Plani i Bardhe, is a small town in the municipality of Klos, that has a 6 km long valley. The town on the southern border of the municipality of Klos is bordered by the town of Bulqiza in the administrative unit of Martanesh and the Arber town Guri i Bardhe of the municipality of Klos.
Plani i Bardhe is Surrounded by high mountains like:
1-Cukal Malthe range in the south-west
2-Mountain of Thane and Balgjaj in the northeast
3-Dhoksi Mountain in the east
4-The last mountain of Martanesh
5-White Stone Mountain in the west
Plani i Bardhe has several paths, the path of Blishta, the path of Dhoks, the path of Guri te bardhe, and the path of Thane. Surrounded by a forest of 50,000 Ha, there are old forests between which pass the highway Tirana-Milot-Klos-Dibër-Macedonia. There is a small river in the middle of the Plani i Bardhe as well as a 50-year-old pine forest. The Mat River belongs to the fund of the valley, the old road of Arbri (Caravans) passes in the middle of the village Plani i Bardhë where the river meets the bridge of Vasha which is a cultural monument.
Today in the middle of the village passes the new route of Arbri Road which comes from Tirana to Dibra in Macedonia. The characteristic towers of Mat are found in the whole area of the type of two-floors tower, three-floor towers with walls and glass carved with stones and fitted with tiles. The population of the municipality of Klos is around 21,000 inhabitants and about 100.00 km.
There are important cultural heritage objects, as one of them is the former museum house in Klos (cultural monument) located in the village of Klos-Katund, it is evidence of the construction tradition of interesting stone and wirehouses of the XIX century.
Cultural heritage is the towers of more than 200 years where our ancestors and their parents lived. The legacy is the walls of the castles near the White Plan (Plani i Bardhe ) which are 5: the Illyrian Castle of Dars, the castles of Petralba, the residence of the Kastriots, the city of Martanesh, a barber castle in Citen e Cukalit next to the White Plan, the Arber Castle of Kruja.
Cultural places:
1. Perennial towers
2. The stone bridges in total are 8 where the largest is the Vasha bridge
3. The Illyrian castle of Darsi was built of stone
All these places are accessible to be visited by visitors and are currently offered free of charge, 50% of them can be described on foot or by bicycles and other vehicles. Some of the other places are Qafa e Prushit (White Plan) connected to Skenderbeu White Plan, Thana (meadow mountains). There are also three monumental bridges: the bridge of Shahin (in Patin); Halilajve (in Dars); and Allaah (in Bain). Shahin Bridge in Patin is located above Sheun e Madh, which originates from Balgjaj Mountain. This bridge is smaller than the others and this was dictated by the environment where it was built. The time of its construction, based on its technique and typology belongs to the period between the XVIII-XIX century. The bridge is in good condition and in daily use by residents.
Further, the Halilaj Bridge is built between the villages Dars, Bel, Fullqet. The bridge is built on a rocky place on two high shores. It is made of quadratic chisel stones connected with limestone. The Halilaj Bridge is said to have been built by a member of the Halilaj tribe. It was not built at the same time as the bridges mentioned above and is one of the oldest bridges found today undamaged in Mat. It is believed that this bridge belongs to the XVII-XVIII century.
The guide continues with the Allaman Bridge which is located above Sheun e Bejni upstream of the Mat River. It consists of a double vaulted arch. Allamani Bridge has a length of 16m. Caravans coming from Tirana and Dibra passed through this bridge, which penetrated from the south to the north. Allamani Bridge is one of the bridges that is still used today. It resembles the bridge of Hoxhaj, this bridge is thought to have been built in the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. These bridges reflect the culture, history and engineering skills of the XVII-XIX century.
The village of Xibër-Guri Bardhë is known as the place of castles of the Illyrian and medieval periods. The first stop will be Xibër Castle which dates to the IV-II century b.c. It is located on the highest mountain peak of Dars, 963 m above sea level. This castle covers an area of 4ha, the surrounding walls are made of large stone blocks of a length of 150 m that are evident even today. The castle of Xibri with its archaeological data has proven the historical-economical-cultural development not only of Mat district but also of our country in the protohistoric period.
