Albania is a land full of surprises and capable of captivating even the most skeptical tourist. Nestled between mountains and sea, Albania is a place where you can be amazed by its culture and natural panoramas.
Colorful landscapes, lakes, high mountains, rivers, valleys, seas. This is the panorama that Albania offers to every foreign tourist who wants to explore a previously unknown place. Rare natural beauties are intertwined with the cultural and historical heritage inherited from our ancestors. All of this is accompanied by the hospitable tradition of Albanians, a value known generation after generation. If you are ready, but even if you still have doubts, foreign and local tourists, we present 20 tourist sites that will impress you:
Valbona Gorge
In the north of the country, you should not miss visiting the Valbona Valley in Tropoja. In the Valbona guesthouses, mainly two-story buildings in the traditional style with sloping roofs and, in rare cases, even with tiles, visitors find traditional food, bedding and blankets, as well as a fire to warm themselves. The road to Valbona is a miracle in itself. The Fierzë-Koman ferry ride is a real tourist attraction for anyone visiting Tropoja.
Grama Bay in Dhërmi
Grija i Grama on the Karaburun Peninsula, known as Grammata Bay, is located on the western slope of the peninsula, very steep, in nearby Orikum. Grama Bay has served as a place of refuge for ships that were in difficulty along this dangerous coast in difficult weather. This bay has initially served as an area for the exploitation of local stone, in large quarries, traces of which are still visible today on both slopes. The name Grama is clearly linked to the carved inscriptions that in antiquity, rock inscriptions were numerous in Grama Bay, there are more than 1500 inscriptions.
Theth Towers
The Tower of Confinement built in Theth, Dukagjin is typical of this area. A fortress built at the end of the village and used by the entire village for isolation from blood feuds. It was the residence of those families who were forced to close themselves there for reasons of blood feud (all males over the age of 14). Only the women of the house were free to go out and work a little land in front of the tower. Today the tower can be visited and is located in an area with great tourist value. It is located south of the village of Theth and very close to the Shala River. Due to the bad and impassable roads in winter, it becomes an object of visit and curiosity only in the summer season.
Lake Pogradec
The Koran, swans and flowers….and then the Lasgush verses! It is enough to mention these keywords and it is clear that we are talking about one of the wonders of nature in our country, Lake Ohrid, the eye, the soul and the life of Pogradec. Lake Ohrid is very famous in Europe and the world for its age, depth and rare species, the koran fish that grows in the emerald waters. Its age is estimated to be 2 to 5 million years. The lake was created by a landslide.
Karaburun Peninsula
The Karaburun Peninsula is that part of the Vlora coast, where tourism can find the most suitable terrain to develop. 25 km from the city of Vlora, by land, the Karaburun Peninsula offers surprises in every season for anyone who visits it. Tourist agencies apply not only trips along this massif, but also one-day holidays, on the beaches located there. Such trips are mainly organized during the summer season, while they are intended to be extended throughout the year.
Grunas Waterfall, Theth
One of the most special natural beauties in the Albanian Alps is the Grunas Waterfall, which has been declared a natural monument protected by the state. The Grunas Waterfall, with its slender body over 30 meters high, together with the surrounding cirques and the Bloja Mill, form one of the most interesting places to visit by any tourist visiting Theth. The Theth Waterfall has as a special characteristic the fact that its water springs entirely from a rock and is snow water. For climbers who can visit the source, it is a special miracle that is not found in any waterfall in Europe.
Apollonia, the “City of the Sun”
Once upon a time, one of the most important roads connecting the West with the East, or Rome with Constantinople, started here. Apollonia is the ancient city in Albania, one of the largest in the Adriatic basin and the most mentioned among the 30 other cities with the same name from ancient times. Apollonia is one of the largest archaeological centers in Albania. Written evidence proves that the ancient Illyrian city was built in the early 6th century BC in 588 by colonists from Corinth and Korkyra, after the founding of Epidam – Dyrrachium. Previously, there was an Illyrian settlement in this area, with the arrival of the colonies the city was named Apolloni in honor of the god Apollo. The geographical position of the city played an important role, so Apollonia was built not far from the sea, communicating via the Vjosa (Aoos) river in a very rich area of southern Illyria inhabited by tribes Illyrians of Taulant
Ksamil Beach
Ksamil is one of the most popular seaside resorts during the summer. The town located on the southern tip of the country offers small, clean beaches, among the most beautiful on the Ionian coast. Many visitors choose Ksamil for the magic of the islands and the tranquility. The beaches located just a few km south of the city of Saranda and very close to the Butrint National Park allow vacationers easy access to these two destinations of nightlife and cultural tourism.
