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Located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, Albania is the most unexplored country in Europe. The length of Albania from north to south is 340 km, and from west to east it's 150 km. The country is strategically positioned on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea with the Italian coast 75 km away and Corfu only 35 kilometres away by boat.
Albania has a relatively small territory with around 250 lakes of various sizes scattered throughout. The nature of Albania is amazingly picturesque and diverse. Looking at the map of the country, you will see that it's mostly covered by a network of mountain ranges that extend more than 2500 meters above sea level. The highest peak in the country is Mount Korabi at 2764 m.
Fun fact: Albania owns several islands, but they are all uninhabited.
Shkoder
From the UK you can only fly to capital Tirana, but there is not much to see there so we left for north of the country. Just under a two hour drive from Tirana will get you to Shkoder, a small but charming town close to Montenegro border. Shkodra, it is one of the oldest cities in the country, founded in the 4th century B.C and many visitors use it as a gateway for the lake Shkodra, Albanian Alps and lake Komani with its Albanian Fjords.
1. Shkoder Town
Although in communist times there was a cult of atheism, now Albania is a multi-religious country. Since approximately 2/5 of the population is Orthodox and Catholic (the proximity of Montenegro, Greece and Italy effects), there are Orthodox church and Catholic cathedral to visit not far from Rruga Kole Idromeno. The vast majority are Muslims (affected by long Turkish rule), there are enough mosques in the city and the main is Ebu Beker Mosque. Ebu Beker Turkish-style mosque was financed and built on the side of old an Ottoman Mosque-in 1995 by Sheikh of Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Zamil after the Muslim religion was allowed in Albania after an official ban during communist rule.
Rruga Kole Idromeno is the main pedestrian street starts from the monument to Maria Theresa and full of shops, bars and restaurants. Street very quiet in the day time, but comes alive as dusk sets with lights, music from every corner and packed with tourists. This is a perfect spot to get a dinner, get coffee or drinks to watching people go by.
2. Shkoder Lake
The largest among the Balkan lakes is Skadar Lake, whose Albanian name is Shkoder. Most of the territory belongs to Montenegro, Albania owns one-third of the lake. Shkoder Lake has a unique ecosystem and over 260 species of birds live here, among which are rare like a curly pelican. The Montenegrin part of the lake and its surrounding area were declared a national park in 1983. The Albanian part in 1996. Lake is very picturesque and short cheap boat trips are available.
Fun fact: Lake area varies depending on the time of the year from 390 km2 to 530 km2 during the winter flood.
3. Rozafa Castle
According to the legend, three brothers began to build a fortress, but everything they built in the day collapsed during the night. One day the old man passed by, who found out about their problem and advised to sacrifice a girl. The wife of the youngest of three brothers accepted to be buried alive in the walls of the castle under one condition: the brothers would leave a hole for her right breast so her newborn son could feed, another hole for her right hand to caress him and a third hole for her right foot to move his cradle. The castle never collapsed since then.
Entrance cost 200 Ley, about £1.50. From below castle looks much more impressive than inside, since it is the walls that are best preserved and there's little left to see inside the castle itself. The best part of visiting the castle for me was the breathtaking view of the city, the mountains around and Skadar Lake.
4. Lake Koman
One of the most memorable experiences from Albania was a boat trip on the Lake Koman. Very often Lake Koman is compared with the Norwegian fjords because of the fantastic landscapes of untouched, unspoiled Albanian nature.
The car ride is also quite the experience in its own right. It takes over two hours drive on the lousy winding road with unpredictable driving conditions, but with a spectacular variety of scenery with fabulous landscapes.
Ferry Koman-Fierze-Koman depart from Koman at 9:00 in the morning and returns in the same day with departures from Fierza at 13:00. We were late for the ferry because we didn't realise how long drive from Shkoder to Koman will take. Google maps will tell you that it takes 1 hour and 30 min, but in reality, it's taken us more than 2 hours. The road is narrow and broken with numerous turns of a serpentine, and we wanted to stop quite often to take the pictures. So, if you drive yourself, leave Shkoder around 5.30-6am to make the ferry. We left at 7am and was late.
