The area was first protected in 1966 as Lura National Park. In 2018 it was enlarged and renamed, taking in the neighbouring Zall-Gjoçaj area and the slopes of Mali i Dejës (Deja Mountain). Most sources count twelve lakes in the Lura group, formed during the last Ice Age.
Each lake has its own character. The Big Lake (Liqeni i Madh) is the largest, while the Lake of Flowers (Liqeni i Luleve) is known for the white water lilies that cover much of its surface in summer. Illegal logging in the years after 1990 left visible scars in parts of the forest, but the lakes and meadows remain among the finest highland landscapes in the country.
The lakes lie above the village of Fushë-Lurë and are reached on rough mountain roads, best tackled with a 4x4 and a local driver; between the lakes the walking is easy. The season runs from late spring to early autumn, with the lilies at their best in mid-summer, while snow blocks access for much of the winter. Peshkopi is the nearest town with a good choice of places to stay.
