Saint Maria Church of Leuse

Leusë is a small village located a few kilometers from Permet, and is composed of several houses made from stones. Leusë is also home to the Church of Saint Mary, a true artistic jewel. The church has amazing murals dating from the Byzantine era, which are a stunning representation of Byzantine religious art. Its facade resembles a monastery while its interior resembles a temple. The church was created in a basilica style at the end of the 18th century. The church also has a painted inscription over its entrance gate, which acknowledges the workmanship of its creators. The mural paintings were created in 1812 while the carved iconostasis engraved in walnut dates back to 1817. The frescoes and iconostasis have special artistic values. The scenes and wooden compositions depict stories from the bible and images of nature, and they have a high quality of style and workmanship evident in the beautiful door and the entire frame of the iconostasis.

Fir of Hotova National Park

Fir of Hotova is a national park in southern Albania, in the region of Permet which is Albania's largest national park. The park has an area of 34,361 hectares and is known as the natural lungs of Southern Albania. The impressive view of the park can be seen from Lumica Valley entrance up to Kokojka Mt summit. At the height of 800-1000 meters, there are vast meadows surrounded by centuries-old large trees forming a giant greenbelt. In the winter, visitors can appreciate the snow blanket covering the firs, and in the summer the abundance of fresh air away as an escape from the Albanian summer heat. Water can be secured from fresh water fountains located on the roadside along the way. Species include maple, black hornbeam, ilex, red and black juniper, raspberry etc. Some of the park’s fauna includes the brown bear, wolf, fox, wild boar, hare, squirrel, wild goat, etc. Deer can also be seen on the pastures deep inside the forest.