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Albaniantrips Tips


If you do decide to choose the path through Croatia and Montenegro to Albania, for your holidays or travel, the first city you visit will be Shkodra. The geography of the region will offer you the opportunity to enjoy sea, river, lake, natural park, the Alps. The history of the region goes back to Illyrian times when Shkodra was the main capital of ancient Illyria and continued with Venetian influenced Scutari during the middle ages. Churches and mosques live as it is common in the Country of the Eagles, side by side, as to show the world an example of what cultural and religious harmony is. Being one of the last places in Europe where you’re “forced” to eat organic, we are quite sure you will love eating in the restaurants along the lake and enjoy fish or eels cooked traditionally cooked in tiles. Do not miss the Castle of Rozafa, where you can enjoy the amazing panorama and hear the legends. For photo enthusiasts, we recommend you visit the museum of Lumiere’s students The Marubis, one of the first European families of photographers, with its excellent displays of ethnographic testimonies.
If you want to take a trip back in time then take a couple of days to visit the hidden paradise of the Albanian Alps. The valleys of Theth and Boga will be one of the most powerful experiences of your life. Here, you will encounter beauty to match the most stunning Swiss destinations, as well as an isolated and noble mountain civilisation. Prepare to be overwhelmed by the Valley of Theth, where it seems time never existed or really mattered.


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 Tirana – a somewhat new town for Albania; just about 350 years old! The mosque of Et’hem Bey, Ottoman founder of the city, is one of the oldest monuments, but the mosaic you can visit in the Zogu i Zi, dates back to more than 2000 years B.C. and shows the very ancient roots of the civilisation that chose this area to build a community. Nowadays it is the capital of the country, one of the most rapidly changing cities in Europe in an economic boom and a must for visitors that are interested in understanding from the Albanian story.
A city of movement, business, shopping, throbbing nightlife and fascinating museums. Restaurants, theatres, politics, sports, music and culture also play a large part of the experience. An appropriate modern representation perhaps - of what Albania should and should not be. It has the highest concentration of Mercedes per capita in the world and is the capital of one of the poorest of the European countries: It could certainly never be classed as boring.


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Durres – is the second largest city of Albania and we strongly suggest a stopover. Constructed in the bay that shares its name, it has a story that begins during the Greek colonisation era (627-626 B.C.) Aristotle himself praised the development of the political system of the ancient Greek colony. The Illyrians then the Romans ruled and when they fell, the Byzantine Empire took their place.

We would suggest you meet us by the harbour or in one of the partner hotels we could recommend and book for you. We will start the visit by walking up on the Royal Villa Hill, which dominates the beautiful bay and the whole city. On the way back don’t miss out on the Roman amphitheatre, the gladiator arena and the surrounding castle walls as well.
Durres has the best places to eat sea fish in the country, so do not miss the excitement of having lunch in one of the concrete mushroom-shaped ex-communist bunkers as well. The taste and the prices will certainly delight both your mouth and wallet. Then continue south to Kavaja Beach where Caesar and Pompeus chose to fight each other in order to win the throne of Rome. Unfortunately no sign of them is left, but the beach is also a great place to windsurf, spot beautiful Kosovo ladies and spend a night in comfortable numerous hotels and resorts. On the way south you could choose to spend the night at Divjaka beach as well, where we can provide accommodation for you in small village houses, have dinner in the funny restaurant where the waiters proudly approach and set up your table on the back of a horse or (if a bird watching enthusiast) visit one of the few pelican communities in the Mediterranean.

 

If you have a particular interest in architecture, you should definitely visit Berat (The thousand windows city) or Gjirokastra (The stone castle) both stone structures built on steep hills. Berat has been considered the centre of Southern Albania for many periods. Ruins of a citadel, several mosques and Byzantine churches make the town fascinating to explore. We also strongly recommend you pay a trekking visit to Tomorri Mountain, an ancient pilgrimage site for all nature fanatics and for religious people as well. Continue in a south easterly direction and you can pay a visit to Skrapar and to the Osum Canyons. We might organise a rafting weekend in this breathtaking unique natural monument and we are confident you will not be disappointed. Don’t forget about the raki-making home parties, which we can organise in local houses of the area, whose speciality is this strong alcoholic drink, the pride of Albanian men and women. Try not to overindulge though! In case you do, it could take a couple of days before you would be able to continue to Gjirokastra (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List), birthplace of two of the most notorious Albanians worldwide; Enver Hoxha, the former Albanian communist dictator and Ismail Kadaré, the Albanian nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature.


Vlora, the gateway to the Albanian Riviera is the ideal place to chill out by the clear, blue Ionian waters and stunning olive hills. A strategic point for millenaries it has been the favourite settlement for all kinds of armies and leaders starting with the Greeks and the Romans, then a battlefield between the Normans and Byzantines, Italians and Germans during World War II and the Soviets most important Mediterranean submarine base during the Cold War era.

Beautiful, brand new hotels have been constructed recently to make your stay here pleasant and unforgettable. Water sport activities could be organised as well as trekking, mountain climbing, biking, and bird watching. The region is known for its many castle ruins, churches and mosques, which will certainly satisfy your cultural appetite. And last but not least, this is the spot any tour guide worth his salt will do his utmost to show you because of the stunning, panoramic Riviera views, filled with ancient pirate settlement villages and deserted beaches. Comfort, good food, mountains, stunning, cosy bays and sun all year around are the attractions of the area. Words and images barely suffice to convey what you will experience here: Come and see it for yourself!  But of course, there is always a risk... You might never want to leave again!