What you need for a trip to Albania. Albania: holiday at sea. Reviews of tourists about the resorts of Albania. Tips for budget-friendly holidays
Albania is the hidden gem of the Mediterranean. Relax on the clean beaches of the Adriatic, the tiny capital of Tirana, beautiful nature and cultural attractions, and also generous cuisine. Everything about Albania from the Subtleties of Tourism: maps, tours, photos and reviews of tourists.
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The most little-known Balkan country by the general tourist community, Albania is comfortably located on the gentle waves of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, surrounded by its coastal neighbors, more popular among vacationers - Greece and Montenegro. For many years, Albania remained isolated from the world, which is why most know disappointingly little about its rich cultural heritage and beautiful nature with picturesque canyons and beautiful clean beaches. The local population is hospitable in the Balkan way, which is expressed in plentiful and tasty food, more than reasonable prices for tours and a respectful, if not loving, attitude towards everyone who has shown interest in their modest country.
It is not for nothing that the slogan of the National Tourism Office says: “Albania - new love in the Mediterranean.” In a word, they are waiting for us there, which means we have to go!
Regions and resorts of Albania
Time difference from Moscow
− 1 hour in winter −2 hours
- with Kaliningrad
- with Samara
- with Yekaterinburg
- with Omsk
- with Krasnoyarsk
- with Irkutsk
- with Yakutsk
- with Vladivostok
- from Severo-Kurilsk
- with Kamchatka
Climate
Albania has a mild Mediterranean climate with fairly hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The average temperature in July on the coast is +28...+32 °C, in January - +8...+10 °C. High summer temperatures on the coast are easily tolerated due to the constantly blowing Mediterranean breeze. The tourist season lasts from May to September, but it is also comfortable to be outdoors in April and October. There are about 300 sunny days a year. It rains in early spring and late autumn. In the mountains of Albania the climate is much colder - in winter the temperature can drop to −20 ° C, and above 1000 m there is snow for most of the year.
Maps of Albania
Visa and customs
Every year during the summer, citizens of the Russian Federation can enter Albania without a visa for up to 90 days. During the rest of the year, a visa and medical insurance are required for the entire duration of the trip.
You are allowed to import any items for personal use into Albania, including jewelry, photographic and video equipment. The import of local currency is strictly prohibited, but foreign currency can be taken with you without restrictions. Tobacco, alcoholic beverages and perfumes are allowed across the border in reasonable quantities: up to 200 cigarettes (or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco), up to 1 liter of strong alcohol, up to 2 liters of wine, from perfumery - a maximum of 50 ml of perfume or 250 ml of eau de toilette.
Pets will not be allowed in without a veterinary passport, a microchip and a certificate of vaccination against rabies.
It is prohibited to import weapons and explosives, drugs, pornography and any materials that offend national dignity. To export items made of precious metals, ancient coins and scrolls, antiques and art objects, you must present a document confirming the purchase. Antiquities - even stones from archaeological excavations - cannot leave the country: you will have to be content with copies of ancient artifacts sold everywhere.
How to get to Albania
There are 5 airports in Albania, but only one accepts international flights - them. Mother Teresa 11 km northwest of Tirana. There are no direct flights from Russia, but you can get there without any problems with transfers. The cheapest tickets from Moscow are offered by Aegean Airlines: departure from Domodedovo, connection in Athens, travel time - from 5 hours 45 minutes. The same carrier has routes with two transfers in tandem with Olympic Air: almost a day on the road with stops in Thessaloniki and Athens.
Police - 19, fire service - 18, ambulance - 17.
Beaches of Albania
The climate of Albania is subtropical Mediterranean, ideal for a beach holiday. Summer is dry, hot, sunny - you just need to stock up on SPF products and choose a beach to your liking: on the Ionian Sea the beaches are mostly rocky, popular with athletes and party-goers, on the Adriatic they are sandy, suitable for families with children. Almost all of them are free, well-groomed, not too crowded and very picturesque.
One of the most famous resorts of the Ionian coast is Saranda, the beginning of the “flower Riviera”. There are several pebble beaches within the city, the water in the bay is clean, there is a pedestrian promenade with cafes and souvenir shops nearby, the infrastructure is developed - there are amenities, sun loungers, and scooter rentals.
