Dhermiu is a Village located between high mountain and the 
Due to its location and warm weather Dhermiu is very attractive for tourists in Albanian Riviera.
The city of
Most Western visitors to Albania travel for business, and unfortunately don't see more of Albania than the road from the airport, and Tirana's bllok area. With just a few more days and a rental car you can turn a dull trip into a fascinating exploration of southern Albania, taking in some of the country's best sights, beaches and towns. Tirana In Your Pocket is at hand to tell you how.
Route & Roads
Most of the sights below can just be seen in a three-day road trip, though you'll be driving a lot, and an extra day will allow you to do it all at an easier pace. With only two days to spare, a return trip to Berat or to Llogara Pass and Dhërmi is possible.
On day one, start early and head to Durrës (driving time 45mins) for a quick look at the amphitheatre and perhaps the museum. Then drive south to Fier (1,5hrs) for lunch and a visit to the excavations at Apolonia. Then it's on to Vlora (30mins) and up to Llogora Pass (1hr). You can either spend the night in the forest up in the mountains, or descend to Dhërmi (1hr) for a hotel overlooking the beach. On day two, drive to Saranda (2hrs) to visit the Butrint excavations. Then head on to Gjirokastra (1hr) for the second night. On day three, drive to Berat (2-3hrs), following signs to Fier until the turnoff just after Patos. Then drive back to Tirana (2hrs) via Durrës.
The roads along this route are quite good. After following the relatively fast highways between Tirana, Durrës and Lushnja, you'll hit the worst stretch of road on this trip north of Fier. The road on to Saranda is reasonably good and is currently being widened around Dhermi, but it's still narrow and windy. That's part of the fun: this is as romantic and old-fashioned as a Mediterranean coastal road gets.
Fuel is easy to get as there are hundreds of petrol stations along the road; beware that between Vlora and Sarande there are only stations in Dhërmi, Himare and Borsh.
This route can also be done by public transport, though you'll need a few days more as the going is slower. Also, don't count on many late afternoon or evening departures; Albanians like to travel early. You will only need a taxi to visit Apollonia from Fier, and perhaps to reach the upper town of Gjirokastra if you get dropped off on the main road down in the valley. There are regular buses running between Vlora and Sarande along the coastal road.
Durrës
The ancient port of Durrës merits a short visit. Its location has long been desirable, proved by the fact that in the last 900 years control of the city has changed 33 times. Illyrians first settled here in 627 BC, and Durres became a prosperous trading harbour.
The main sight is the large Roman amphitheatre (open 08:00 - 16:00; 200 lek), in the centre of town. Built between 117-78 BC, it hosted gladiatorial games watched by up to 20,000 people. Amazingly, it lay forgotten until 1966, and 25% of the amphitheatre still remains buried beneath houses.
More ancient stuff can be viewed at the Archeological Museum (Rr. Taulantia, open 09:00 - 12:00, 17:00 - 19:00, closed Mon). Near the amphitheatre and the harbour stands the last remaining tower of the city's fortifications.
This is now used by the Torre Bar (open 08:30 - 24:00); there's a shady terrace with a good seafood restaurant right beside it, and the Piazza restaurant is just across the street (same times).
In town, the Arvi is the hotel of choice (Rr. Taulantia 1, tel. 052 304 03/069 22 85 453, arvishpk@msn.com; singles/doubles €60, suites €80-100). The beaches the south of Durres are crammed with Tiranans during summer. The best place to stay is in the fantastic 5-star Adriatik Hotel (Lagjia 13, Hekurrudha Plazh, tel. 052 60 850, www.adriatikhotel.com).
Apollonia
Just 12km west of Fier along the road to Plazhi i Semanit lies one of Albania's most impressive ancient sites. Set on a hill overlooking the lagoon towards the sea, Apollonia was founded by Greeks in 588 BC and originally had a large harbour for seagoing ships. Aristotle wrote about Apollonia because of its complete lack of democracy (so it seems nothing much has changed politically). Agriculture and slave trade made the city rich, and after being taken over by the Romans in 229 BC it became a essential part of the Roman road system and a centre of education. Earthquakes and the silting up of the harbour meant the end of Apollonia's prosperity.
Not too much is left of the town, but archeologists have reconstructed the impressive six-columned facade of the bouleterion. Apart from that, you can see a Roman amphitheatre, view the foundations of Roman houses, the remains of a Roman bathhouse, and wander around the huge Byzantine walls ringing the complex. The nearby Monastery of St. Mary (200 lek) is well worth a visit. It was started in the 13th century and contains elements of Greek and Roman buildings. It now holds the Apollonia Museum and a pretty church.
