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| Valbona Valley National Park, Kukës County, Northern Albania: Located a half an hour ride from the northern city of Bajram Curri, the park offers impressive vistas, featuring vertiginous alpine ridges and the Valbona Valley itself. |
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| Blue Eye, Theth National park, Shkodër County, Northern Albania |
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Grunas waterfall, Theth National park, Shkodër County, Northern Albania
https://sailingstonetravel.com/hiking-to-the-blue-eye-theth/ |
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| Komani lake | Liqeni i Komani, Shkodër County, Northern Albania |
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| Shala river | Lumi i Shales, Shkodër County, Northern Albania, is a river near the village Theth, Its source is in the Albanian Alps. Shala River is distinguished by its crystalline water, the cool blue color of the water is characteristic of this river. |
Central Albania
Lura-Dejes Mt National Park, Dibër County, Central Albania
Lura-Dejes Mt National Park is known for its
glacial lakes - Lura Lakes (Liqenet e Lurës) - which were formed during the Würm glacial period. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The lakes are situated between 1,500 and 1,700 metres elevation above sea level.
There are 14 glacial lakes, from which the five principal lakes are:
- Great Lake (Alb.: Liqeni i Madh), 32 hectares;
- Lake of the Pines, (Alb. Liqeni i Pishave), 13 hectares;
- Black Lake (Alb.: Liqeni i Zi), 8 hectares;
- Lake of Flowers (Alb.: Liqeni i Luleve), 4 hectares
- Cow’s Lake (Alb.: Liqeni i Lopeve)
During winter these lakes are covered by ice, but in summer they offer a magnificent view
Tirana - capital of Albania
UNESCO Cultural Sites
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| Butrint (1992, 1999): Originally a settlement of the Greek tribe of the Chaonians, it later became part of the state of Epirus and later a Roman colonia and a bishopric. |
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| Historic Centre of Berat (2005): UNESCO / known as 1001 windows town |
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| Historic Centre of Gjirokastra (2008) |
Butrint Archeological Park, Vlorë County, Southern Albania
The park - UNESCO World Heritage Site - is characterized by ruins, and archaeological artifacts from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages. There also a beautiful Roman theater, an ancient baptistery, a large basilica, city walls, and two castles, the Lake of Butrint, the Vivari Channel which connects the lake with the Ionian Sea.
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| Butrint Ancient Theatre |
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| Butrint Baptistery |
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| Butrint The Great Basilica |
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| Butrint Asklepios' helligdom: Shrine of Asklepios, a Greek god |
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| Venetian Castle - Archeological museum |
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| Lion Gate Butrint |
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| venetian triangular castle and Vivari Channel |
Berat County, Southern Albania
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| Berat old city : UNESCO / known as 1001 windows town |
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| Berat Castle |
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| Berat Ethnographic museum |
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| Onufri National Iconographic Museum |
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| Berat viewing platform |
Southern Albania
Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park, Vlorë County, Southern Albania
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| Take a speedboat journey around the Sazan Island, the eastern side is mostly sandy and the western side have cliffs of 150m high, Marine Caves, Vulcanological phenomenon and the most beautiful Gorge of Devil and the Bay of Paradise. |
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| Haxhi Ali Cave, Karaburun peninsula |
Llogara National Park, Vlorë County, Southern Albania
Llogara, a mountain pass that rises to an elevation of 1,027 m (3,369 ft) between Maja e Çikës and Maja e Gjipalit.
The Ceraunian Mountains are a coastal mountain range in southwestern Albania, within the county of Vlorë.
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| Dhërmiu Beach |
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Gjipe Beach.
Gjipe Canyon (25min walk from beach), along the Albanian Riviera, is the meeting point of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea. |
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| Aquarium Beach (Plazhi Akuariumit) is a very small, hidden and deserted beach in a small bay between the rocks, close to Himara. The beach is a very nice getaway in the middle of nowhere with amazing turqoise water, some rock formations surrounded by a green environment. |
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| Panorama Llogara: Observation deck |
The Blue Eye National park, Vlorë County, Southern Albania
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| Blue eye lake | Syri i Kaltër: A small pond with crystal clear water from strong springs. You can walk around the surrounding woods for beautiful nature. 30 min drive from Sarande | Park at entrance and walk 1km | 100LEK Entrance |
Osum Canyon(Kanioni i Osumit), Berat county, Southern Albania
is a river gorge in southern Albania, near the town of Çorovodë. During the spring, high water from melting snow makes it possible to explore the whole length of the gorge from the river.