Nearby is the town of Ksamil with a sandy beach and a dazzling blue sea - many wealthy Albanians build summer houses here. Of the amenities, however, there are only sun loungers and umbrellas, but the coast is surrounded by a necklace of tiny uninhabited islands, which are easy to swim to by yourself or on a catamaran.
Dhermi is an elite resort in the middle of a 5-kilometer beach, located between the Karaburun Peninsula and the Monastery of St. Theodore. During the day you can ride catamarans and jet skis, and in the evening you can dance at beach parties. Vlora is a resort border between two seas: there are sandy, pebble and rocky areas, noisy and quiet, equipped and untouched by civilization.
A set of umbrella and sun lounger costs an average of 300 ALL per day.
The largest population center on the Adriatic coast is Durres, a bustling seaport. It’s better not to swim within the city, but in the suburbs, for example, in Cerrete, the water is clean, the sand is well-groomed, there are no crowds, the air is saturated with the aromas of pine trees. The coast of Shengjin is also well-maintained, framed by coniferous forests.
Not far from Tirana, the Lalzit Bay splashes - warm, clear waters wash the coast of soft white sand. And Pogradec stands on Lake Ohrid, which in all respects resembles the sea: the shore is sandy, the water is clean, the bottom is flat - a haven for children and their parents.
The best photos of Albania
Diving
Albania is not as popular a diving destination as, for example, neighboring Italy and Greece, but this is a plus: there are few people, the water is clean and transparent, and the prices are quite reasonable. The most suitable time for diving is from May to September, but if you wish, you can dive throughout the spring, summer and autumn.
Water temperature in summer is +23...+26 °C, visibility in most locations is 10-15 m, the main beauty lies at a depth of 20-30 m, some wrecks are even at 50 m. There are no strong currents, there are some along the coast areas for both experienced divers and beginners. For the latter, by the way, there are several schools that teach in all popular areas and issue official certificates.
Albania's underwater treasures include numerous caves, reefs and rivers. The picturesque cape of Kepi Rhodonit near Shengjin, the sparkling waters of Himara in the sun, tiny islands off the coast of Ksamil - everywhere you can observe marine life, study the details of the sandy or rocky bottom.
The most popular place among fans of snorkeling, scuba diving and freediving is the coast of Saranda: it is there that an Italian cargo ship that sank during World War II and a 70-meter Albanian minesweeper rest. The Antonio car ferry was sunk off the coast of Vlora, and an impressive Chinese frigate was sunk near Ksamil. And in the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park there are sharks, sea turtles, dolphins and monk seals.
Shopping
Albania cannot be called a shopaholic's paradise, but you can definitely find a couple of nice souvenirs. Just look at the local markets and colorful shops, bursting with all kinds of ethnic goods. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the products of artisans: wooden and bone figurines, woven and knitted napkins, dishes, jewelry made of copper and silver.
The most original trinket is an ashtray in the form of a bunker: throughout the country, concrete structures similar to mushrooms and designed for one person are dug into the ground - dictator Hoxha was obsessed with the threat from the outside and built 700 thousand mini-fortresses for his citizens.
The home collection of alcohol should be replenished with prestigious award-winning Korca beer, Skanderbeg cognac and rakia vodka, reminiscent of either Georgian chacha or Arabic arak. For edible souvenirs, we recommend olives from Vlora, olive oil and aromatic spices from the south.
In Albania they sell truly high-quality Christmas tree decorations: handmade from thin glass, painted with traditional patterns, costing 120-4000 ALL. Even more status gifts are luxurious carpets produced since the 16th century (real ones cost 16,000-30,000 ALL), national costumes (the price is similar) and exquisite jewelry. But copies of ancient works, sold everywhere, are inexpensive - from 3500 ALL.
Most Albanian shops are open from 9:00 to 18:00, but tourist-oriented outlets are open longer and receive visitors even on weekends.
Tirana has full-fledged shopping malls with clothing from international brands: for example, Tirana East Gate is one of the largest shopping centers in the Balkans. Kruje is famous for its old market with perhaps the lowest prices in the country. And the end of February is the time of grand sales: discounts reach 70-85%!