“Skënderbeu Castle – Petralba” as a medieval castle (XIII-XIV century) lies on a mountain ridge with a height of 778 m, which dominates the valley of Mat, between the villages Guri i Bardhë and Fshat. This medieval castle has played an important role for the Kastriots, Skanderbeg and his family. Barleti says about this fortress: “This is a city in Mat built on the top of a mountain, but fears, apart from hunger, no enemy power.” The castle of Guri i Bardhë together with that of Skanderbeg in Varosh, were the two main cities of Gjon Kastriot and it is not known about their antiquity as have not been done excavations around the ruins. This castle is not far from that of Xibri and there is some opinion that after the demolition of Xibri castle the castle of Guri i Bardhë may have been built. Both buildings are important fortifications, located at the foot of the main road Dibër-Qafë Murrizë-Durrës.
Plani i Bardhe and the Municipality of Klos have a very clean green environment. The municipality of Klos is a rural municipality where the farmers work the land, raise livestock, and plant seasonal crops. Air pollution is very low at the national level. On the mountain of the village Xibër – Hane of the Municipality of Klos, grows a very rare flower scientifically named as Narcissus poeticus, or Narcissi, a unique flower in the country.
Vasha Bridge, decorated with cobblestones and located on the river Mat, consists of a semicircular arch. The way of building the bridge is with limestone and there is an arch on the right side and a discharge window. The bridge is visited by many Albanian and foreign tourists and is one of the inherited assets of this area built as a charity by the Skura family. Located near Arbër road, this bridge carries great historical values in a wonderful natural landscape. Vasha Bridge is one of the oldest bridges of this style built in Albania.
Potential Nature places for tourist attractions are:
1- Balgjaj lakes created because of glacial formations are located 2100 m above sea level, there are a total of 15 of them, 7 of which are in the territory of the Municipality of Klos, specifically between the two villages, Kurdarise and Patin. The rest of the lakes belong to the municipality of Diber.
These Lakes carry rare natural beauty, the freshness of the mountain intertwined with the water of the lakes all dressed in the green cloak of nature. Balgjaj Mountain has the potential to develop “hiking” activities. To travel to the Balgjaj Lakes is a bit difficult due to the mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure. If you are going to travel to Balgjaj, you should go by car.
2- Guri Bardhë Gurrat – In the village of Guri Bardh there is a place called “Gurrat”, where water is a symbol of this place. Guri i Bardh is classified in the 100 tourist villages of Albania. A place worth visiting.
The water that springs from this place comes magically creating a stunning view of nature itself. The coldness of the water is characteristic of the country which is an invaluable value that nature has given to the village of Guri i Bardh.
3- Mat River- It originates from the mountain of Kaptina in Martanesh, describing the entire territory of the municipality of Klos, and further the municipality of Mat which flows into the Adriatic Sea. The part that describes Klos has stunning views and during the summer season is frequented by many locals to relax. Foreigners choose the Mat River for practising the Canoe sport.
Every Sunday in Klos takes place “Klos Bazaar” already a tradition for years. This market serves not only locals but also other districts. There are many people who choose to come from the capital to the Sunday market in Klos. Sunday market is the biggest support in trading local products.
The area has a lot of tourist places to be visited but there is still a need for infrastructure improvement. There is a 3-day guide of the main attractions, where the third day of this guide closes with the taste of traditional food in local Bar-Restaurants and accommodation in the city of Klos.
Also, during 2019 there was a large number of visitors who visited the objects of Historical-Cultural Heritage of Mat district where for the first 6 months of 2019 daily visitors were about 1 500 people, while visitors who stayed more than three days are about 300 people.
The Illyrian castle of Darsi is built of stone, all these places are accessible to be visited by visitors and are currently offered free of charge, 50% of them can be described on foot by bicycles and other vehicles. Some of the other places are Qafa e Prushit (White Plan) connected to Skanderbeg White Plan, Thana (meadow mountains). In this area farmers grow bees, there are small livestock, potatoes, corn, wheat, tomatoes, etc. Fruit trees are cherries, apples, pears, peaches, plums, nuts, etc.
With the completion of the Arbër road, it is expected that Klos area will develop in all aspects, but the focus will be on tourism.
Currently, the municipality of Klos has hotels and guest houses for tourists as well as designated places for camping. Traditional foods in this area are meat-based as well as puddings, while traditional products known nationally are honey, wine, and brandy.