Don't worry if you are late for the ferry, there are a lot of men with a boat by the lake who will be happy to offer you a ride. In front of the tunnel that leads to the ferry, a policeman stopped us to ask who we are and what we want, but it's not s a surprise as the hydro-electric power station right there. After an exciting walk through a long tunnel, 400 m to be precise ( after ferry is gone, no cars allowed through the tunnel),
we went to a small pier: a patch of land, bounded by a mountain on one side, and a lake on the other.
The Koman lake was formed as a result of the construction of a dam. However, for tourism purposes, this place began to be used recently. An hour boat trip can't leave indifferent even the most experienced traveller or photographer. Without a doubt, this is one of the most beautiful places in the country with the ever-changing scape of dramatic mountain gorges that reflect in the calm water's surface.
On the way back we stoped in the village of Koman. There are a dozen houses where dam workers live and two cafes. Food very cheap, fresh, very tasty and they have a menu with English translation, but no one speaks English, so be prepared to use your charades skills.
Berat
Berat is the best preserved Ottoman city in Eastern Europe and it's on the list of Unesco World Heritage sites. Berat is one of the most beautiful towns in Albania and should totally be included in your Albanian travel itinerary. For me, this town weaves its extraordinary magic and is easily a highlight of my Albanian adventure. It is about 3 hours drive from Shkoder through the Albanian countryside and at some points it make you think that you are in the middle of nowhere and wonder if this town even exists. Next thing you arrive in new Berat and it looks nothing like you imagined. Slightly disappointed, we kept driving and suddenly there was a lovely bridge over the Osum river on one side and the beautiful houses of Berat on the other. This is the Berat we so much wanted to see.
This beautiful small town known as "the town of a thousand windows" has a lot to offer to any traveller: backpacker, nature lover, history buff or thrill Seeker.
This is my top things to do in Berat.
Berat Castle
No visit to Berat would be complete without spending few hours in the city’s old castle dates back to 13th century. It's courtyard offers spectacular views of the city and the valley below. Entrance 100Lek, about £0.80. There are also a few souvenir shops and cafe to stop for a drink.
Old town
Of course, there is a legend linked to the history of Berat.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl, Osum, and two inseparable brothers, Tomorr and Shpirag. The brothers spent all their time together and loved each other deeply. One day, Tomorr met the girl and fell in love with her immediately. The same thing happened to Shpirag, who was unaware of his brother’s feelings for Osum. Osum was in love with both of them and met the brothers in secret. One day, Tomorr found out about his brother’s affair and asked him to give up Osum but Shpirag refused. Tomorr had no choice than to fight his brother and both the brothers died during the battle.
Osum heard about the tragedy, and legend says her tears formed the Osum River.
To properly enjoy stunning Berat, you simply need to stroll through the narrow cobblestoned streets of the Mangalem, districts with a strong Ottoman influence. When you look around charming, quiet streets, you feel like time stood still here for centuries or maybe somehow you end up in the past until you end up in the new centre of the town full of bars, cafes and restaurants with traditional cuisines and streets with some odd tourists.
Wine tasting
Albania has one of the oldest wine making traditions and it's a paradise for wine lover. If you need a break from adventures, book a relaxing wine tasting tour at Çobo Winery. The Çobo family organizes tours of the cellars in English, Italian and Albanian, showing visitors the wine-making process and telling interesting anecdotes about the origins of the family’s history and their wines. After the tour, visitors taste a glass of wine with a selection of homemade Albanian cheese and local olives.