Cuisine and restaurants of Albania
400 years of Ottoman rule were not in vain: Albanian cuisine is based on Turkish traditions. Rewritten in a new way, combined with Italian and Greek plots into a very unusual gastronomic mix. In the north they prefer fish and vegetables, in the central regions - meat, in the south - seafood and plant products. All this is generously seasoned with aromatic spices.
A favorite breakfast is wheat or corn bread with butter, cheese or jam, accompanied by yogurt, tea or coffee. For lunch, try the tave kozi lamb, braised until tender and baked in a mixture of eggs and Greek yoghurt, or the homemade chebapi sausages made from ground beef and lamb. Seafood dishes are good for dinner: sea bass with tomatoes, brodetto soup with crabs, risotto with all sorts of additives that recently roamed the coastal waters.
Albania has cozy family restaurants with authentic cuisine and numerous eateries with European, Italian, and South American menus. A fast food snack costs 500-750 ALL per person, a 3-course lunch in a mid-level establishment costs 1100-1800 ALL for two, dinner in a good restaurant with wine costs from 2500 ALL for two.
Boiled and canned corn is popular among vegetables, cold “tarator” with kefir is popular among soups, and sheep’s milk and the basis for soft cheese are among farm products. The best snack to go with beer is fried kefte meatballs. For dessert, you can take puff pastry cannoli from Sicily, caramel cream, cabuni rice pudding with sugar syrup, cinnamon and cloves, or the famous baklava. And among the drinks, a must-taste is “bose” made from water, sugar and flour, wheat and corn.
Guides in Albania
Entertainment and attractions of Albania
A succession of rulers, wars and truces, thaws and revolutions have left traces on Albanian soil that are timeless. More precisely, the sights: ancient amphitheaters and forums, medieval castles and fortresses, solemn mosques and monumental bridges.
The starting point is the main square of Tirana with government offices, a monument to the hero of the nation Skanderbeg (the square is named after him), the Ephem Bey mosque, symbolizing religious freedom, and a clock tower with an observation deck. The country's largest Catholic church is St. Paul's Cathedral, with stained glass windows depicting Mother Teresa and John Paul II.
You can see Tirana in all its glory from Mount Daiti, 26 km east of the capital.
The Pyramid, a witness to the era of dictator Hoxha, reminds of the sad past, and the ultra-modern Palace of Congress brings us back to the present day. Justinian's fortress dates back to the 14th century, the stone Tabak Bridge with three arches dates back to the 17th-18th centuries. You can scroll through the remaining pages of Albanian history at the National Historical (office site in English) and Archaeological Museums.
In Saranda, it is worth seeing the Butrint Museum-Reserve - an ancient city founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC. e., with an amphitheater, baptistery, cathedral and other monuments of great empires. In Durres there is the oldest amphitheater in the Balkans: bloody battles raged there already in the 1st and 2nd centuries. The city itself began with a citadel founded in the 5th century by the Byzantine ruler Anastasius. The Fatih Mosque with its austere minaret was erected in honor of the conquering Turkish sultan, and only a few elegant columns remained from the Byzantine Forum and rotunda.
The Venetian Tower, overlooking the citadel of Durres, now houses a trendy bar.
Notable in Shkoder are the Rozafa fortress on an impregnable rock, the Lead Mosque (liquid lead as a binding solution, many domes and not a single minaret) and the Orthodox Church of the Nativity. Above Vlora rises the Muradiye Mosque, reminiscent of the temples of Istanbul, and in the surrounding area are the ruins of the ancient port of Apollonia. In Pogradec, the neo-Byzantine Church of the Resurrection, the snow-white mosque and the ruins of the citadel are worthy of attention, in Gjirokastra - a powerful fort with a weapons museum and the Palorto quarter with colorful buildings, and in Korça - the Museum of Education in the building of the first Albanian school.
Holidays and Events
Albanians celebrate the New Year with the whole world on January 1-2: textbook fireworks, parties and feasts - everything as it should be. On these same dates, Kalendra falls - the symbolic turn of winter: once in his honor round loaves were baked and all misfortunes were “burned” in ritual bonfires. Catholic Christmas on December 25 is also considered a national holiday: children are waiting for gifts, the air is filled with anticipation of a miracle.
