Hiding out in a sunny nook of the Mediterranean Sea, Albania is an typically neglected Balkan magnificence in southeastern Europe. It’s a land of wealthy heritage, bleached white seashores, and… bunkers. Closed off from the world till simply 30 years in the past, Albania is reintroducing itself as one of many Mediterranean’s most darling locations. Curious to seek out out what this nation has in retailer for travellers? Try these prime issues to see and do in Albania.
The place to expertise Albania’s historical past
Albania has seen quite a lot of conquest in its previous. Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans have all made their mark, and remnants of those empires stay to today. There are additionally fixed reminders of the more moderen communist regime within the type of deserted brutalist bunkers dotted over the nation.
Stroll within the footsteps of the Ottomans in Gjirokastër
Nicknamed the Metropolis of Stone, Gjirokastër is a fairytale hillside city outlined by its 600 Ottoman-era homes. Comply with the cobbled roads and crooked streets to the city’s hilltop citadel for chook’s-eye views of the slate-roofed settlement and past. At Zekate Home, you possibly can invite your self in for a snoop round. The murals, intricate wood ceilings, and stained-glass home windows are just about unchanged since 1811.
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Stand onstage at Durrës Amphitheater
As soon as the positioning of gladiatorial battles, the Roman-era Durrës Amphitheater was the biggest constructed within the Balkans. It was deserted and largely forgotten about when a big earthquake determined to storm the stage within the 4th century. Through the years, it grew to become extra hidden as new empires coated up what that they had conquered, and it was not rediscovered till the Nineteen Sixties. It was excavated and renovated, so now you can stroll within the steps of bygone performers and warriors on this residing museum.
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Marvel on the fortress overlooking Berat
Generally known as the Metropolis of a Thousand Home windows, Berat is considered one of Albania’s magical UNESCO-listed heritage websites. Wherever you stroll, you’ll be watched by the whitewashed Ottoman homes that ascend from the valley. The perfect view of those charming buildings is from the city’s footbridge. Afterward, take the cobbled path to the citadel ruins on the hilltop. In addition to beautiful valley views, you’ll even be handled to a tapestry of Ottoman, Roman, and Byzantine historical past.
See it for your self on: Basic Balkan Journey: Trebinje to Pristina
The place to go within the Albanian Riviera
The Albanian Riviera is a sunny strip of golden sand seashores and UNESCO websites that lure in festival-goers, bookworms, and historical past buffs. Listed here are our favorite spots.
Dhërmi
Dhërmi is Albania’s competition funspot. In summer season, digital music lovers flock to Dhërmi’s Mediterranean shores to absorb the solar and drink the seaside bars dry. In case you go to exterior of July and September, the music is turned down, and also you’ll get to completely respect the beautiful seashores, seaside surroundings, and vivid blue waters.
Albanian Riviera festivals
Albania is quick turning into the place for a sunny seaside social gathering. The lineup for September’s ION Pageant will get stronger yearly. It’s seven days of solar, sea, and digital sounds simply off the Dhërmi coast. One other large one is the Kala Pageant. It is in the identical place however earlier in the summertime. It’s described as a “boutique expertise the place seaside vacation meets music competition.” Assume massages, meditation, morning hikes, and barely much less loud music.
Porto Palermo
Porto Palermo is a quiet castle-topped cove within the Albanian Riviera. What it lacks in sound techniques, it greater than makes up for with stunning bays and eating places serving contemporary seafood. Stroll to Ali Pasha Fort to survey the gorgeous peninsula from above, or hire a kayak and paddle across the rocky shores beneath. In case you’ve had a couple of days within the social gathering spots of Dhërmi or Tirana, then peaceable Porto Palermo is simply the tonic.
Himarë
Himarë is a small city with modest seashores and a extra laid-back really feel than its livelier coastal cousins. It’s excellent for a stress-free day on the sand. It’s additionally a very good jumping-off level for boat journeys to Grama Bay and Pirate’s Cave. The shaded waters within the cave are among the clearest you’ll ever see, however they are often chilly within the morning.
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Vlorë
In case you like your seashores with loads of shade choices, then how a few resort with a group of Chilly Conflict bunkers? Albania is roofed in hundreds of those shady domes, and Vlorë nonetheless has a good quantity. They have been constructed by former chief Enver Hoxha within the Nineteen Sixties, not as a result of his parasol saved flying away within the wind, however as a result of he was extremely paranoid of enemy invasion. In the present day, they lie largely unused and overgrown.