Vlora & Llogora Pass
Situated in a curving bay sheltered by towering mountains, the port city of Vlora has few sights apart from the main mosque, but boasts nice beaches lined by seafood restaurants, and perhaps Albania's best xhiro (evening stroll). Following the coast south, you pass former Party member holiday villas (Enver Hoxha's one is the torched ruin perched on a cliff) before heading inland at Orikum.
The newly surfaced road ascends rapidly from sea level to the Llogora Pass, at 1027m. The forest just before the pass is a National Park, and is home to wildlife as well as several popular restaurants specialising in delicious grilled meals.
After the pass, the landscape becomes even more dramatic. The forest suddenly makes place for a bleak, rock-strewn landscape, and there's a mind-blowing view of the Albanian Riviera coast a kilometre below. In the distance you can see and the Greek islands of Erikkoussa and Corfu in the glistening Mediterranean sea. From the pass, the road twists down the steep mountainside in a series of hairpin bends towards Dhërmi, visible deep below.
You could spend the night at the Tourist Village at Llogora Pass, a complex of comfortable four-person wooden chalets in the woods (Fshati Turistik, tel. 068 20 27 746, www.llogora.com; €65 per chalet).
Dhërmi & The Riviera
Increasingly popular among Albanians and Kosovars - and the odd foreigner - the Albanian Riviera around Dhërmi and Himare is a relatively undeveloped stretch of stunning Mediterranean coastline, with plenty of nice beaches.
The road here is like roads used to be in Spain and Italy before the tourist and concrete invasion: narrow and winding, linking small villages clinging high above the coast.
Many villages here are populated by ethnic Greek Albanians, and you'll see some optimistic political slogans (omonia - unification) painted along the road here and there. Dhërmi is a pretty Greek mountain village with some ancient churches, but its main attraction is the long, clean pebble beach, signposted from the main road.
There are some good seafood restaurants here overlooking small coves along the waterfront; further out on the beach is the tropical-style Havana Bar (tel. 068 22 41 981), where you can sip cocktails seated on pillows amidst wafting curtains.
Accommodation is not cheap here, with some Albanians now opting to go to Turkey where better deals can be had. The best hotel on the beach is Villa Milton (tel. 068 22 35 962; doubles up to €38). On a quieter beach a few kilometers north is the Drymades Hotel with reasonable rooms and musty cabins (tel. 068 20 25 680, lorencgjikurija@yahoo.com; singles €19, doubles €24). Back up in the village, Kozma Beja offers cheap, basic rooms near the northern end of the village (tel. 068 27 62 430; singles/doubles €25).
Saranda
Saranda is the most tourist-friendly city in Albania, and they know it: there's a large sign along the road to Tirana reading Good Luck! in English.
Draped along a curving bay with a narrow strip of beach, the town has witnessed a construction boom, and it's tricky to spot any pre-1990 buildings. In summer, many foreigners arrive by ferry at the passenger terminal (Albania's best-looking building) on the southern end of the harbour on daytrips from Corfu.
There's not much to see in Saranda except for some excavations near the main square, but the city makes a good base for trips to nice beaches, and for visiting Butrint.
If you'd like guidance, contact Sipa Tours (Rruga Skenderbeu 3, tel. 085 233 84/069 27 95 589, arben@sipatours.com, www.sipatours.com), who offer tailor-made trips to Butrint and around southern Albania.
The Limani café/bar on the pier in the harbour offers the best views of town, reasonable pizzas and great home-made ice cream. The promenade is uniquely car-free, and hosts the evening xhiro, and there are plenty of bustling bars here.
The pricy Butrinti Hotel, at the southern end of the bay, is the swankiest place to stay (tel. 085 255 92, www.butrintihotel.com; doubles €105-125, suites €160-270). Alternatively, try the decent three-star Porto Eda hotel near the pier (tel. 085 23 363, www.portoeda.com; doubles €50). Nearby, the Kaonia Hotel is a good cheaper option (tel. 085 22 600; doubles €30-35).
The ProCredit Bank ATM at the Porto Edo hotel accepts all foreign cards and can dispense lek and euro notes. You can only check email at the Butrinti Hotel (500 lek/hr).
Butrint
Just south of Saranda lies one of the Mediterranean's most important archaeological sites, the ancient city of Butrint (open 08:00 - dusk; admission 700 lek), a National Park and World Heritage site.