January 11 is Republic Day, proclaimed after the expulsion of the Germans by the forces of the National Liberation Army. October 19 is Mother Teresa's Day: it was then that the legendary native of Albania was beatified. November 28 is Flag Day: red, like the blood of patriots, with a black double-headed eagle in the middle. And on November 29, the country celebrates liberation from fascist troops.
On December 5-6, St. Nicholas of the Winter is honored: during the day one must fast, so the feast with the obligatory roast lamb begins late at night.
Muslim and Christian holidays are celebrated in Albania: Navruz, Kurban Bayram, Eid al-Adha, Good Friday, Easter, Orthodox Christmas. Cultural and sporting events take place several times a year: in Tirana there are opera and jazz festivals, in Gjirokaster, once every five years, there is a folklore festival with concerts, fairs and dance shows, and in the mountainous regions there is a large-scale rock climbing festival.
An independent holiday in Albania will give you many interesting adventures, since only such a holiday involves close communication with the local population, traveling by public transport, planning a route and difficulties in orientation when the help of people around is simply necessary. Perhaps only this type of vacation allows a traveler to plunge headlong into the life of the country and see the real inhabitants.
An independent trip to the country will also allow you to save on many services that travel agencies charge tourists (after all, they need to pay their employees’ salaries from somewhere).
So, I offer several options for saving on your own vacation:
1. Early hotel booking.
As you know, the most inexpensive and good hotels are sold out by tourists long before the start of the high season; by May, only the most expensive or the worst remain, in which a vacation is not a vacation. Thus, by contacting one of the booking sites 3-4 months before your trip, you can save up to 30-40% on a hotel. The largest selection of hotels and villas is offered by the website booking.com, where you can also read the most adequate reviews written only by those people who lived in the hotel, and not by travel agencies or custom users.
2. Choosing air travel with low-cost companies or with a transfer.
As you know, European airlines offer to buy tickets on their websites long before the flight date. It often happens that the earlier the ticket is purchased, the lower the price. Moreover, such airlines do not charge for food on board. Why is it needed if the flight to Tirana takes a maximum of 2-3 hours? From experience, I can say that flights with short transfers will also cost 20 percent or more less. Of course, this option is ideal if tourists do not go on vacation with children or huge luggage.
For example, a flight Kyiv-Tirana-Kyiv in mid-summer with a transfer in Istanbul for two adults costs $400. You will need to spend about three hours in the transit terminal of Ataturk Airport, but the savings are +$200-300!
You can “play” with such flight options for a long time, you will definitely find the ideal option.
3. Get to Albania by your own car.
An even more profitable option is to travel in your own car. The Moscow-Tirana distance of 2600 km can be covered in about 2-3 days, while spending about $500 on gasoline (diesel and gas will be even cheaper). It is especially beneficial to travel this way for a family of 4 people. Of course, you will need to apply for a transit visa and pay for an overnight stay for 1-2 nights (not necessarily an expensive hotel, about 20 euros per person), but on vacation you will not need to spend money on a rented car (about 40 euros per day). If you travel from Ukraine, the cost of the road is reduced by half (!).
4. Travel between cities on local minibuses.
The network of minibuses is very large. On a “carriage”, as the minibus is called in Shkodër, you can travel quite long distances for 1-2 euros.
Traveling on your own will be the biggest adventure for anyone who has previously only traveled with tour operators. The main thing is to plan everything thoroughly (tickets, hotel, visa). Everything else should be decided on the spot and not worry that not everything turns out as planned. There is nothing more beautiful than sudden decisions, unexpected pleasant surprises of weather and nature!
A mystery country, “new love in the Mediterranean”... It’s not for nothing that they say so. Two and Adriatic), ancient cities under UNESCO protection, amazingly beautiful virgin nature, excellent cuisine, friendly, hospitable people. Meet Albania. Seaside holidays in this country are still new to Russian tourists. But travelers from Western Europe fully appreciated the developing infrastructure in Albania. After all, prices here are much lower than in neighboring Croatia, Macedonia or Montenegro. Not to mention Greece or Italy. What do Russian tourists write about Albania? Which resorts in this country are worth visiting? What to see and what to try? Read about all this in our article.