River Hiking in the Osumi Canyons
The Osumi river gorge is one of the most spectacular natural attraction. The edges of the 3 million-year-old canyon have a unique ecosystem that preserves the greenery on both sides year-round. If you are a little adventurous like us, river hiking is the perfect way to explore the river and canyon. All tour takes about 3 hours with few jumps from cliffs to the river, high enough to tickle your nerves but not to the point that you are very scared and nervous, especially for kids. Very relaxing and left absolutely speechless from the beauty of the canyon. There are also several waterfalls but most of them dried out by the end of August and we couldn't enjoy them in full beauty.
After the tour, we stopped in the small village for lunch, which was included in the price, in the small restaurant and tasted some of the best local food.
Our River hiking was organised by Albania Rafting Group.
Rafting
If you love the outdoors, rafting another fun activity to do in Berat and previous experience or skill is not required. Kids over 5 years old are very welcome from May to June when the river is calm. I am a sucker for rafting, it's my favorite thing to do on holiday. In August the river so calm that it's more afloat in the boat, then rafting, but still a great way to spend an afternoon.
We used same company, Albania Rafting Group, and had a good discount for booking River Hiking and Rafting together. Never be shy to ask for the discount or for the free extras, in many cases you can end up with both.
Corovode and the Viewpoint Platform
Corovode is a lovely town just over an hour drive from Berat. We visited this town as a part of our rafting tour because Corovode is a doorway to Osumi Canyon. If you are not into an extreme sport, you can visit viewing platform with the great views over the canyon. Town itself very pretty and worth to look around for a few hours.
Shop for local produce
Usually, I would say don't bother with the mass-produced souvenirs, mostly in China. But not in Albania. Berat has many touristy gifts, such as the typical magnets, postcards and t-shirts, but there are plenty of unique souvenirs that you can only find here. Çifteli is a traditional Albanian musical instrument with only two strings and some are so small, they can make beautiful ornaments to display at home, great for music instrument collectors or to decorate your music studio. Cool paintings, handmade rugs, wine, Raki in a wooden bottle or Skënderbeu Cognac, famous Albanian liquor made from an extract of wild plants, fruits in the oak tree barrels. I purchased a fantastic handmade wooden plate from a lovely shop named "Enis" in Berat. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the owner, but the place was full of amazing pieces that he made himself in the back of the store.
Vlorë
Vlore is a municipality in the southwest of Albania and one of the major resorts in the country located in a picturesque place on the border of the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Surrounded by beautiful beaches, ancient monasteries and historical monuments and it's was no brainer that we have to stop there. with the same name main city Vlore which is the former Albanian capital and the country’s fifth-largest city.
This is my top reasons to visit Vlorë
Stunning beaches in Vlorë Coast
I was surprised by how beautiful Albanian beaches are. Let's be ownest, not many of us would think to choose Albania is a beach holiday destination, nevertheless beaches along the Albanian Riviera are clean with beautiful clear waters, some just a wild and some with the developed infrastructure.
Just 15 minutes by car from Vlora, there is Narta, a beautiful sandy lagoon, the small island of Zvernec with an 18th-century Orthodox monastery hidden in the middle of a forest and only accessible by a wooden bridge.
Borsch Beach
is the longest beach on the Ionian Sea, about 7 km, with mixed pebbles and sand, few restaurants, sun loungers, but not over-developed and kept its charm by being one of the least visited beaches in the country.
Please bear in mind that maybe you never thought to go to Albania for a holiday, but it's already a popular destination for the Italians and neighbouring countries. Vlore also a most popular holiday destination for Albanians themself, so it's not easy to find a quiet beach.
Vlorë Town
Vlore has a very colourful history. The city was founded by the ancient Greeks in the 6th century BC, during the period of the Roman Empire, Vlore was an important port and after it collapsed, the city was part of Byzantium. In 1477 Vlore was occupied by the Ottomans. At the end of the 17th century the city was briefly captured by the Venetians and during the First and Second World Wars it was occupied by Italy. Here in 1912 the country's independence was proclaimed and the city became its first capital, but the music for Vlore did not play for long and after a few years Tirana became the capital.
