Top ten tourist attractions in Albania

Albania is located on the west bank of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe, bordering Serbia and Montenegro to the north, Macedonia to the northeast, Greece to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea to the west, and faces Italy across the Strait of Otranto. The coastline is 472 kilometers long. Mountains and hills account for 3/4 of the country's area, and the western coast is plains.

Tirana

Tirana is located in the west basin of Mount Kruya in central Albania, on the River of Isem. It is the capital and largest city of Albania, and the national political, economic and cultural center. The city was formed as a town in 1614 and designated as the capital in 1920. It is currently the largest tourist city in Albania.

Tirana has many cultural institutions, including the National Art Museum of Albania, the Natural History Museum of Albania, the National History Museum of Albania, and the National Opera House of Albania. It is the most ideal place to learn about the culture of this country. Tirana is surrounded by trees and has many parks and street gardens, making it the best place to relax. In the evenings of spring and summer, many parks have bands playing ancient and modern famous songs. Visitors can enjoy music while drinking beer and coffee. The city is home to a variety of Mose-style historical landmarks, including Tirana Bell Tower, Hatch Etheim Pay Mosque, Tannas Bridge, Skanderbeg Square, and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Skanderbeg Square Skanderbeg Square is the most important square in Tirana, the capital of Albania. The square's name comes from the name of Skanderbeg, a famous Albania hero in 1968. The Skanderbeg Monument stands on the square. Skanderbeg Square is the best place to experience daily life in Tirana, with children driving orange plastic cars roaring by at your feet, while real cars raising clouds of dust under the equestrian statue of Skanderbeg in the south of the square. When you stop to look at the national hero's trademark goat helmet, the steeple of the Et'hem Bey Mosque (1789 - 1823), one of the city's oldest buildings, pops into your eye. Behind the mosque is a tall bell tower that you can climb to overlook the square and the brightly colored Ferris wheel (a ride with seats hung on a giant vertically rotating ship named after its inventor, 19th-century American engineer George Ferris). There are also people from Tirana who look very small sitting in it.​

Hachi Etheim Pei Mosque

The Hachi Etheim Pey Mosque is located in the heart of Tirana, the capital of Albania. It was built in 1789 and was first named Molla Bey. Thanks to the work of Haxhi Et′hem Bey, the temple was completed in 1823. Haxhi Et′hem Bey is a descendant of Pacha Suleyman, an Ottoman general who founded the city of Tirana in 1614. At that time, he only built a mosque, public baths, and a bakery; this became widely known because in those days they were enough for a city.

This mosque is recognized as the most beautiful in Albania, with exquisite decoration on the outside. Unfortunately, to visit the inside, you must register and follow the directions. The paintings on the interior walls of the mosque represent trees, waterfalls, bridges and nature, which is unique in Islamic art. During the rule of Zero, the mosque was closed. Until January 1991, despite the obstruction of Zero, thousands of people poured into the temple carrying the national flag.

Berat and Gilo Castella Historical Center Berat and Gilo Castella Historical Center is a city in southern Albania. It was founded in the fourth century AD and is the oldest and most distinctive city in Albania. Berat is located in central Albania and is a rare and well-preserved Ottoman city. For centuries, Berat has witnessed centuries of peaceful coexistence among various religious and cultural groups. There is a famous castle in the city, which locals call Gara Castle.

The city of Gilo Castella has medieval castles, mosques, churches and museums. Local residents used stones to build houses and streets against the mountains, and used rock sheets instead of tiles to lay roofs, forming a major feature of local residential buildings. The gray stone roofs are staggered and staggered, which is the most prominent feature of the city. Therefore, the city is named "Stone City". Gjirokastra Castle, located at the highest point of the city, looks like a huge warship from a distance. It is said to be one of the earliest and largest mountain military fortresses in Europe.

It is a unique enjoyment to visit the 19th century houses of Gilo Castella, each building in a very different style and by no means the same. No such building can be seen anywhere else in Albania or even across Europe. Although they are different, their designs also have something in common. The city is known as the "Museum City" because of its architectural heritage.

Butrint

Butrint was part of the territory of ancient Albania. It is located in the highlands of Albania. It is covered with dense vegetation and protected by both nature and castles built by ancient residents. Butrint is a city and archaeological site in Albania that has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Historically, it was once a city of Epirus, later an ancient Roman colony, and later the residence of the bishop. In different periods, Butrint was expanded to varying degrees. The newly built buildings include a ditch, a Roman bath, a central square, a water temple, a baptism pool, a basilica, etc.

At present, Butrint has become a well-known archaeological site, showing the features of various periods in the city's development process. After the liberation of Albania, Albania archaeologists carried out more excavation activities, and ancient castles, acropolis, ancient markets, temples, public bathrooms and private houses were unearthed one after another. Thanks to the magical work of archaeologists, the ancient city is almost intact in front of people. A series of excavations have brought many cultural relics back to light, such as discs, vases, ceramic candlesticks, and statues, including "Butrint God", whose near-perfect shape seems to have become the ideal of the ancient Greeks. The embodiment of physical beauty.