Where is Albania located? Visa and currency
This country has been closed to foreigners for a long time. Therefore, now with great interest, curious tourists are eager to come to Albania to explore the new region. Russian vacationers say that traveling to this country is a bit like traveling in a time machine. You can find yourself in a Caucasian resort, but... somewhere in the 1990s. Of course, in Albania there are no gang wars and everything is quite nice. Local residents try very hard to ensure that tourists have the best impressions of the country. But our tourists still have many prejudices about this region in the west of the Balkan Peninsula.
What exactly is the Republic of Albania? Seaside holidays, exciting excursions to ancient cities, mountain hikes, gastronomic tours - all this is now quite accessible to foreigners. For Russians in the summer and in September-October, a visa is not required. You can stay in the country for ninety days, but only between June 1 and October 31. Upon entry, you must declare that the purpose of visiting the Republic of Albania is a seaside holiday. At other times of the year, tourists from Russia require a visa. The national currency of Albania is the lek. It contains one hundred kindarok. The ratio with the Russian ruble is encouraging: one lek has fifty kopecks. But locals often accept US dollars and euros for payment.
Climate in Albania
Nature has given this Balkan country about three hundred sunny days a year. Moreover, it rains mainly in the first half of spring and in November. If we talk about beach holidays in Albania, reviews claim that the peak tourist season falls (as elsewhere in these latitudes) in the summer months. Although it is comfortable to sunbathe and swim in the Adriatic and Ionian seas from the end of April until the first half of October. On the coast in July, the water temperature is +22... +25 degrees, and the air temperature ranges from +28... +32 °C. In January (the coldest month of the year) it does not fall below + 8 °C. The summer heat is easily tolerated: after all, the Mediterranean Mistral constantly blows from the sea. Another thing is the mountains. There the climate is more severe, and in winter the temperature at an altitude of thousands of meters drops to -20 ° C. The Albanian Alps are high mountains, and there is snow on their peaks for about six months. Although there are very few ski resorts in the country. The best holiday in Albania by the sea - reviews from tourists on this issue are unanimous - in September. Already low prices are falling even further. But the water and air temperatures remain high. Albanian September is quite a summer month.
Territory
Seventy percent consists of picturesque mountains covered with forests. If you are interested in the beach and the sea, then you should choose one of the coastal resorts in Albania. These are Saranda, Durres, Shkodra, Vlora or Fier. In each of them, in addition to wonderful beaches and warm seas, tourists will find a lot of interesting and educational things for themselves. Durres, for example, has a Roman amphitheater, the ruins of a Byzantine fortress and a Venetian tower. Many cities in the country were built before our era. But if you are interested in an excursion holiday in Albania, reviews advise that you should never miss Berat. In this open-air museum, the Orthodox and Muslim worlds meet, separated by a river. The capital of the country, Tirana, is a piece of Turkey frozen in time; there are so many ancient mosques and Ottoman-style houses in the city. For lovers of medieval castles, Skandeberg, Kruje and Petrela are waiting for you.
Ecological holidays in Albania: reviews from tourists
The virgin nature of this country attracts many travelers. Tourists are advised to go on independent or group excursions to the Tomor Mountains (and at the same time visit Bektash) or the Albanian Alps. The canyons of Skrapara or the Valbona River will leave an indelible impression. The Lure National Nature Reserve occupies a special place among the natural attractions of Albania. Lake Ohrid is the calling card of the country. If you are in Tirana and have a little time to relax in Albania, reviews from tourists advise going to the picturesque Mount Daiti. It is located in the vicinity of the capital. Ecotourism is also beginning to develop in coastal villages. Residents of former fishing villages are happy to welcome vacationers. Beaches, ancient castles or archaeological parks, beautiful mountains, delicious authentic farm food - this is what Albania is all about. Seaside holidays never come to the fore here. The main thing was and remains the amazing uniqueness of the country. All tourists unanimously say: even the laziest travelers cannot resist the charm of the Balkan republic and leave the seal pastime for excursions.
