Vjosa Wild River National Park is a national park located in southern Albania. The Vjosa River is Europe’s first Wild River National Park that was designated on 15 March 2023.The park was declared a natural ecosystem by decision of the Council of Ministers, in compliance with Law 81/2017 “On Protected Areas” The river valley is considered Albania’s biodiversity hotspot, offering ideal aquatic habitats for over 1,100 species of wildlife, including otters, the endangered Egyptian vulture and the critically endangered Balkan lynx, of which only 15 are estimated to remain.It has a length of over 270 km (170 mi); 190 km of which are located in Albania, the river flows naturally undisturbed through narrow canyons, rapids, islands and bends that create meanders with attractive landscapes.
The park as a whole has a combined surface area of 12,727 ha (127.27 km2) and has been granted an IUCN Category II designation aimed at protecting it from dams, gravel extraction and other damaging activities, ensuring its ecological integrity while allowing the natural processes to occur and supporting the population of its native species.