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The canyons are 26 km (16 miles) long, at an altitude of 450 m. Mediterranean bushes like heath and briar flourish along with rich flora and fauna.
On the slopes of the canyon, erosion has created pockmarked cavern walls with small caves. Some of the rock formations in the canyon have fanciful names such as the Cathedral, the Eye, and the Demon’s Door.
Hot spring
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| Benja Thermal Baths | Llixhat e Bënjës, Gjirokastër County, Southern Albania:
Beautiful Ottoman old bridge and sulfuroses hot water at 25°C all year round where you can take a bath. It's about 10 min drive from Permët. Park your car at the field and walk across the bridge to go to the hot springs. |
Best waterfalls(Ujëvara) in Albania
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| Sotira's Waterfall | Ujëvara e Sotires, Tomorri Mountain National Park, Berat County, Southern Albania: This famous waterfall in Albania is located about 16 kilometers | 10 miles away from Gramsh, and to reach the waterfall area you have to walk less than an hour. |
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| Bogova Waterfall | Ujëvara e Bogovës, Tomorri Mountain National Park, Berat County, Southern Albania |
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| Saint George's waterfall | Ujëvara e Shën Gjergjit, Tirana County, Central Albania: This beautiful waterfall is located near the village of Shengjergj, on the outskirts of Tirana around 1hour away. The rock formation around it is layered and colored rocks, where red is predominant. |
Best beaches (Plazhi) in Albania
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| Ksamil Beach | Plazhi Ksamilit (Butrint area), Southern Albania: The sand is soft and white in Ksamil, and the ocean is clear as glass! This is a nice change from the rest of the Albanian Riviera, as most other beaches along the coastline are somewhat rocky. |
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| Dhërmiu Beach (Llogara National Park area),Southern Albania: Dhermi beach is the absolute best one in Albania, better than Ksamil and Saranda, with crystal clear and blue sea. |
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| Gjipe Beach (next to Dhërmiu Beach), Southern Albania |
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| The Casted Sand | Thrown Sand | Rana e Hedhun, Lezhë County, Northern Albania:
Its landscape is quite unusual, consisting of hills of sand that descend into the sea. The area is surrounded by evergreen pine trees, offering shelter from the sun and the perfect place for campaign and picnics even during off season. |
Famous castles in Albania
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| Castle of Kruja, Dibër County, Central Albania: The castle of Kruje is an impressive hillside castle, which is located above the city of Kruje. The castle has breathtaking views of the surrounding area and Tirana city in the distance. In the 15th century, the Turkish Ottoman empire was conquering the Balkans. However, the Ottoman Turks were not able to break the defences of the Kruje Castle. The rebellion against the Ottomans was lead by Albania's national hero Skanderbeg. |
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| Rozafa Castle, Northern Albania |
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| Gjirokastra Castle, Southern Albania (UNESCO) |
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| Berat Castle, Southern Albania |
Albania cuisine
Albanian cuisine is known for its rich flavors and varied ingredients. Many dishes are flavored with garlic, onions, peppers, oregano, and other herbs. Common dishes include byrek (a savory pastry filled with vegetables, cheese, and meat), tavë kosi (a baked lamb and rice with yogurt dish), and Kofta (meatballs). Popular ingredients in Albanian cooking include tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, olives, feta cheese, and yogurt. Seafood is also popular, especially in coastal areas. Albanian dishes often feature grilled meats, such as beef, pork, and lamb, as well as seafood.
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| Albanian-byrek-spinach-pie |
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| Albanian-Kofte-Mint-meatballs |
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| Albanian-Tave-Kosi-lamb-rice-yogurt |
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| Albanian Fried Dough (Petulla me Vezë):
Petulla is a traditional Albanian snack and the Albanian version of fried dough. The dough is usually made with a combination of flour, yeast, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. Once mixed, the dough is left to rest, and it's then scooped out and dropped in hot oil in batches. |
Albania Agrotourism
Albania wineries
Albania has a rich history of wine production. The country has a long and varied history of winemaking, with production dating back to the 15th century. There are currently a few dozen wineries and estates in Albania, many of which are located in the south of the country near the Greek border.