Ionian Albania: seaside holidays
Photos of the beaches of this Balkan country will make you cast aside all doubts. Holidays in Albania are cheaper than in neighboring Croatia, and the surrounding nature is cleaner. In this case, is it worth following the beaten path of many thousands of tourists? After all, you can get a quality vacation for little money and feel almost like a pioneer. The beaches of Albania stretch for four hundred and twenty-seven kilometers. They are mostly sandy, although those who like to warm their bones on the pebbles will also find a good coastline. The Riviera of Flowers stretches from Saranda to Vlore. This is the Albanian coast of the Ionian Sea. There are many coves here that were harbors in ancient times. The local elite prefers the Riviera of Flowers, where the most popular beaches are Divyak, Golemi, Durres, Lezhe, Velipoe. Pebble coasts are found in the vicinity of Vlora. Popular Albanian resorts here include Saranda (opposite which is the Greek island of Corfu), Dhermi and Himara. The coast abounds with rocks, the sea here is deep. Reviews recommend this Riviera for snorkelers and divers.
Adriatic coast
This area starts from Lalzit Bay near the border with Montenegro and extends south to the resort of Vlora. The golden sandy beaches of the Albanian Adriatic are perfect for children's holidays. The coast consists of many spits with shallow seas and a gentle slope. Pine forests often grow near the beaches, so a pleasant holiday here can be combined with health improvement: coniferous trees contain many useful phytoncides. The most famous resorts of Albania on the Adriatic coast are Dhermi, Shengjin, Durres, and Kuna. Reviews find it difficult to answer the question of which of the two seas is better and on which beach the water is cleaner. Everyone agrees that for comfort you should turn to chain five-star hotels. They often have their own beach, the improvement of which meets European standards. The longest is Durrem. This is fifteen kilometers of sand. Reviews named Saint John beach near the resort of Leger the most elegant.
Saranda
Reviews recommend this resort to lovers of peace and languid bliss. Although curious and active tourists also have something to do here. Nearby is the ancient city of Butrint, glorified by Plutarch. Saranda is a destination for food tours. Here they serve grilled meat and seafood. But the main attraction of Saranda is the beach holiday. Ksamil Beach (Albania) is located ten kilometers from the resort and is the southernmost village of the country. The only drawback, according to travelers, is its distance from Tirana International Airport - 250 km or five hours on the road! However, in all other respects the beach is excellent. Snow-white sand, against which the water seems endlessly azure. The notorious Bounty ad could have been filmed on Ksamil Beach. There are several mini-hotels here, but there is more choice of accommodation in neighboring Saranda.
What to try in Albania
Shopping is best done in the Republic of Albania. Reviews recommend combining a holiday at sea with tasting local delicacies. Local cuisine has been influenced by the Turks, Greeks and Italians. Among the drinks you should try Skanderberg cognac and rakija - grape vodka. Among the wines, reviews recommend Aquila Liquori, Cobo, Luani and Gjergj Kastrioti.
Albania, where beach holidays are quite developed, is still a Muslim country. The patriarchal way of life still persists here. Therefore, you need to be polite and tolerant of the customs of the people you came to visit. Ladies should not sunbathe topless. This is fraught not only with conflict, but also with a large fine. Photographing local residents is only possible with their consent. Reviews note that Albanians love children very much, so it is good form to praise the child. But complimenting local girls and women is not recommended.
The post was inspired by previous posts in the community about where to go on your own without going bankrupt.
Let's be honest, one way or another, most of the popular European cities are not cheap places. Yes, in Paris or Rome you can always find relatively inexpensive accommodation, but this is offset by the rather costly travel around the city, the need to pay in advance for a visa (with the risk of not getting one) and other attributes of developed tourist cities and countries, such as serious entry prices museums or various tourist fees. Of course, you can prepare well and cut off rough edges. Eat where it’s cheaper, walk more, or get sophisticated in buying travel cards and the like. And of course, this is also worth doing, because these conditional Paris or Rome are really cities that you still need to visit at least once. But, it is also worth remembering that they are not the only ones and that at a comparable distance from Ukraine you can find less popular, and therefore not so expensive, but no less interesting cities and countries.
Causes:
Visa-free entry for up to 90 days;
A huge number of attractions per square kilometer;
Low prices for food and travel;
Well, the color, of course, this is the Balkans.