Thousands of years of settlement by Neolithic tribes, Illyrians, Greeks, Trojans, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Angevins, Ottomans and Venetians have left their traces here. The city was abandoned relatively recently, in the Ottoman period, and subsequently was covered by vegetation and forgotten.
Other than the famous sites in Greece and Turkey, Butrint is mostly untouched, with bits of masonry poking from the ground here and there, and woods providing a romantic atmosphere. Excavation is in progress, and you'll see sheets protecting mosaics and other artworks.
Still, there's plenty to see: the well preserved theatre; the Temple of Asklepios; the remains of a large Roman house; an early Christian baptistry and a church; the Greek-era Well of Nymphs, and some massive Illyrian city walls. Climb up the acropolis for a great view of the site and the bay. You now get a good brochure at the entrance, and there are also excellent new information signs throughout the site.
The beautiful lagoons, marshlands, forests and olive groves of the National Park can be explored on foot, by boat or on horseback with CISP, an Italian eco-tourism agency (tel. 085 24 600/068 20 52 274, www.cisp-ngo.org).
Several city buses run to Butrint daily (50 lek, from Saranda's main square and via the Butrint hotel; 30 minutes).
Gjirokastra
Birthplace of both dictator Enver Hoxha and poet Ismail Kadare, this town is worth visiting for the sweeping views from its castle, and for the well-preserved Ottoman architecture of the merchants' houses, clinging against the mountain and built with defence purposes in mind.
A World Heritage site, Gjirokastra also has a charming bazaar area with small shops facing cobbled streets. The castle, entered from either the valley or the town side, now houses the National Arms museum, though the best things about it are the fantastic views across the valley, and the desintegrating US Airforce jet plonked on top of the castle. When it landed in 1957, the regime claimed that the plane was spying on Albania and was forced down, though now it seems that the unlucky pilot simply got lost in bad weather and had to make an emergency landing.
For food, try the Festivali or the Argjiro restaurants just below the bazaar; the Fantazia bar on a hilltop above the bazaar has a great terrace for drinking, but dodgy food.
The Kalemi Hotel (Llagjia Palorto, tel. 084 637 24/068 2234373, drguak@yahoo.com; €35 per room) is the place of choice for many foreigners, though the nearby Kotoni Guesthouse (tel. 084 635 26/069 2366846, rooms €25-35) is a cheaper option with simple rooms, one in Ottoman style. Both hotels are found above the bazaar; turn left up the steep road past the mosque, and then right.
Berat
The stunning museum town of Berat is a well-preserved Ottoman city (perhaps the best in the Balkans) with a lively lower town and a beautiful medieval citadel district on top of the hill. It's certainly worth staying longer to visit all the sights, and to go hiking on wild Mount Tomorri.
In the lower town, visit the Leaded Mosque, so named for the roofing material, the Bachelor's Mosque, the Sultan's Mosque and the Ottoman han (inn).
Berat's highlight is the inhabited citadel (100 lek, includes admission to the churches), reached via a very steep road (best drive up or take a taxi). Once inside the walls, you can visit ruined mosques and several medieval Orthodox churches, all intact and with restored frescoes and icons. The famous Onufri museum (open 09:00 - 16:00, www.beratmonument.org.al; 200 lek) is housed in a wonderful church and holds the best collection of Albanian icons anywhere, many painted by local artist master Onufri. There's a small shop and a café inside the citadel for buying drinks and snacks.
The German-Albanian Berati Tours agency (tel. 069 20 65 239, info@regio-berater.de, www.regio-berater.de) is the driving force behind attempts to convince local authorities to offer more tourist facilities. Contact them for information, accommodation bookings, tours of the town, spectacular guided hikes in the surroundings and more. Their Berat Discovery Weekend package is an excellent deal at €75, and includes lodging, meals, and tours of the city and a nearby gorge.
The luxury Residenca Desaret Hotel (Lagja 13 Shtatori, tel. 032 375 93; rooms from €50) offers great views of town. A cheaper option is the Berati Hotel (Lagja 28 Nentori, tel. 032 369 53, rooms €10-20), in a quiet alley off the main shopping street. A fun budget choice is the Mangalemi hotel (also know as the Tomi Hotel, Lagja Mangalem, tel. 032 320 93/068 24 29 803; rooms €10-20), a cheerful family-run inn with simple air-conditioned rooms, a relaxed rooftop terrace and an excellent restaurant for both eating and drinking. Alternative types can look up the relaxed Havana Bar, along the river behind the Tomori Hotel.