Today Vlore is a harbour city and the fifth most populous city in Albania. Unfortunately for a city with such a beautiful name it actually turned out to be a large, dirty metropolis full of traffic. The entire length of the beach is built up with hotels, some of which are of a very decent standard. It is hard to imagine but the city beaches are not that great at all and are quite dirty and not inviting, even though they have all of the expected attractions and facilities.
I would avoid town in the day time and visit it in the evening when this place really comes to life with many restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, souvenir outlets and a few High Street shops. There is a small fair on the square with a few rides for kids and music playing to create a great holiday atmosphere. It's certainly worth a visit at least once.
Boat trip to Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park
Karaburun is a natural park, former militarized area, opened to the public just four years ago and it's a large untouched peninsula that can be reachable by boat from the port of Vlore.
They are two types of boat trips you can take: large boat, with lots of people and loud music but cheaper, about 2000Lek p/p (£15) or like we did, speed boat. We shared it with only one family from Romania, and it cost us £20 p/p , only fiver more. Our first stop was in the beautiful cave for taking pictures and a little swim, then we speed around peninsula admiring stunning nature, and our final stop was on the lovely beach. It's not as quiet as we would like, especially after the large tour boat arrived. There is one restaurant with lovely food and surprisingly not very expensive. Very large bar to get your favorite cocktail and music.
Sarandë
The most popular resort in the south Albania is Sarande, a small city with a population of just over 37 thousand. It’s very close to the Greek border, in fact, to the Greek island Corfu is only a 30-minute trip by boat! Saranda for reasonable money offer cristal clear sea, clean beaches, bright sun, beautiful nature and a lot of history. With the seafront blocks lined up with apartments, hotels and varied options of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops this place has something for every kind of traveller.
This is my top things to do in Sarandë
Benja Thermal Pools
You can't visit Albania and not stop in a Benja Thermal Baths, which is located just 15km past the town of Permet. We stopped there on the way to Sarande from Vlore. The stone bridge was built the Middle Ages and has been letting people cross the river since the days of the Ottoman Empire and is a great attraction in its' own right. It costs 200L ( £1.50) for parking at the site. The Benja Thermal Pools are smooth and clear and also contains a high content of sulphur. People flock here to seek recovery from rheumatism, rheumatic diseases and other ailments. Don't be surprised if you notice people here covered entirely in black mud, this is because it comes from thermal waters that have health benefits for skin.
Ksamil
The water in Ksamil is stunning and worth a trip, in fact, we loved it so much that spend 3 days in this lovely little town. From Saranda takes around 20 minutes drive, or you can opt to take the bus which leaves Saranda city centre and costs 100 Lek. The bus takes around 30-40 minutes depending on how full it is. Ksamil very popular holiday resort and full of cars everywhere, but we found paid car park very easily and it was only £5 for all day.
Atmosphere very relaxed, reminded me Thailand a little, with many restaurants, bars and most amazing white sand beach with turquoise water. Ksamil is a truly hidden gem on the Albanian Riviera. There are also two nearby islands with more secluded beaches, but you need take a boat in the morning there and come back in afternoon for about £5 p/p.
Syri i Kalter: The Blue Eye
There's nothing wrong with lying horizontal on a beach, but predictable vacations are so, well, predictable. When we try new, exciting things it changes our perspectives, so its alway nice to see something else then most stunning beaches in the area. The "Blue Eye" is a more than 50-metre deep water spring pool and natural phenomenon occurring near the village of Muzinë, about 20 min drive from Sarande. Divers have attempted to descend into the Blue Eye to calculate its actual depth, but it’s still unclear how far the mysterious hole really goes. We were mesmerized by how clear the water is, to the point that you’ll be able to see straight to the bottom. The water is freezing and swimming is prohibited, neveless, it doesn’t really prevent people from jumping right into the ice-cold water. There are also souvenir stalls, cafe and restaurant if you want to spend a little bit more time in the area after Blue Eye, so don't expect it's to be very tranquil. In fact, the place was very crowded, and we spend no more than 40 min there.