Housing:
It’s more difficult here, since Albania is still a country where tourism is just gaining momentum, so in order to book budget accommodation via the Internet, sometimes you need to spend more time than usual. Perhaps even surf forums like Tripadvisor if the city you want to go to is far from the main tourist trails. But hardly anyone will visit them during their first trip, but otherwise the same algorithm works as everywhere else:
Booking.com
Hostels.com
I also like taniehotele.be, where you can compare offers from different resources.
Example prices:
A room for a person in Shkoder - 14 euros with breakfast.
A room for two in Gjirokastra - 17 euros.
Bed in Ses (Theth) - 11 euros.
You can find it cheaper locally. I suspect there is a point to bargain.
Food.
Cheap. A full meal with meat, potatoes and juice will cost five euros (or less) in a good cafe.
The king of local street food is burek, which costs somewhere around 15-30 euro cents.
Also very cheap fruit.
Not really food, but it was important to me. Tobacco products are 15-20 percent cheaper than ours.
Attractions:
Here there is where to turn around for those traveling on their own. Despite the fact that the country, if you look at the map, looks a little larger than the Kyiv region, it seems huge from the inside. It is quite possible to spend three weeks in Albania and not see everything that it can boast of.
I will write very briefly only about those cities and places where I have been:
Shkoder.
Shkoder is the largest city in northern Albania. It is known primarily for its Rozafa fortress.
The fortress dates back to the third century BC. However, now it looks completely different than it did then, and the reason for this is the history of these places, which is rich in military actions.
Rozafa, like many European fortresses, boasts an interesting legend about its creation.
The fortress is huge and in good condition. There is a museum. Entrance is about 150 lek. (1 euro).
The city itself leaves a double impression. There is a lot of trash and spontaneous markets that spoil the impression, but there is also a pleasant and well-kept old center, and also a beautiful embankment of Lake Skadar.
Tirana.
The capital and largest city of Albania. It is in Tirana that it is easiest to feel the socialist past of this country. The squares and government buildings are reminiscent of the era of the reign of the local Stalin - Enver Hoxha. A most interesting character, by the way, albeit a negative one. Hoxha prepared the entire country for the proposed war for more than forty years, and also built an iron curtain worse than the Soviet one.
At the same time, Tirana is a developing city and a lot of things are changing here for the better literally before our eyes. There is a good public transport system here. There are many local attractions, churches and mosques.
There are mountains and places for active recreation around Tirana, but for me it is, above all, the city with the strongest urban culture in Albania. It’s cool here, although it’s hard to convey in a photo.
Gjirokastra (or Gjirokastra)
The birthplace of that same Enver Hoxha. The city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Gjirokastra is one of the most famous Albanian cities today.
There is a fortress built in the twelfth century.
With good historical and military museums.
Its territory sometimes becomes the venue for rock festivals.
Ses (Theth)
Albania has mountains that are called the Albanian Alps. In fact, it is part of the Prokletije mountain range, which also runs through Montenegro and Kosovo.
The mountain village of Ses is located seventy kilometers from Shkoder.
There is no road to Ses as such, so these seventy kilometers are covered in four hours along a dirt serpentine road. In winter it is impossible to travel to Ses and this place remains cut off from civilization for several months.
Ses is an amazing place. There are crystal clear rivers and mountains here, many of which are higher than our Goverla, and also, which has not changed much in recent years fifty , way of life of the local population.
Ses is already attracting travelers from all over the world. I met Poles, British, Germans, Czechs, Australians and French here. Many come with their own vans.
At the same time, SES still remains inexpensive. Perhaps these are generally the cheapest mountains in Europe, but that makes them no less fascinating.
Albanians:
Mostly simple and open people. The attitude towards foreigners is positive, sometimes even ingratiating. It seems that many are trying to demonstrate as much as possible that Albania is a normal and hospitable country and thereby break the stereotypes that have developed about it.
A guy I met by chance at a gas station took me for free all day around the outskirts of Shkodra and showed me the sights. There were people who, when asked how to get somewhere, dropped what they were doing and took them to that very place, almost by the hand.
I didn’t encounter any aggression. Among the problems, one can only note that a relatively small percentage of the population speaks English.
Difficulties.
