The Vjosa river runs through the centre of Përmet's world — you hear it before you see it, a constant rush of cold mountain water over large pale boulders. The river descends from the mountains of northern Greece and cuts through the valley at Përmet in wide, braided channels before narrowing into gorges downstream. After heavy rain it turns the colour of milky tea and rises dramatically; in summer it calms to a series of clear pools and shallow rapids.
The walkable embankment along the town side of the river is where local life happens in the evenings — families taking the air, old men on benches, children throwing stones from the bank. A footbridge crosses to the far side, where footpaths lead into the hills above. Swimming is possible in the calmer stretches during summer, though the current in the main channel is deceptively strong. The river has recently been declared a national park, making it one of the few protected wild rivers in all of Europe.