Shpella e Ujkut

Useful Information

Location:	Tren, Albania (40.6720339, 20.9866578)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=250 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	E. Papadatou, B. Gichevski, A. Stojanov (2012): Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for the Caves and Cave Bats of Prespa, Project "Landscape Scale Conservation in the Prespa Lake Basin – Transboundary Species and Habitat Conservation Action Plans". January 2012. pdf
Address:	Shpella e Ujkut
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1952	cave first described as a historic site by Hasan Ceka and S. Anamali.
15-JAN-1963	declared a Cultural Monument.
1966/1967	first archaeological excavation.
1999	Prespa National Park created.
2002	declared a Natural Monument.
2010	cave surveyed and gated.
2011	cave gate broken open.

Description

The Shpella e Ujkut (Cave of the Wolf) is also known as Shpella e Trenit (Train Cave, Cave of Treni) and Shpella tek „Gryka e Ujkut“ (Cave near the Wolf Gorge). It is located at the shore of the Little Prespa Lake close to the village of Treni, hence the name. The entrance is only 40 m from the shore of the south-western end of the Little Prespa Lake, which is heavily silted up. The level of the lake changes depending on the climate, as a result the cave was sometimes flooded when the lake was higher. However, today the lake is much lower and this end, which is quite shallow, has become a sort of wetland or swamp.

The cave has two entrances, one is 7 m wide and 3m high, the second is only 1 m wide and high, and requires crawling. A large chamber, 20 m long and up to 12 m wide, which is located only 9 m from the entrance and easy to reach. A second chamber is even bigger, 43 m long, 5-6 m wide, and 4 m high. The chambers are connected by a 70 m long passage. The cave is more or less level, but there are blocks which were fallen from the ceiling, so it's a little tricky to visit the cave. Another problem is the fact that the cave is almost at the level of the lake, and it is partly flooded. But it is of great archaeological importance and home to cave paintings.

The cave is part of the Prespa National Park and is a stop on tours offered by the tourist operators’ association. According to archaeological excavations, the cave was inhabited from the early Neolithic (8,000 BP) to the Iron Age. The cave was closed by a gate, but the gate was broken open several times, and finally it was stolen and sold a scrap metal.