Albania

Albania packs Ottoman hill towns, Illyrian and Roman ruins and a still-quiet Ionian coastline into a country the size of Belgium. Half of it is mountain: the Albanian Alps in the north, the Ceraunian range dropping straight into the sea in the south. Decades of isolation left both concrete bunkers and an unusually intact traditional culture.

Capital

Tirana

Population

2.8M

Area

28,748 km²

Currency

Albanian lek (ALL)

Language

Albanian

Time zone

CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

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  01

  Berat County

  Ottoman architecture, ancient castles, charming rivers

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  02

  Dibër County

  Rugged mountains, thermal springs, unspoiled nature

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  03

  Durrës County

  Ancient Roman port, sandy beaches, bustling city

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  04

  Elbasan County

  Ottoman heritage, Roman Via Egnatia, fortress city

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  05

  Fier County

  Ancient Illyrian history, lagoons, Apollonia ruins

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  06

  Gjirokastër County

  Museum city, stone houses, UNESCO heritage

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  07

  Korçë County

  French charm, breweries, mountainous beauty

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  08

  Kukës County

  Albanian Alps, dramatic landscapes, untouched nature

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  09

  Lezhë County

  Coastal resorts, historic tombs, scenic lagoons

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  10

  Shkodër County

  Cultural capital, historic lake, majestic mountains

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  11

  Tirana County

  Vibrant capital, communist past, modern energy

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  12

  Vlorë County

  Albanian Riviera, independence history, stunning beaches

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  Castle

  Berat Castle

  Berat Castle, also referred to as the Citadel of Berat and castle quarter, is a fortress overlooking the town of Berat, Albania. It dates mainly from the 13th century and contains many Byzantine-era Albanian Orthodox churches in the area and Ottoman-era mosques.

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  Nature Park

  Bogove Waterfall

  Bogovë Nature Park is a nature park in southern Albania, spanning an area of 3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi). It was established in 1977 to protect several ecosystems and biodiversity of national importance.

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  Bridge

  Gorica Bridge

  Gorica Bridge or Kurt Ahmed Pasha bridge over the Osum river is an Ottoman-era landmark in the city of Berat, Albania. Built after 1777 by Ahmet Kurt Pasha, the ruler of the Pashalik of Berat, it is one of the oldest and most popular Ottoman bridges in Albania.

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  Mountain

  Mount Tomorr National Park

  Tomorr is a mountain chain in the region of Berat and Skrapar, in Albania. It reaches an elevation of 2,416 metres (7,927 ft) above sea level at the Çuka e Partizanit, which is the highest peak in central Albania.

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  Museum

  National Ethnographic Museum, Berat

  Berat is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is 71 kilometres (44 miles) north of Gjirokastër, 70 kilometres (43 miles) west of Korçë, 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of Tirana, and 33 kilometres (21 miles) east of Fier.

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  Museum

  Onufri Museum

  The Onufri Iconographic Museum is an Albanian national museum dedicated to Byzantine art and iconography in Berat, Albania. The museum is located inside the Church of the Dormition of St Mary in the castle quarter Berat.

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  Nature

  Osumi River Canyon

  The Osum Gorge is a river gorge in southern Albania, near the town of Çorovodë. The river Osum, which passes through the town of Berat, flows through the canyon.

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  National Park

  Lurë National Park

  Lurë is a former municipality in the Dibër County, northeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Dibër.

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  Mountain

  Mount Korab

  Korab is the highest peak of the eponymous mountain range and the fourth-highest mountain located entirely in the Balkan Peninsula, standing at 2,764 metres (9,068 feet). Situated on the border between the two countries, Korab is the highest peak of both Albania and North Macedonia and is also one of only two summits i

• Tirana

  Painted facades, Skanderbeg Square and a fast-changing café capital.

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• Berat

  UNESCO 'town of a thousand windows' beneath a living castle quarter.

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• Gjirokastër

  Slate-roofed Ottoman stone town in the Drino valley.

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• Shkodër

  Lakeside northern hub below Rozafa Castle.

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• Sarandë

  Ionian resort town facing Corfu, gateway to Butrint.

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• Krujë

  Skanderbeg's mountain stronghold with an old bazaar.

• Butrint

  UNESCO archaeological city in a lagoon of wetlands and forest.

• Theth

  Alpine valley of stone towers, waterfalls and the Blue Eye of Theth.

• Valbona Valley

  Glacial valley linked to Theth by Albania's classic day hike.

• Llogara

  Pine-covered pass 1,000 m above the Ionian coast.

• Divjakë-Karavasta

  Lagoon sheltering one of Europe's last Dalmatian pelican colonies.

• Dajti

  Mountain balcony above Tirana, reached by cable car.

• Gjipe

  Cove at the mouth of a canyon, reachable on foot or by boat.

• Ksamil

  Turquoise shallows and tiny islets opposite Corfu.

• Dhërmi

  Long pebble beach under the Ceraunian mountains.

• Himarë

  String of coves below an old hilltop village.

• Borsh

  Albania's longest beach, backed by olive groves.

• Albanian Alps (Bjeshkët e Nemuna)

  The 'Accursed Mountains' of the far north.

• Korab

  The country's highest peak at 2,764 m, on the Macedonian border.

• Ceraunian Mountains

  Coastal range separating the Riviera from the interior.

• Tomorr

  Sacred massif above Berat, a Bektashi pilgrimage site.

• Byrek

  Layered filo pie with cheese, spinach or minced meat.

• Tavë kosi

  Baked lamb with rice in a tangy yoghurt-and-egg crust.

• Fërgesë

  Peppers, tomato and cottage cheese baked in a clay dish.

• Qofte

  Grilled or fried spiced meatballs, often served with yoghurt.

• Raki

  Home-distilled grape or plum spirit, offered at any hour.

• 01

  The currency is the lek; euros are accepted in coastal resorts at poor rates.

• 02

  Buses are mostly informal furgon minivans — ask at the station the day before.

• 03

  The Koman Lake ferry is the scenic way to reach Valbona from Shkodër.

• 04

  Mountain roads to Theth are paved now, but still slow — allow extra hours.

• 05

  Tap water is best avoided outside the main cities.