Apollonia

Apollonia is an ancient Greek archaeological site located in Illyria, Albania, on the banks of the Aoös River. This ancient Greek temple site was built in 588 BC and flourished in ancient Rome. It was the most important city at that time. It was destroyed due to an earthquake and abandoned in the late classical era.

Apollonia was rediscovered by European classicists in the 18th century and was excavated by archaeologists from 1916 to 1918. The French team continued to explore it from 1924 to 1938. The central part of the site was destroyed during World War II, and many of it have not yet been fully excavated. Many archaeological discoveries are preserved in the Museum of Apollonia. In Apollonia, there are not only ancient theaters, but also sacred churches. Unfortunately, they have been destroyed, but the glory of this place at that time can still be seen.​

Durres Amphitheater

The Durres Amphitheater is located in the center of Durres, the second largest city in Albania. It is a large Roman amphitheater. The theater was built in the early 2nd century AD and discovered at the end of the 20th century. It is currently a well-known tourist attraction in Albania and has been listed as a World Heritage candidate.

Durres Amphitheater is the largest theater in the Balkans and can accommodate more than 20000 people. There is no such building in Albania. The theater was used as a performance venue until the fourth century AD, and an earthquake in 345 or 346 destroyed the theater. In the 1960s, one-third of the theater was excavated, and the rest was resurfaced in the 1980s. In 2004, the University of Parma began renovating the theater. The archaeological discovery theater was built on a hill and is oval in shape, with a long axis of 132.4 meters and a short axis of 113.2 meters; in the middle is the arena, which is also oval in shape, with a long axis of 61.4 meters, a short axis of 42.2 meters, and a height of 20 meters.

Shkotay Shkotay is a city located in northwest Albania, close to Lake Shkotay. It is the capital of Skotay and one of the most historical cities in Albania. This city is the cultural and economic center of northern Albania and is the fourth largest city in Albania after the industrial city of Elbasan in the center.

Shkoder has a Mediterranean climate and is one of the wettest cities in Europe. The only one that can compare with it is Bergen, the city on the west coast of Norway. It is an important educational and industrial center, and Luigi Gulakucci University is one of the famous academic centers in Albania. It is the most important Catholic city in Albania and the center of Catholicism in Albania. The public library in Shkoder has a collection of more than 250000 volumes, and also has facilities such as a cultural center, Artists and Writers Association, Mijemi Theater, art gallery, and history museum. In addition, there are historical buildings such as Rozaffa Castle, Turkish Baths, and Reed Mosque.

Shkoder also holds many activities such as Carnival, Children's Day, Lake Festival, and Shkoder Jazz Festival. Shkoder is also the center of Islamic learning. The only educational institution in Albania that provides high-level Arabic education and Islamic studies is located in Shkoder.

Lake Shkotay

Lake Skodar, also known as "Lake Skodasco" or "Lake Skutari", is a boundary lake on the border between Albania and Montenegro. It is the largest freshwater lake area in the Mediterranean Basin. The lake area has become a cross-border protected area between Albania and Montenegro. Lake Shkoder is named after the City of Shkoder on the east bank of the lake. It is 48 kilometers long, 14 kilometers wide at its widest point, 44 meters deep at its deepest point, and an area of 370-530 square kilometers. It is the largest lake in the Balkans.

The mountains in the west and northwest of Lake Shkotay are steep, and there are plains and swamps in the east. The lake is replenished by river water and a small amount of groundwater. Six rivers inject into the lake. In winter, the water volume increases, and the lake surface can expand by one-third. When the water rises, it can reach 530 square kilometers. There are many small villages by the lake, famous for their ancient temples and castles. The lake is crystal clear, and the small villages on the shore are reflected in the water. They are very beautiful. There will always be small boats anchored in the lake. Lake Shkoder has the most important bird habitat and migration area in the region. There are approximately 270 bird species, including spotted billed pelicans and golden eagles. Lake Shkoder has 45 fish species, and there are many mammals in the surrounding area.

Vallebone Valley National Park

Valbona Valley National Park is part of the Albania Alps. It was established in 1996 and covers an area of approximately 8000 hectares, including the Valbona Valley and the Valbona River. This is a transboundary park located in Albania and Montenegro, with four villages located in the park.

The landscapes in Vallebone Valley National Park are diverse, including rolling peaks, gurgling streams, flying waterfalls, and quiet lakes. The scenery is unique and breathtaking. This is the most important wildlife reserve in Albania. Not only do you live with many large mammals, you can also occasionally admire rare animals such as Western grouse and golden eagles. This is a national park famous for its tourism. Because there are many villagers living in the park, they usually rent out their extra houses. In addition, the cultural customs here are also an important part of tourism, and local villagers will also have wonderful dance performances and folk performances.