The most significant difficulty is moving around the country. There are no bus stations as such; you need to ask locals where exactly the minibus/bus departs to another city. You cannot buy a ticket in advance either. The only exception is international flights.
There are few good roads. I immediately remember only Shkoder-Tirana. This, in turn, takes a lot of time to move over ridiculous, in our understanding, distances. For example, a bus from Tirana to Gjirokastra, which is just over two hundred kilometers, takes about seven hours. On the other hand, travel prices are low. The above mentioned transfer will cost no more than 1000 lek (1 euro - 140 lek).
There is also a railway in Albania, but this is an option for aesthetes. The trains are old, and the ride is even longer than by bus.
All this tells us that when traveling around Albania, you need to be calm about forced changes in the route. This, however, also applies to travel to other Balkan countries.
How to get:
Flying to Albania is perhaps the most difficult thing you can face when planning a trip. There are no direct flights from Ukraine to Albania (even charter ones), which in turn means that you need to fly with a transfer.
The best option is to fly to Tirana via Istanbul with the help of Pegasus airlines, which covers Kharkov, Donetsk and Lviv.
Prices vary, but sometimes they are delicious. But the main advantage of this option is complete visa-free travel (and in addition, you can see Istanbul if you choose a long layover). Pegasus docks (something Wizz’air doesn’t do), which means you won’t have to think about what to do with your luggage during the transfer.
An option is to fly Air Serbia to Belgrade and then overland to Montenegro, from where at least two buses depart daily from a small town near the border - Ulcinj - to Shkodër.
You can get to Tirana from Sofia, where Wizz’air flies, in transit through Macedonia, but you need a Bulgarian or Schengen visa, so this option is not suitable for everyone.
Quite recently, inexpensive Belle Air flew to Albania from many European cities, but it seems that since November last year, the company has died for a long time.
A flight to any of the neighboring countries is also suitable. Bus routes in this region are developed.
Of course, all these options are not without flaws. Here it’s “maymo sho mayo”...
One way or another, I am sure that whoever is looking will find and will definitely fly away.
P.S. Albania is sometimes called Hidden Corner of Europe, but it seems to me that this will not last long and will be here very soon willthere are a lot of tourists and much more expensive. But so far, fortunately, this is not the case. And you need to use this.
– a country still little explored by tourists. It is located on the shores of the Ionian and Adriatic seas and the sun almost always shines here. Therefore, if you choose a beach holiday in Albania, where is it better to go? - this is the main question that will worry you.
The best Adriatic beaches
The Adriatic part of the Albanian coast starts from the border with Montenegro and extends to the Gulf of Vlora. This bay, sheltered from the wind, has several convenient beaches. There is something suitable here for tourists with different hobbies.
Cozy lagoons attract lovers of ecotourism; here you can observe Albanian nature and relax as a “savage”. The small fishing village of Shengjin is best suited for ecotourism. All conditions for tourists are created here, as close to natural as possible. You can go fishing by renting equipment and eat natural products. For tourists who prefer sightseeing holidays, trips to various historical places will be offered - museums and centuries-old fortresses will open their doors to them.
On the coast of Vlora there are comfortable beaches with a well-developed infrastructure - there are many bars, cafes and restaurants, and other entertainment places. All beaches are surrounded by beautiful pine forests. Here you can easily rent a room in one of the local hotels.
Another popular resort in Albania is Durres. It is located near the capital Tirana. There are many different entertainment venues and comfortable hotels. On the other hand, this city has a large port, which scares off many tourists.
Popular beaches of the Ionian coast
In this part of Albania the sea is much deeper than in the Adriatic part. Therefore, a holiday here is suitable for extreme sports enthusiasts. The beaches are mostly small pebbles, so it is not very convenient to relax with children. But the infrastructure is developed quite well - there are many entertainment venues, cafes and restaurants for every taste.
For tourists who prefer a calm and measured holiday, the town of Saranda is suitable. From the coast you can admire Corfu, and for entertainment, a trip to Butrint - the ruins of the ancient city - is perfect.
For a comfortable stay, head to Dhermi. Olives and citrus fruits are grown here, so you can enjoy fresh fruit. There are many comfortable hotels and expensive restaurants in Dhermi; the infrastructure of the town is constantly expanding.
