Lonely Planet recommends Albania among 10 places for affordable adventures

Almost every year Albania is part of Lonely Planet recommendations.

Lonely Planet has published “10 places for affordable adventures”, and Albania is ranked on the 8^th place. The famous travel guide highlights Albania’s beaches, the unique history, archeological sites, food scene etc. In Albania you can have different kind of experiences as Lonely Planet describes: “Albania remains a destination where you can hike amid beautiful mountain scenery, stay in tiny and timeless villages and explore the buzzy capital Tirana for far less than pretty much anywhere else in Europe.

© Landscape Nature Photo / Shutterstock

Lonely Planet writes:

“Albania has been Europe’s final frontier for a while. Here’s a pocket of great value hiding in plain sight, with some superb beaches, a unique history and none of the crowds of Montenegro to the north or Greece to the south. The country’s exciting food scene celebrates the fruits of its unique local flavours and offers seriously distinctive dining. Although its archaeological sights, such as Apollonia and Butrint, and its one-of-a-kind blend of Balkan, Mediterranean and Italian influences are no secrets, Albania remains a destination where you can hike amid beautiful mountain scenery, stay in tiny and timeless villages and explore the buzzy capital Tirana for far less than pretty much anywhere else in Europe.”

See full article: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/value?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=best+in+travel#8

Albania: Europe’s forgotten Balkan beauty is a new hot spot for 2018–Express UK

There are many reasons for Albania to be on your bucket list for 2018, as recommended by prestigious travel magazines. This time, it is the British media Express UK that promotes Albania as a new hot spot for 2018.

Unesco world heritage site Berat, which dates back to the 4th century BC- Getty 

“Within sight of Italy and Greece, Albania it is an easy-going place with welcoming people and a land stacked with natural and ancient treasures.” writes Maisha Frost, the author of the article.

In Albania you will find authentic beaches resorts and not the typical luxury Mediterranean writes Express UK. “True, its beach resorts lack the luxury Mediterranean touch. But this is a tolerant Balkan beauty of a different cast where fiery red Orthodox icons and swirling Islamic mosaics grace holy places side by side, and limestone ridges add a luminous dimension to hilltop citadels and wildflower meadows.”

But following the Second World War Albania, a country on the edge both physically and culturally, came under the iron grip of Communist rule. Raw traces of those brutal years remain, most dramatically in the shape of concrete nuclear bunkers, mushroom-like humps that mark the landscape.

Tirana

One of the most intriguing cities in Albania is its capital Tirana.

Tirana is lively and safe and rather surreal. Part Mediterranean, part Soviet relic its rainbow-coloured apartment blocks, painted on the orders of a former mayor to bring some cheer, is more faded pastel these days. The city’s cultural highlights include a triumphalist history mural guarding the entrance to the classical, artefact-packed national museum and the pretty 18th-century Et’hem Bey mosque’s minaret and rare floral mosaics.

 

National Historical Museum mural- Getty Images

Kruja

Just after a steep bend the scenery changes dramatically and for a moment I thought I had time-travelled to Game Of Thrones land as Kruja’s fortress ramparts reared above. Through a great stone archway lies a bazaar with low, long-eaved timbered houses and busy cobbled alleyways. Beyond is the tower and castle, now a museum full of sculptures and homages to Skanderbeg who fought the Ottomans and for a while reunited Albania.

Kruja’s old town feels like being on the set of Game Of Thrones- Getty Images

Berat

Dating back to the 4th century BC, the city’s seven-arch Gorica bridge, a favourite Ottoman masterpiece, spans the Osum river and tiers of white gabled houses climb steep cliffs to its citadel. There towering walls form a hilltop cradle for ancient mosques and eight medieval churches, one housing a stunning collection of icons.

My amble took me to the 18th-century traditional Ottoman home that is now the city’s Ethnographic Museum. Behind its covered verandas I got a glimpse of what communal life was like until just a few decades ago as men pressed olives and the women wove cloth and waited on them.

 

The River Osum flows by revitalised vineyards and the lovely town of Berat- Getty Images

See original article: Albania: Europe’s forgotten Balkan beauty is a new hot spot for 2018

 

Albania – the Holy Grail for Intrepid Travelers

Lately there are many bloggers writing about Albania, but American blogger Barbara Weibel brings a very interesting point of view while describing the history and the places she has visited in our country. She stayed in Albania this summer, but she posted 5 articles with photos about Tirana, Kruja, Albanian Traditional Food and Albanian history.  Here is a summary of her last article posted in her website: http://holeinthedonut.com/  tittle: Albania the Holy Grail for Intrepid Travelers.


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Today, Albania is rushing to catch up. In Tirana, there are few sights beyond Skanderberg Square, but the air virtually crackles with exuberance. Each night after work, young professionals gather in the city’s ubiquitous cafes and coffee shops, where they spend hours discussing politics and planning for the future. Most speak at least some English and the literacy rate is high. New buildings are springing up everywhere, especially hotels, intended to service the tourists that Albania hopes to begin attracting.

