.