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| Cobo winery: close to the city centre, is a stunning winery with vineyards, rolling hills and pretty buildings that reproduce Berat’s traditional architecure. The family has been preserving the best of the land and vineyards for about a century now. But it’s after the ‘90s that Çobo vineyards warmed up to the sun all over again in the spirit of cultivating the best grape varieties, autochthonous grapes included. This stunning countryside is home to puls, a Berat native and secular grape with light golden color, aromatic smell, and an elegant structure, that plays an integral part in the wine production of southern Albania. |
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| Bejko Winery, in Piskovë village, brings out the best that the region offers, forging an identity for the area based partly on indigenous varieties, white Dëbina and white Shesh included. this is the land of Vjosa, the last wild river in Europe. |
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| Max Mavrud, Korçë County: In the southernmost point of Albania, is a family-run winery that produces delicious wines from both international and local grape varieties, like the indigenous cultivars Debinë and Mavrud. |
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| Kantina Pupa, Berat: is located in Fushë-Pështan and is relatively new wine production. They have varieties such as Puls, Serina, Dëbina and Birvoli. The vineyard is dramatically located on the hill in front of Mount Tomorr, at an altitude of 500-700 meters above sea level. The composition and structure of the soil gives a wine with a special aroma and taste. |
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| Nurellari winery: The village of Pështan is home to Nurellari, a winey established in 1995, which won several prizes in national and international wine competitions. The vineyards are located in rolling hills and span about 40 hectares (soon another 20 more hectares). Except from taking a wine tours and visiting the cellar, at Nurellari you can stay in one of their 6 rooms and enjoy a weekend in the Albanian countryside. |
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| Alpeta Agrotourism & Winery, Berat: is located at the feet of Mount Tomorr. Its a must see destination for food lovers. They have organic vegetables, goat meat, byrek, jufka pasta, cheese, wine etc |
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| Kantina Luani, Berat
https://kantina-luani.com/ |
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| Kallmet Winery, Lezhë County: Located 11 km far from the town of Lezhë, in the village of Kallmet i Vogël, Kantina Kallmeti is well-known in Albania for its tradition of grape cultivation. This winery hidden in the hilly area of Kallmet, was established in 2006 by the Gjini family with a huge love for her land and a great passion for good wine. The award-winning Kallmet Prestigj (silver medal at the Balkans Wine International Competition 2019) is a red wine produced following a careful manual selection of the grapes harvested, about two weeks after the harvest. It is aged for 24 months and kept in the bottle for a year before being introduced to the market. Kantina Kallmet produces raki liquor and olive oil too https://kantinakallmeti.com/en/ | |
Accomodation
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| Neomalsore Agrotourism, Komani Lake: aims to offer a genuine local experience with all the ingredients of the highlander’s life: the local peasant foods, accommodation in a traditional Kulla house, farming, sailing through the canyons and hiking in our glorious mountains.
https://www.neomalsore.com/ |
Kulla house
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| Albanian kullë are predominantly found in the north of the country, with notable instances in the south being Berat, Gjirokastër, Himara, and Këlcyrë. This was constructed during 17th to 20th centuries. The tower houses were typically made out of stone, rose three or four storeys, and were square or rectangular in shape. They served both military and civilian purposes in order to protect the extended family. |
Souvenirs
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| The Qeleshe is a white brimless felt skull cap traditionally worn by Albanians. |
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| wooden canteen Flask |
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| cifteli: classical musical instrument |
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| Bunker ashtray |
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| Bunker pen stand |
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| Skanderbeg statue (Gjergj Kastrioti, national hero of the Albanians, commonly known as Skanderbeg, kept Arbëria unconquered by the Ottoman army for 25 years) |
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| Mother Teresa statue |
Four days in Albania
Day 1:
Start your day exploring the cobblestone streets of Tirana, the capital city of Albania. Take in the vibrant colors, vibrant energy and culture of the city. Visit the National History Museum, Et’hem Bey Mosque and the National Art Gallery. Spend the evening relaxing in the cozy cafes and restaurants of the city. Ksamil Beach,
Day 3: South
Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park
Llogara National Park
Himare
The Blue Eye National park and lake. Stay at Butrint.
Visit Butrint
Day 4:
Head to the ancient city of Berat, the historic cultural center of Albania. Explore the unique Ottoman architecture, visit the Ethnographic Museum, and take in the spectacular views of the river and mountains. In the evening, take a stroll through the cobblestone streets and enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants in the city.