I read some reviews online about how Blue Eye was a pain to get to and how disappointed they were.
We rented a car, so after following the signs and crossing the small bridge (where you’ll pay a small fee), we come across a parking spot and a footpath that leads to the Blue Eye. Very easy and straight forward. But if you take a taxi or a private tour just to come here, you probably will be disappointed by the price and what you see. It should be a part of a day tour around Sarande attractions.
Lekursi Castle
Lekuresi Castle was built on top of the hills by the Ottomans in the C16th to protect the area from attack by Corfu and can be reached up a steep road with a lot of hairpin bends. There is little of the castle left apart from the walls and entrance gateway, but there is a restaurant, which only open in summer, there where you can have a glass of wine or a full meal. If you want to take pictures, visit in the morning so you will have the sun behind you when you can see down the coast as far as Butrint, and across the bay to Corfu with Italy in the distance, or evening for a perfect sunset photo.
Visit Butrint
Butrint is the UNESCO list of World Heritage Site and located approximately 20km from Saranda. The ruins, which are in a fantastic natural setting and are part of a national park, dates to the Iron and middle ages and holds a lot of history, and has a special atmosphere created by a combination of archaeology, monuments and nature. I would recommend going early as it can get hot and crowded, entry is 700lek( just over £5) per person. This place must for history lovers.
Walk the Boulevard in Sarande
Saranda has a boulevard that stretches for over 1 kilometer around the entire bay. This pedestrian promenade well worth a stroll for its scenery, vibe and it’s bustling with music bars and restaurants with outside seating for a bite or a refreshing drink.
To find out more about Sarande please go to
Sarande was our last stop on our amazing 12 days road trip in Albania. We took a ferry from Sarande to Corfu and after 3 days in Corfu, we took our flight home.
Is it worth to visit Albania?
Albania is an exciting and beautiful country. There are both historical sights and beautiful nature: numerous beaches, rivers with canyons and high mountains. At the same time, the country has not yet been spoiled by mass tourism, there is a local flavour, and prices are really lower than other holiday places. I highly recommend you to visit this wonderful country before it loses its original charm and become as popular as Montenegro, Turkey, Greece and other similar resorts.
Where we stayed
Camping and hotel Legjenda,
Road "Agron 1" 4001 Shkoder
There are plenty of places to stay in Shkoder from cheap campings to nice hotels in the centre of the town. I can't recommend a better place then Camping Ledjenda. The place is amazing, lovely pool, cheap restaurant, friendly dog, amazing view of the castle. There is a large cooking place, lots of bathrooms, washing machines, dryers, ironing boards and a children's bathroom, designed for their needs. The camping has volleyball court, football field and two table tennis. They are also can help you with organising any trips or excursion.
To book www.campinglegjenda.com
Hotel Nasho Vruho
Rruga Llambi Guxhumani, Berat
When you arrive in Berat you’ll instantly fall in love with the traditional Ottoman houses. Most of them beautifully renovated and converted to hotels. Nasho Vruho is one of them with traditional rooms, our was large enough for 3 people with very comfy beds. Breakfast was very nice with freshly baked pastry. Host Nasho was very friendly. Some of the hotels can be very nice, but it could be any hotel in any city and don't know where you are in, but this hotel is different, you know you are in something special. This place is just amazing and makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. I highly recommend staying here, it's a unique experience with character and atmosphere matching the wonderful old town of Berat.
Hotel Castle Park
Drobonik, 5000 Berat,
We didn't stay in this hotel but was picked up from it for river hiking and rafting. The hotel has beautiful gardens and located on the edge of a forest. It's looked like a nice place to stay if you are into the larger hotels.
