Recommended travel tours Albania? Tirana is one of the liveliest capitals of the Balkan Peninsula, with plenty of museums and art galleries that are worth a visit. Once in town, don’t miss the BunkArt, a majestic coveted bunker built in the outskirts of the town in the 70s by the former dictator Enver Hoxha. It is the perfect place to visit if you want to learn more about the Communist history of Albania. One of the most stunning destinations in Albania and the Balkans is Gjirokastër. This town is located in the south of the country and, for its unique Ottoman architecture, has been included in the heritage sites by UNESCO. Gjirokastër is home to one of the most beautiful castles in the country, which offers spectacular views over the city.
A Unesco city, Gjirokastra is without a doubt one of the best places to visit in Albania. Unique Ottoman period architecture – with houses designed like small castles – can be found all over Gjirokastra, which has a military museum and art gallery in its amazing castle that dominates the skyline. A folklore festival also takes place in Gjirokastra’s castle every five years – the last one was in 2015. Visiting the old Ottoman bazaar in Gjirokastra should be on the agenda for anyone visiting this part of the country. Gjirokastra is famous as the birthplace of world-renowned author Ismail Kadare and Albania’s former dictator Enver Hoxha – today their old homes are museums.
With its stunning location on the Ionian Sea, Sarande is blessed with year-round warm weather, sparkling waters, and a relaxed way of life. While the seafront is a bit over-developed with its line of identity-less apartment blocks, there are lots of nice parts of Sarande to walk around, and loads of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops on offer. In addition to the ancient ruins found in town, Sarande’s surroundings are full of historic sites and natural beauty, making it a great place to use as a base to explore the region. Lying just a stone’s throw away from huge Lake Skadar that straddles the Montenegro-Albania border, Shkodra is a very pretty city to visit. The Buna River runs through town and the Albanian Alps can be seen off in the distance. The undoubted highlight is Rozafa Castle. Over the course of its history, it has been ruled by the Illyrians, Venetians, and Ottomans, to name a few. The magnificent ramparts and ruins of the castle are fun to explore, and the views over Shkodra are breathtaking. Although the center of the city has recently undergone extensive renovations, there are still plenty of lovely old buildings and historic sites to be found, such as the Ebu Beker Mosque and Orthodox Cathedral. The Historical Museum showcases just some of the region’s rich history and heritage. Find even more details on weekend in Albania.
You’ll see Greek influences all over the place. This is also due to its location near the popular Greek island of Corfu, with which it has a direct ferry connection. We’ll get to that specifically later in this post. If you have already booked your flight to Albania, you’ll probably want to know what to do in Saranda – right? Well, lucky for you, below are more than 15 things to do in Saranda and the nearby area. They include both attractions within the city as well as day trips from Saranda in Albania. There’s plenty to keep you busy for days on end here. So, it’s highly recommended that you set aside at least three days for your visit to Saranda.
The Llogara Pass is one of Albania’s most famous places, with the road providing one of the most spectacular drives in the whole world. Located in the middle of the Llogara National Park, the road travels to over 1,000 metres above sea level and the scenery will take your breath away. At the top of the pass there is a good range of restaurants, which are ideal places to enjoy some of the most stunning sights in Albania. Llogara National Park itself is home to animals such as the golden eagle, European wildcat and fallow deer. A drive from Tirana to Saranda taking in the Llogara Pass should take a few hours, but allow plenty of extra time to stop and take lots of photographs. See even more details at https://incredible-albania.com/.