Valbona Valley
Mountain tourism enthusiasts can make a wonderful trip this season to the Valbona Valley National Park, which fascinates with its natural wealth. It is now very visited not only by foreigners but also by many Albanians, saturated with the sea and thirsty for adventure and who want to explore the mountain beauty. The Valbona Valley National Park is located in the Kukës and in the Tropoja district, 25-30 km northwest of the city of Bajram Curri. It lies between high and steep peaks covered with a fantastic range of colors in every season, thus giving the image of a valley full of labyrinths and surprises. It has an area of 8,000 hectares and is considered the miracle of the Albanian Alps.
Goddess of Butrint
The dreamy gaze, the calm forehead and the dignified appearance testify to the appearance of the god Apollo with the typical combing of her hair. It is known as the Goddess of Butrint. Discovered in Butrint by the Italian archaeologist Ugolini in 1928. It is the marble head of a man who is located on the body of a woman. The statue is 2.5 m high, and was discovered in 1928, during the archaeological excavations of the mission
Mrizi i Zanave, Fishtë
To try traditional Albanian cuisine, you should visit the Mrizi i Zanave restaurant, south of Shkodra. All dishes are offered with local products. Meat with various sauces is a specialty.
Caves, Southern Albania
Another cave in Karaburun is the one called Inglizi. During the years of World War II, when SOE, the Special Operations Directorate based in Cairo, created a naval base for its missions operating in Albania to support the anti-fascist resistance. “Inglez” is the pronunciation that the dukes of that time gave to the word “English”, and since then the cave has kept this name. In those days, the men of the region would approach this black cave to steal some clothes or food. They mostly took plasmas, which shepherds used to make rain capes, or a type of yellow sugar, very tasty, which was unknown to us until that time.
Pirates’ Cave
The water cave is 40 meters deep, and signs of soot and traces of fires can be seen on the damp walls. This natural object, according to Vlorë geographers, is the largest sea cave in the country, with numerous pockets inside it. For nature explorers, on the Karaburun Peninsula, there is the Cave of Haxhi Ali, the famous sailor of the Late Middle Ages, who had built a port for his fleet in this cave. It is located in Karaburun, between the capes of Gjuhëza and Golovec. According to legend, the Cave was once used by the famous 17th century Pirate Haxhi Aliu. Here he took refuge together with his ship and his men. The favorable position of Karaburun offered this pirate the opportunity to plunder Neapolitan, Turkish, Venetian, Dalmatian ships, etc. After being killed by the Venetians, Haxhi Aliu was buried together with his son in Sazan. But their graves have never been found. The elders say that Haxhi Aliu was a sea hero, a living wolf, who was not afraid of bad weather, nor of the clashes with the numerous pirates, which he had in his time in the Mediterranean. Thanasi, one of the oldest men in the area, says that the legend had exaggerated his every action and bravery.
Dardha Tourist Spot
20 kilometers southeast of Korça, at an impressive geographical altitude of over 1300m, which in itself leads the imagination to the entire winter with snow, to the springs lit by the breeze, to the summers of the breezes coming from the forests, to the autumns with a picturesque palette of rainbows, is located this pearl. Over the centuries, the inhabitants of Dardha built a village that at the beginning of the 20th century had over 400 houses. Stone houses with hipped roofs are the distinguishing feature of the village. And the houses are often two-story villas built best with wonderful gardens filled with flowers. The tradition of stone construction is respected to the maximum in this village. Dardha offers opportunities for mountain hiking, although it is currently known especially for winter mountain tourism. It is one of the few places in Albania where high forests remain.
Petrelës Castle
This castle is located on the national road Tirana – Elbasan, 18 km away from the capital. It rises on a rocky hill above the village of the same name. It has a triangular shape with two watchtowers. Its first construction dates back to the period of antiquity, while its current form dates back to the 15th century. Petrelës Castle, from the discoveries made, is a medieval castle built during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, in the 6th century AD. This was one of the castles built by him in the defense system of the Empire. It is a castle built on a terrain with very steep slopes, even on the southern and southeastern sides, which made the castle very well protected. It was built at the moment when Vila Castle, an ancient castle, which is located opposite Petrelës Castle, lost its importance. It was built mainly for military purposes. Petrela Castle controlled the Egnatia road, the Durrës-Tirana-Elbasan branch, which was of particular importance at the time. Today, its premises house a restaurant. From there, a beautiful view opens up towards the Erzen valley, the olive hills and the surrounding mountains.
Berat
It is known as the “city of one window over another” and has been declared a museum city. It is located on the slope of Mount Tomorr where the castle stands. Within the walls of the castle are residential houses and the “Onufri Museum”. The paintings and icons of the great Albanian painter are exhibited there. The old part of the city has several religious buildings such as a church and a mosque. The city of Berat is the most unique case of a tourist city, which welcomes and accompanies tourists throughout the year, this is due to the fact that Berat promotes cultural tourism. Berat is not really a coastal city, but it has a large number of cultural monuments that are part of the World Cultural Heritage. It is a 2400-year-old city and a member of the World Cultural Heritage (UNESCO). These and the picturesque view make Berat a city with history, values and culture.