Vila Rahmi & Veli Dervishaj
Rruga SH8 134 Vlore/Radhime, 9405 Vlorë,
Small and very well located hotel has a restaurant, bar, garden and terrace, all most all rooms have a seaview. Our large room had a air conditioner, a fully equipped private bathroom, WiFi and private parking free of charge, but the best part was a private pebbly beach with a crystal clear turquoise water. Free breackfast was on offer every morning, but we didn't had a chance to try it. The restaurant in the hotel had beautiful views and very romantic surroundings, but we thought it's was too expensive and didn't ate there, try wine one night and it's wasn't great.
This little piece of paradise cost us £115 for 3 night including breakfast, £12 per nignt per person is an absolute bargain.
Hotel Dea,
Rr: Sarande Butrint, 9703 Sarandë
Location of this hotel is perfect if you want to stay away from loud music from bars and clubs, but still walking distance from all the action. Seafront position and pool were very nice, For Albania, the breakfast was very good. Great parking, friendly staff and rooms clean every day. Our room had a balcony with a seaview and it was more then we expected, we only paid £189 for four night for 3 people. Although not a problem for us, anyone who has trouble walking would not like the stairs to upper rooms
Where to eat
Albania is one of those rare places left in the Europe where everything is prepared from the freshest organic products grown in clean local soil. Here you can taste quite traditional Albanian meat dishes and also very good, with an Italian twist, seafood. Most of fish dishes are prepared with freshly caught ingredients. It is unlikely that you will find Albanian wine in a supermarket, but if you are lucky enough to be in Albania, it is definitely worth trying the local wine. Winemaking in Albania is developing almost as rapidly as tourism, so in a few years, we have every chance to designate a new wine country on the map. Hurry up to taste all these delights now before Albanian goes mainstream.
This is are some of the places we've tried on our road trip in Albania
Mondial Restaurant,
Rruga 28 Nëntori 5, Shkodër
This lovely place located in the heart of the Shkoder town center with great food and very decent Albanian wine on offer. The atmosphere in this family restaurant is excellent, good service and they provide a menu in English even they don't speak the language.
Te Albani Restaurant and Grill,
Boulevard Republika, Berat, 5001
This cosy restaurant with their rustic benches covered with brightly coloured cloths and cushions looked very inviting to us and we glad we stopped here for lunch. The service was good, the waiter spoke basic English but enough to communicate and make a couple of jokes. The menu included traditional Albanian dishes mixed with some typical Europian food, like chips and pizzas. I manage to try a couple Albanian dishes for 200Lek about £1.50 each and I wasn't disappointed. This is a good place for a quick rustic lunch.
Hotel Restaurant Onufri
Rruga Mihal Komnena, Berat
This restaurant with a terrace has wonderful views all around, white table cloths and waiters speek good English make dinner just a little more special. Good choice on the menu vegetarian and meat loving dishes, fresh bread, good wine, what else do you need on your holiday. The bill at the end was a goos surprise too, around 6000Lek (just under £50) for 3 people in 5 star hotel.
Restaurant Gjiri Kaltër
SH8, Vlorë 9405
Right next door to the hotel we stayed, Gjiri Kaltër restaurant has probably the best views. Food not bad either, try grilled jumbo shrimps in a garlic sauce, just amazing. This place was so good, we been there 4 times.
Beach Bar Restaurant Rilinda
Rruga 4 ishujt, perballe Ishullit te madh, Ksamil
If you are happened to be in Ksamil, Beach Bar Restaurant Rilinda must visit. Great location, right on the beach, surrounded by trees to create a lovely calm shady escape from the heat. Food fantastic, highly recommend seafood dishes, they are fresh, beautifully cooked and cheap, in fact, seafood in Albania cheaper than some of the meat dishes. If you are vegetarian, then you are for a treat, grilled aubergines are the best I ever had.
Heading to Albania soon? Discover more
Did you enjoy this article. Been there, done that. Let us know what other places we should've tried.
