Closed to outsiders for much of the 20th century, Albania has long been Mediterranean Europe’s enigma. Until fairly recently its rumpled mountains, fortress towns and sparkling beaches were merely a rumour on most travel maps. But, with the end of a particularly brutal strain of communism in 1991, Albania tentatively swung open its gates. The first curious tourists to arrive discovered a land where ancient codes of conduct still held sway and where the wind whistled through the shattered remnants of half-forgotten Ancient Greek and Roman sites. Quarter of a century after throwing off the shackles of communism, Albania’s stunning mountain scenery, crumbling castles, boisterous capital and dreamy beaches rivalling any in the Mediterranean continue to enchant, but hurry here because as word gets out to what Albania is hiding, the still tiny trickle of tourists threatens to become a flood.
Visit of the famous UNESCO heritage city with a castle on the top of the hill from where you can get a great view of the facades of the white houses settled around the river. Within its walls are Byzantine churches, the Red Mosque, and the Onufri National Museum, with Christian icons...
We arrived at the beach inside National Park Divjakë-Karavasta, it’s located near the Adriatic Sea. We did overnight just on the great long lonely sandy beach. The park spans a territory of 222,3 square kilometers with wetlands, salt marshes, coastal meadows, floodplains, woodlands...
A short visit to ancient Ottoman remains in the city located at the very center of Albania. Its central location, North to South and East to West, is the reason it is sometimes referred to as “Kurthiza e Shqipërisë” (The Bellybutton of Albania). Parking location –...
We arrived just the right time to catch the sunset at the Durrës sandy beach. We made overnight here and scrolled around the beach walk with plenty of street food stands and shops. In the morning we made a visit to the port city with its huge Roman amphitheater and remains from the Greek...
We visited the lonely castle on the way to Durrës, which overlooks the local city Prëze and from where we got great views around the area. The Prezë Castle is a medieval structure located on a small hilltop. Castle construction has started in the 14th century and was completed in the...
We arrived very late in Tirana city center, it was not easy to find the parking, but a friendly local bus company let us park in their parking next to the lake. We took a short walk to the city center and jumped into a little kebab store just at Skanderbeg Square to taste local street...
We arrived in the late afternoon in the ancient city with a bazaar and castle. The name and the importance of the city are closely related to the 25 years of activity of Albanian national hero, Skanderbeg, who in the 15th century made Kruja a bastion of uncompromising resistance against...
After morning sightseeing in Shkodra, we got to the relaxed beach in Velipoja, where we stayed for 2 nights. If you come around, do not forget to try tasty pizza in camp Vilunit at Laguna Beach. After some swimming, we again hit the road and got our first diesel in Albania (refueling is...
Our first stop in Albania was Shkodra. We walked through the old town and climbed to Rozafa castle, from there we got a great view of the city. It is surrounded by the waters of three rivers; the Drini, Buna, and Kiri. The city has been occupied several times throughout history by Romans...