Highlights of Albania recommended by a German Travel Magazine

A lot of Germans are visiting Albania, tempted by its beautiful beaches in the south and fascinating hiking trails in the north of Albania. The “Abenteuer Reisen”, is a travel magazine, promoting different places around the world. In the last edition there is an article dedicated to Albania wrote by Joachim Chwaszcza published on “Abenteuer Reisen” magazine, titling “Albanien Auf Entdeckertour” (Discover Albania Tour).

“Albania is more than Karl Mays says in “In the Gorges of the Balkans”, blood revenge, bunkers, and Balkan’s grey socialism. We show the fantastic beaches in the south, exciting hiking trails in the mountains and the modern Albanian cuisine”, says Joachim Chwaszcza.

 Albania, barely known and largely untouched in many regions, offers a worthwhile combination of classic round trip, fascinating nature experiences and cordial hospitality. Against the clichés, the country is colorful, loosely, versatile and relaxed. Albania is a good place also for people who want to stay in the wild and in pure nature. Thethi, once a deserted region, today the number of inhabitants has increased decuple thanks to hiking tourism. In addition to day hikes, botanical explorations and partly demanding climbs, the "Peaks of the Balkans Trail" offers the greatest challenge in the Albanian Alps.

Mysterious south of Albania is recommended as a great destination for hiking between coast and mountains. The cultural highlights, such as Butrint - the national park and the homonymous archaeological site with Greek and Roman relics are Unesco World Heritage sites - as well as the Ottoman fortress of Ali Pasha in Porto Palermo are settled in one day. The largely untouched nature is a big topic in Albania! "Mysterious South" - with this slogan presents the little known southern coastal region and the mountainous hinterland. 

And the last but not least, Albanian cuisine: Meat spits, lamb ribs, yoghurt and sheep's cheese - no one has to eat badly in Albania. Not in the north and certainly not in the south. Everything is always fresh, from your own garden, lots of vegetables, lots of fresh fruit, plenty of yogurt and sheep's cheese. In the mountains lamb meat and along the coast fish. Albania is a real culinary discovery.

See full article: https://www.abenteuer-reisen.de/albanien-entdecken/ 

Walking in the miracle of Albanian Alps

"Boom on a once enchanted place". The beautiful of Northern Albania has captured the eye of a German journalist, Florian Sanktjohanser, who wrote a whole article published at online magazine “NWZ Online”. He describes the mountains of Northern Albania as a long been forgotten corner, poorer even than the rest of the run-down state. But now more tourists venture into the picturesque valleys. There it looks like in the Alps 200 years ago. During his journey he met local people and has unveiled their lifestyle in the villages. The top staggering places mentioned in the article are: the city of Shkodra, Thethi village, Valbona Valley and Lake Koman.

Shkodra 

"The foreigners are asking to buy "The tower of vendetta", known as “Kulla e Ngujimit’ who has guarded my family for 400 years. But I would not give up the tradition," says Sokol Nikolle Koçeku, the owner of this tower. The tower survived during the rule of the Ottomans and the Communists, and is one of the few such historic houses in Albania. Now I will not let this place to be sacrificed to the latest invasion: the onslaught of tourists. The Kulla is in Theth, a village in the "Cursed Mountains" in far north of Albania. It is a wild area where the Kanun, the tradition of common law governs life even in these days. The people here have been extremely poor for centuries. But now a small miracle happens: Since a few years, more and more tourists come walking in the Albanian Alps. And with them sweep the people,( who left the area for years), back to their villages.

In the well-kept pedestrianized area, you can see young Westerners sit in cafes, walk to the fortress, or book their ferry for the next morning to Valbona Valley. For the fastest and most stunning way to the Valbona Valley leads over the Koman dam. 

Valbona Valley: Since 2007, the Valbona National Park is in guidebooks. Albanian television crews came and turned documentaries about the ancient traditions. Even more important was that the only road was pave into the valley. Since then, the number of day-trippers has increased rapidly. "Valbona has for many Albanians something mystical. In July and August rose at least 50 hikers per day up to the pass. And every year would more.

Thethi Village: ‘I think no place where human beings live has given me such an impression of majestic isolation from the entire world. It is a spot where the centuries shrivel; the river might be the world’s well-spring, its banks the fit home of elemental instincts–passions that are red and rapid’, the English writer Edith Durham wrote in early 20th century about Theth. The "majestic" can continue to let them stand until almost 2700m, the craggy peaks on.  At least the residents of Theth have preserved their traditional architecture. Most houses are built of stone and covered with shingles. And the church, destroyed during the atheistic republic, was restored thanks to wealthy Albanians in the diaspora.

Read full article: 

http://www.nwzonline.de/reisen/boom-an-einem-einst-verwunschenen-ort_a_31,0,2358967404.html

Hiking in Albania’s Accursed Mountains

The Accursed Mountains (or Bjeshket e Namuna) are so beautiful, and so spectacular and unspoiled that impress every tourist traveling in north of Albania. Everyone is considering the tour to the wild north of Albania as one of the last great European adventures. Lonely Planet, the well-known travel guide suggests everyone to make a trip to Albania sooner rather than later to enjoy the so-called Accursed Mountains in all their isolated glory. Thank you Lonely Planet, we love to see more about Albania in your travel guide.

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Hiking in Albania’s Accursed Mountains
By Tom Masters, Lonely Planet

While Albania may have gone from a virtually unknown land to a well-established stop on the Balkan backpacker trail in barely a decade, its interior remains little known. But a popular three-day round trip that combines a spectacular ferry ride and a fantastic day hike between two remote mountain hamlets has put northern Albania’s mysterious highlands on the map.Make this trip sooner rather than later to enjoy the so-called Accursed Mountains in all their isolated glory.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania/northern-albania/travel-tips-and-articles/hiking-in-albanias-accursed-mountains#ixzz3TVkdm6Dk