Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development in Mountainous Areas - Case of Kelmend

Natural and Cultural Heritage preservation is an important issue toward sustainable development. This paper is focused on Kelmend - a region lying in Northern Albania in the cross border area with Montenegro. Its beauty and greatness is because of the natural heritage which constitutes the main advantage for its future development. Kelmend Region represents a typical alpine landscape with high peaks and deep valleys and with a rich biodiversity. The environment protection and the preservation of natural heritage is the most important aspect toward the sustainable development of the area, but cultural heritage is also as much important. It reflects an authentic complexity which is at risk. The article tries to explore this second issue: the socio-economic sustainability based on cultural heritage. Despite the rich and unspoiled natural and cultural heritage certain factors limits the effective management of the area. The tangible and intangible culture is not protected and is adapting everyday to the consumers’ needs being so under the threat of standardization. Through qualitative methodology we argue the possibility of using the past as a resource for the future in this specific area.