Enjoy the trip.
Himara, the gateway to the southern Albania,
Ulqin (Ulcinj in Montenegrin) is the southernmost town in Montenegro. It lies from the Cape of Mendra in the north to the point where the river Buna flows to the Adriatic. The town covers 20 kilometers in the north-south direction and 25 kilometers in the east-west direction. Its area is 255 squared kilometers.
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Ulqin (pronounced Oul-chin) is one of the oldest towns of the Adriatic coast. Illyrian tombs (tumuli), found in the village of Zogaj, in the vincity of Ulqin, date back to the Bronze Age. Ulqin is believed to be founded in the 5th century B.C. by Greek colonists from Colchis. The Colchian colonization is mentioned in the 3rd century B.C., in a poem by Apollonius of Rhodos. Illyrians lived in the region in that time, and under Greek influence built immense so-called Cyclopean Walls.
In the vast expanse of the globe this town would cover a tiny spot on the intersection of the stripes between longitudes 19’8 (village of Fraskanjel) and 19’23 (Old Ulqini- island of Kruç) east, and latitudes 41’50 (Ada e vogel) and 42’5 (Kozjaku i vogel) north. This means that the great red ball sends its warm rays to Ulqini under the same angles as it does to Barcelona and Rome.  A view of Gjakova |
 Traditional architecture of Gjakova - old and new |  |
The center of the town has been rebuilt with a new hotel, the Pashtrik Hotel, and several shopping centers and the large "Agimi" department store.
 A busy market day at the ,arshia | A feudal house in Gjakova |
 The trade center |
 Hotel Korzo and a view of the surroundings of the town |
During the medieval Serbian state, Peja was a cultural center because of the Patriarchate of Peja, which is in the immediate vincity of the town. With the arrival of the Ottoman Turks, Peja developed under the influence of oriental architecture, becoming a casbah with cobble stone streets, numerous brooks in courtyards, small shops, and mosques.
 The Patriarchate of Peja, near the town. |
The urban architecture of the Turkish period is interesting, with a large number of preserved houses of Albanian feudal lords, among which is the famous Tahir Bey's Palace, and Jashar Pasha's House. The Sheremet Tower, although built during the Turkish rule, in fact is a true type of an Albanian Dukagjin tower, a stone house with small windows resembling rifle loopholes. The ceilings of these types of houses are tall, usually in carved wood, with niches. The houses are surrounded by tall walls and have well kept gardens.
In the center of the town is the old ,arshia (shopping street), with shops of various craftsmen (coppersmiths, goldsmiths, slipper makers, leather tanners, saddle makers, tailors, etc.). The attractive Bajrakli mosque built in the 15th century ranks among the older structures of Islamic architecture.
 A view of Prizren. The Sharr Mountains are in the background, while the Bistrica River flows through the town. |
Prizren was established at a convenient locality as an important trading town, through which passed old roads towards the Adriatic coast and the interior of the Balkan peninsula.
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Graves and artifacts of Illyrian Dardans were found in Prizren's vincity, which shows that the area of Prizren has been inhabited since ancient times. It was for a while the center of the Serbian Empire. During the Byzantine rule, Prizren was known as Prizdrian. The Ottomans occupied Prizren on June 21, 1455, and that is when the oriental urban development of Prizren began. From all the cities of Kosova, Prizren has best preserved the architectural physiognomy of the past.
 A view of Prizren from the Kalaja |
Overlooking the town, on a hill that dominates over the Prizren plateau, is the Kalaja (Fortress) of Prizren (Kalaja e Prizrenit). The fort dates from the 11th century and was built to protect Prizren from attacks. Kalaja is a true labyrinth of underground tunnels. The Ottoman Turks occupied it in 1455 and kept soldiers in it for centuries. Kalaja today fits into the old town setup.
The Bajrakli Gazi Mehmet Pasha's mosque is the oldest monument of Islamic art in Prizren. The inscription above the entrance states it was built in 1561. This mosque has a square base and numerous windows, while the main veneration niche (mihrab) and the pulpit (mimber) are made of marble.
A hexagonal mausoleum (medresa) has been built in the courtyard of the mosque which Mehmet Pasha earmarked as his grave.
 Mehmet Pasha's Turkish bath in Prizren |
Mehmet Pasha also built a Turkish bath in the town, which is built of cut stone and large bricks, in extremely harmonious proportions. The interior is divided into two parts: the baths for men and the baths for women.