Tirana Skanderbeg Square

Despite the enthusiasm for tourism, travel to Albania is still challenging. Passenger trains are non-existent and there is not a single bus station in the capital. Buses congregate in dusty, rock-strewn lots, the location of which are known only to locals. Indeed, when it was time to leave Albania, I discovered that there were no buses running between Tirana and Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, a mere 98 miles apart. Just crossing a street on foot in Tirana can be a dangerous proposition. Drivers speed up at pedestrian crosswalks, and the only way to cross is to step out into traffic and force vehicles to a screeching halt.


 Yet despite all the inconveniences, Albania grew on me. The friendly people won me over, the food made me drool, and the history fascinated me. Though I hadn’t planned on venturing beyond the capital, I was anxious to see more, so I arranged for a personalized day trip that took in Kruja, one of the country’s most important historical cities, and Durres, the country’s largest port.

Kruja National Museum

The longer I stayed, the more I wanted to explore the rest of this remarkable but little known country. From Berat, known as the city of 1,000 windows; to the golden sand beaches of the Albanian Riviera and the country’s 14 national parks; Albania is the Holy Grail for intrepid travelers. It is raw, it is real, it is thoroughly fascinating, and it provided an experience unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before.

Read the full article here:  http://holeinthedonut.com/2015/12/06/travel-to-albania/

Albanian road trip: history behind the bunkers

Albania is becoming a new tourist destination and is making its way into European Travel itineraries. Lonely Planet is writing again for our beautiful country, this time suggesting for tourists a trip in 4 amazing cities, Shkodra, Kruja, Berat and Gjirokaster, with plenty of castles, museums, Unesco Sites, and unique archaeology. Here is a summary of the Albanian Road Trip in Tirana from Lonely Planet

"Having spent nearly half of the 20th century isolated from the rest of the world, Albania remains somewhat a land of mystery, only recently making its way onto European travel itineraries as an offbeat and budget-friendly destination.
While ‘the land of eagles’ may be better known for its stormy communist past (with some 750,000 concrete bunkers still scattered around to prove it), it has a rich and diverse historical and cultural legacy. The best way to take in Albania’s ancient castles, lived-in World Heritage Sites and ethnographic museums is on a road trip, especially if you have limited time or aren’t keen on working out the country’s bewildering bus system.

Shkodra
Start your cultural exploration of Albania in the north. Once an important trading town due to its favourable geographical position at the meeting point of two rivers and very close to the Adriatic Sea, Shkodra is considered the country’s cultural capital thanks to its music and literary traditions.

Kruja
Head south from Albania’s cultural capital to its historical capital, Kruja. No trip to the country is complete without a stop in this town synonymous with Skanderberg, Albania’s national hero who led the defence against the Ottomans some 500 years ago. For a period Skanderberg was based here, and Kruja is regarded as almost a holy site for Albanians.

Berat
From Kruja or Tirana, continue south and inland towards Berat via Lushnja and SH4. You can also get there passing through Elbasan, though note this route takes a good hour or so longer regardless of how it looks on the map. Known as the ‘town of a thousand windows’, Berat has become a major star on the Albanian travel scene thanks to its impressive Ottoman ‘sprawl’ up the hills on both sides of the Osumi River.

Gjirokastra
The final stop on this north-to-south cultural tour of Albania, Gjirokastra was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List in 2008 as another important Ottoman town along with Berat. Your best bet getting here is to head back north to Lushnja and continue along the SH4 through the spectacular Tepelenë District and Drino Valley, famously described in Lord Byron’s Letters on Albania.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania/travel-tips-and-articles/albanian-road-trip-history-behind-the-bunkers#ixzz3p69H1FeJ

Gjirokaster

Kruja

Albania is number 7 on Top Ten Best Value Destination Worldwide by Rough Guides for 2014

Rough Guides listed #Albania as number 7 among top ten best value destination in the world. Albania truly is  a best value offering rich history beautiful nature with lowest prices in #Balkans region!


 Unfairly shunned by many tourists because it’s seen as dangerous or backward (neither of which are true), Albania offers secluded beaches, locals who take a genuine interest in travellers, tasty Turkish-style food, Ancient Greek ruins and Ottoman towns. Imagine a trip to the Balkans before it got discovered and you’ve pretty much got it, with prices to match.

Tell your friends or family that you’re off to Albania, and you’ll likely receive a stock response: “Isn’t it dangerous?”, “Isn’t there a war going on there?”, and “Is that even in Europe?” are some of the most common. Speak instead to those who have been, and the associations with the country’s name become infinitely more positive – you’ll hear of rippling mountains, Ottoman architecture, pristine beaches and endlessly hospitable locals. Following decades of isolationist rule, this rugged land still doesn’t seem to fit into the grand continental jigsaw, with distinctly exotic notes emanating from its language, customs and cuisine. Pay a visit to this beguiling corner of Europe now, before it garners the popularity it deserves.


 Things not to miss :

1. TIRANA -Sip an espresso in Albania’s colourful, chaotic capital
2. BERAT The 'town of the thousand windows' is known for its pretty rows of Ottoman houses lining the hills
3. IONIAN COAST-Albania has some wonderful stretches of beach along its Ionian shore 
4. GJIROKASTRA-Birthplace of dictator Enver Hoxha, this stone city with its busy bazaar is now listed by UNESCO
5. KRUJA-Hilltop scene of national hero Skanderbeg’s resistance

http://www.roughguides.com/best-places/2014/best-value-destinations/