TRAVELING ALBANIA

From fresh seafood and traditional delights to incredible beach towns that rival Greece, picturesque cities to traditional villages, Ottoman castles and UNESCO sites. Albania is a lesser known European destination but not for long as the country gains popularity to travelers and instagram feeds. Albania is a destination for every type of traveler with some of the world’s friendliest people.

Where is Albania ?

Natyra e Qete, Tirana, Albani

Albania is located in south-eastern Europe, a thirty minute speed boat ride to Greece from Saranda. Sharing a border with Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo, Albania rests on the Adriatic Sea and boasts of some of the best beaches on the Albanian Riviera.

Language 

Albanian or Shqip is the official language of Albania.  No worries, though, for those who don’t speak the language.  While traveling through the country, you can get by knowing basic Italian or French. In my experience, however,  there’s usually a friendly local nearby who can speak English and is willing to help translate. When all else fails charades is a universal language!

During my trip to the Balkan country I visited quite a few cities. Here are some of my favorites.

Saranda

Photography by Britt Abiel

Resting alongside the stunning location of Ionian sea, Saranda is a favored tourist destination and is one of my favorite beach cities in Albania. What makes Saranda beautiful are the seafront blocks with colorful pastel apartments as far as the eye can see. From Saranda you can take a thirty minute speed boat to Corfu, Greece and be back in Saranda by sunset to enjoy the best seafood on the Albanian Riviera. While roaming through this coastal town you will find bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. You can choose to relax on one side of Saranda and on the other side view the historic side of town.

Main Attractions: Lekuresi Castle, Blue eye, Port of Saranda, Monastery of the 40 saints

Tirana 

Tirana Museum

Mount Dajt, Tirana

Tirana, the capital of Albania, is known for its colorful Ottoman-, Fascist- and Soviet-era architecture. This is a vibrant city where the pace moves a  little faster but slows down when it comes to cafe culture. Pastel buildings surround the city’s focal point, Skanderbeg Square, centered with a statue of the country’s national hero. In the city’s square you’ll find the National History Museum, the largest museum in Albania covering Communist rule and anti-Communist uprisings of the 1990s. Within a short walk from the city square you will find Bunk’Art 2 Museum, one of the 700,000 bunkers in Albania. Don’t worry the bunkers were never used but were built as a precaution during communist rule. Most of these bunkers are abandoned but some have been remodeled to cafes, museums and even a tattoo parlor. Tirana is the heartbeat of Albania where you’ll enjoy shopping, museums and if you need a taste of western food you can find it here.

Main Attractions: Skanderbeg Square, Bunk’Art 2, Et’hem Bej Mosque, Grand Park Tirana, Cafes, Dajti Ekpres

Castle Petrele