 Sinan Pasha's mosque in Prizren |
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  Left: the house in which the Prizren League was organized. Right: the Prizren League Museum with the statues of Sami Frash'ri and Ymer Prizreni |
Prishtina
 Mother Teresa Street |
 Bill Clinton Boulevard |
The area of Prishtina has a long history, in its vincity archaeological discoveries have been found which date back to the early neolithical ages.
 The remains of Ulpiana, near Prishtina |
Southeast of the city, the remains of Ulpiana were discovered, the center of the Illyrian province of Dardania. Ulpiana was founded in the 2nd century during the rule of Emperor Trajan, and renewed in the 6th century during the rule of Justinian, after whom it was called Iustinana Secunda. According to inscriptions on the monuments from Ulpiana, it is apparent that it was one of the most beautiful cities of the Illyrian Dardania, as it was often reffered to as Ulpiana Splendissima. A number of articles were discovered here such as coins, ceramics, weapons, jewlery, all of which are exhibited at the Museum of History of Kosova in Prishtina.
After the incursions of Slavs and barbarians during the early Middle Ages, the destroyed town of Ulpiana was abandoned, creating the locality for the new town of Prishtina.
During Serbian rule, Prishtina was a major political center. Near Prishtina is the site of the Battle of Kosova (1389), in which a Balkan alliance, led by Serbian Prince Lazar, fought against the Ottoman army. The battle marked the begining of Ottoman rule of the region.
 The Gracanica Monastery (14th century) near Prishtina |
Prishtina developed in the 14th and 15th century as a mining and trading center of the Novoberde and the Mount Kopaonik (Albanik) mining industry. During the Ottoman rule in the region, it was an important administrative center, seat of the ruling Pasha, and for a while it was the center of the Kosova Vilayet.
During the Austrian-Turkish Wars of the 17th century, the Albanian population of Prishtina under the command of Pjet'r Bogdani fought aside the Austrian army against the Ottoman Turks. During Piccollominni's campaign and later Austrian campaigns, Prishtina suffered considerably, as was the case during the 1859 and 1863 fires.
A rendering of the building of the Academy of Arts and Sciences
(18th century), an example of Prishtina's traditional architecture
 Faith Mosque (15th century) |
In the 19th century, according to the writings of A. Bue (1838), Prishtina had 7000-9000 inhabitants, and Hilferding (1857) wrote that the town had 1500 houses, one fifth of which were Serbian. In the middle of the 19th century, Prishtina was famous for its fairs (panair) of various crafts and trade articles, especially goat hide and hair articles, coppersmiths, pottery, embroidery, etc.
During World War II, Prishtina (with around 16,000 inhabitants), was included in the zone occupied by Italians, and was the center of the prefecture with the same name.
Historical monuments near Prishtina include the Gracanica Monastery, built in 1321 on the basis of an older church, and the Mausoleum of Sultan Murat, reconstructed in 1850 by Hurshid Pasha.
View of Prishtina from Grand Hotel
Prishtina became the capital of Kosova after World War II. Up to this point, Prishtina had retained its appearance as an oriental town, but the intensive modernization of Prishtina in socialist Yugoslavia had managed to completely change the structure and look of the city, and had even destroyed the old ,arshia (shopping street) and 18th and 19th century buildings to replace them with new ones.
The old narrow cobble stone streets and low mostly mud made houses were replaced by new modern complexes and wide streets, and attractive public buildings: the Assembly Building, Radio Station, the Television of Prishtina, Press and Publishing Hall, the University Library, several banking centers, etc.
 The Grand Hotel in Prishtina |
After Serbia revoked Kosova's autonomous status in 1989, virtually all public buildings and companies of Prishtina were taken over by Serbian appointed managements, which dismissed virtually all Albanian employees.
Prishtina is the most significant high education center of Kosova. The University of Prishtina, founded in 1970, is located here with its 13 faculties (colleges). Prishtina is also home of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Kosova which gathers Kosova's most prominent intellectuals, the Institute of Albanology, and the Institute of History. Unfortunately, after the Belgrade authorities revoked Kosova's autonomy and took over its administration, in an attempt to close down these institutions deprived them of their buildings and offices, forcing them to find alternative working space around the city. In addition, the Serb police frequently harrass members, professors, students and employees of these institutions.
The most popular localities of Prishtina are Kurrizi (The Spine) in the Dardania quarter and Qafa (The Neck) near the center of the city, which feature many shops, cafés and hangouts, opened in tunnels built within residential buildings.
