Awesome travel attractions in Albania? Located in the middle of Albania, Berat is one of the oldest towns in the country. It is also known as the City of a Thousand Windows due to the several windows on the buildings’ façades. Berat is part of UNESCO World Heritage sites since 2008, not just for its beauty, but also because the town is a unique example of religious tolerance. Located 40 minutes by bus from the capital Tirana, Kruja is home to the National Ethnographic Museum, located inside a castle, one of the most popular tourist attractions of Albania, that offers stunning vistas over the Adriatic Sea. From the fortress, the Albanian hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg defended the country from the Ottoman invasion for almost three decades. Once in town, don’t miss a stroll through the old bazaar and buy a local souvenir.
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. See even more info on boat tour 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.
Albania may be a little country but there is a lot to see and do in this exciting up-and-coming location. Bordering Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo and Montenegro, Albania’s long coastline is one of the most ruggedly beautiful in the world. While Albania is slowly becoming more popular with tourists it remains extremely undiscovered, as well as almost completely unspoiled. Albania boasts some of the best examples of Ottoman architecture in the world, along with supremely clear Mediterranean air and stunningly fabulous beaches. And, perhaps best of all, travelling to Albania remains an extremely affordable trip, even compared to much of the rest of this part of Europe. Let’s have a look the best places to visit in Albania! Read additional details on this website.