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Butrint
A surprising space of pure and man-made beauties in southern Albania, Butrint is your one-stop store for archaeological wonders and wow-factor strolling trails. Wander the eucalyptus-lined ruins of historical Greek, Roman, and Ottoman empires as you uncover Albania’s storied previous. You’ll discover remnants of a palace, theater, gym-turned-church, Roman baths, and well-preserved temples. The park can also be residence to the endangered Hermann’s tortoise.
The place to go within the Albanian Alps
The Albanian Alps, also referred to as the Accursed Mountains, are a wonderland for wilderness lovers. Past Albania, the mountain vary spreads into Kosovo and Montenegro, and its rocky peaks are carved out invitingly for hikers. The emerald valleys, thick forests, and conventional stone villages are a portal away from trendy life.
Take a dip within the Blue Eye
Essentially the most stunning pool you’ll ever see lies in an Albanian alpine valley. It’s a distant waterfall in Theth Nationwide Park with crystal-clear blue waters, excellent for icing these legs after a lengthy hike. There are completely different path choices, however give your self a full day to actually respect considered one of Albania’s finest pure magnificence spots.
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Lose your self within the legends of Rozafa Fort
Overlooking Shkodra Lake, this lofty Illyrian fortress is steeped in native legend. It is mentioned to have gotten its identify from a lady who was bricked into the partitions as an providing to the gods. Her solely request was two holes in order that she may breastfeed her youngsters. In the present day, the citadel is usually in ruins, however it’s much-loved by native tortoises which have made themselves a house among the many previous ramparts.
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Go whitewater rafting on the Vjosa River
With looming canyons, winding waterways, and a backdrop of forested plains, Vjosa Wild River Nationwide Park is the right place to choose up a paddle and tackle the rapids. In case you’re fortunate, you would possibly see native otters within the shallows and Egyptian vultures circling above rocky outcrops.
Issues to do in Tirana
One of many sunniest capitals in Europe, Tirana is slowly rising from its moody communist section. The grayscale monuments and tower blocks have been reinvented and embellished in daring colors to represent a brand new nationwide awakening. Albania’s capital metropolis would possibly nonetheless be slightly tough across the edges, however that’s its attraction. With an eye fixed on the previous, Tirana seems to the long run.
Uncover underground artwork at Bunk’Artwork
As soon as an enormous Chilly Conflict bunker on the fringes of the capital, this bomb-proof dome is now a multi-floor exhibition area for modern artwork. Secretly designed for the communist elite within the Seventies, it now welcomes everybody to ponder the trendy historical past of Albania from inside its eerie art-lined partitions.
See it for your self on: Kosovo & Macedonia Journey: Tirana to Pristina
Climb a controversial pyramid
One other remnant of the communist period, the crumbling Pyramid of Tirana has gone by way of a collection of identification crises over time. As soon as serving as a museum for the communist chief Enver Hoxha, it has now been remodeled right into a youth middle for artistic expertise, which places on free workshops and common festivals. It additionally has a restaurant. The perfect half is that you could climb to the highest of the pyramid — not unhealthy for a little bit of brutalist upcycling.
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Get circled at a bar within the sky
Is it the cocktails, or is the town spinning? Providing you with that tipsy feeling with out the hangover, Sky Membership is a rotating bar overlooking the capital. You’ll get each angle of the Albanian capital with out leaving your seat. It’s the right spot for a drink after a day of exploring.
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Picnic in Parku i Madh
Tirana’s Parku i Madh (Grand Park) is a inexperienced sanctuary liked by locals in Albania’s capital metropolis. The lakeside strolling paths are dotted with bars and low spots, and loads of shaded nooks are excellent spots for a picnic. You may stroll or cycle across the park, or soar on a practice that takes you across the edges.
Perceive Albania’s previous on the Home of Leaves
The Home of Leaves is a museum devoted to the surveillance and interrogation that came about in communist Albania. The constructing began life as a maternity hospital within the Nineteen Thirties, however it rapidly grew to become a middle for grilling enemies of the regime. Some reveals are graphic, so be ready, however it’s price a go to.
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