Visit winery/agrotourism
Bogova Waterfall Ujëvara e Bogovës
Sotira's Waterfall
Day 5: North
Take a drive to the Albanian Alps and explore the stunning landscapes and charming villages of the region.
Komani Lake
Blue Eye Theth
Spend the evening enjoying some local food and wine and take in the stunning views of the Albanian Alps.
More places to visit if you have extra time
Gjirokastra | Gjirokastër
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| Gjirokastra Castle - UNESCO |
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| Gjirokastra Zekate House |
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| Gjirokastra Skenduli house |
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| Gjirokastra oldtown |
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| Gjirokastra ethnographic museum |
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Gjirokastër Museum There are three museums, gjirokaster/prison/armoury. Prison and armoury are both upstairs - they do not have english, The armoury has a lot of weapons, and a few exhibits. Gjirokaster is the newer one with extensive information. Well written, engaging and informative would be the best way to describe this.
Price - 200 lek pp | spend 1hr |
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| Gjirokastra the cold war tunnel |
Durrës
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| Amphitheatre |
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| Venetian Tower |
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| Sfinksi |
Apolonia Archaeological Park: Apollonia was an Ancient Greek trade colony which developed into an independent polis, and later a Roman city, in southern Illyria.
Attractions - Obelisk (An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top).
Storehouses and cistern,
Temple of Artemis at Apollonia,
Library / Biblioteca,
Bunker
Byllis Archaeological Park
National Park of Drilon
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Tour operators:
https://komanilakeferry.com/en/tours/albanian-alps-tour/
292EUR / 3 days
Dragobia boat service and Berisha ferry service are available there |
https://www.discoveralbanianow.com/product/pass-valbone-theth-3-days/
https://www.discoveralbanianow.com/product/south-albanian-tour/
About Albania
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| Counties of Albania |
https://www.mappr.co/counties/albania/
Public transport in Albania
There’s no rail system or trains in Albania, so if you are planning on getting around Albania without a car it’s all about furgons and buses.
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| Furgon |
Furgons are essentially minibuses that are privately-owned and not licensed. They are basically large vans that cruise back and forth between their chosen destinations which will be shown in the front window.
Furgons tend to operate between many of the smaller towns and also along some of the most popular tourist routes such as Saranda to Gjirokaster, Butrint or Ksamil and Tirana to Berat or Shkoder.
Furgons don’t have official timetables, they usually depart from a random street corner or car park and leave when full. They will let you off at any point along the route, you just have to ask the driver to stop.
Some sample time & price - always check locally for updates.
Saranda → Ksamil: 100 Lek • 11:30am
Saranda → Gjirokaster: 300 Lek • 11:30am
Ksamil → Butrint: 100 Lek • 9:40am
Saranda → Himare: 700 Lek • 11:30am
Himara → Dhermi: 300 Lek • 1:30pm
Dhermi → Vlore: 250 Lek • 9am
Vlore → Berat: 400 Lek • 11:30am
Berat → Macedonia Border: 700 Lek • 4am
Tirana -> Durrës – every 30 minutes from 6:30 to 19 :30
Tirana -> Berat – every 30 minutes from 6:30 to 17:30
Tirana -> Vlora – every 30 minutes from 5:30 to 17:30
Tirana -> Gjirokastra – 6 :45 , 8 : 00 , 9 :00 , 10 : 00 , 11 : 00 , 12 : 00 , 13:00 , 14 : 30 , 15 :30 , 18 :30
Tirana -> Saranda – 7 : 00 , 8:00 , 9:30 , 10 : 30 , 12 :30 , 16:00
Tirana -> Fier – every 30 minutes from 6:30 to 17:30
Tirana -> Tepelena -11 :00 , 13 : 00 , 14 : 00
Tirana -> Përmet – 6:30 , 7:30 , 12:30 , 14:00 , 17: 00
Tirana -> Himarë – 6:15 , 13:00 (also 20:30 during summer season)
Albania weather
The weather in Albania varies depending on the region. In the summer months, temperatures typically range from the low to mid-20s Celsius (low to mid-70s Fahrenheit). In the winter months, temperatures range from the mid-single digits Celsius (mid-30s Fahrenheit) to the low teens Celsius (low 50s Fahrenheit). The mountainous areas of Albania tend to experience colder temperatures and more precipitation than the coastal areas.
Timezone: CET / UTC+1
Currency: Albanian Lek ALL (0.0094 USD)
Telephone code: +355
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