©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Albania
Includes  Why Go?
Tirana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Albania has natural beauty in such abundance that you
Shkodra. . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 might wonder why it took 20 years for the country to take
The Accursed off as a tourist destination since the end of a particularly
Mountains. . . . . . . . . . . 50 brutal strain of communism in 1991. So backward was Al-
Berat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 bania when it emerged blinking into the bright light of free-
dom that it needed two decades just to catch up with the
Saranda. . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
rest of Eastern Europe. Now that it has arguably done so,
Gjirokastra. . . . . . . . . . . 54 Albania offers a remarkable array of unique attractions, not
least due to this very isolation: ancient mountain codes of
behaviour, forgotten archaeological sites and villages where
time seems to have stood still are all on the menu. With its
Best Places stunning mountain scenery, a thriving capital in Tirana and
to Eat beaches to rival any elsewhere in the Mediterranean, Alba-
nia has become the sleeper hit of the Balkans. But hurry
¨¨Boutique de l’Artiste here, as word is well and truly out.
(p47)
¨¨Uka Farm (p48)
¨¨Mullixhiu (p47)
¨¨Mare Nostrum (p53)
When to Go
Tirana
Best Places °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm

to Stay
30/86 10/250

20/68 8/200
¨¨Stone City Hostel (p55)
10/50 6/150
¨¨Tradita G&T (p49)
0/32 4/100
¨¨Trip ‘N’ Hostel (p45)
-10/14 2/50
¨¨Hotel Mangalemi (p52)
-20/-4 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Jun Enjoy the Jul–Aug Albania’s Dec See features

perfect Mediterra- beaches may be and shorts at
nean climate and packed, but this the Tirana Film
deserted beaches. is a great time Festival, while the
to explore the intrepid can snow-
mountains. shoe to Theth.
66
666 MONTENEGRO
Plav ]
#
] Peja
(Peć)
KOSOVO
Albania
Highlights
43

66
66
#
1 Lake Koman
Accursed Valbona Morina 0̧
E851
Ferry (p50) Join
Mountains #
2 +
#
0̧ the hardy locals on
#
\
#
\
Bajram # E65 this magical boat ride
Hani i Theth #
\ Qafë
\
Curri
Hotit #
÷ Valbona +
#
#
\
Prush through stunning
Theth #÷

A lba nia H i gh l i ghts

Dr ini National Park
+
# National #
\
mountain scenery
Kruma

66666
Park f
# Fierzë # Morinë
+
# across an immense
Lake \

0̧ 0̧
Lake Lake Fierza #
\
# man-made lake.
_

0̧
Skadar Koman E851
Kukës #
] E65
E762
#1 Puka Tetovo
2 Accursed
#
]
#
\ #
\
Koman
#
\
Mountains (p50)
Shkodra Do the wonderful
+
#
Sukobin day trek between the

66666
#
\ Lura isolated mountain
Ulcinj #
÷ National Park #
÷ Mavrovo villages of Valbona
Rreshen National Park
#
\
Peshkopia and Theth and
Milot experience some
0̧
#
\
of Albania’s best
E851 Qafe Shtama
Blato+ scenery.
Dr

National #
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\
Kruja #
÷ Park
in

#
\ #
]
3 Berat (p52)

666
Bulqiza
MACEDONIA
i

#
\
÷ Zall Gjocaj
#
#
National Park
Mt Dajti
÷ National
0̧E65
Explore this Unesco
World Heritage–listed
Park museum town, known
To Tr ieste #
#
_
5
Tirana
Durrës as the ‘city of a
0̧
#
\

ona
0̧ thousand windows’.
# Ohrid
]
To An c i E852
E852 #
\
r +
#\ Lake
a 4 Albania Riviera
B Kavaja \
0̧
# #
To #
\
Elbasan Ohrid
E853 Stenje Lake (p54) Catch some
Prespa
ni sun at one of the
S hkumbi +
#
Divjaka ÷ Pogradec \ many gorgeous
National Park #
#
#
\
Lake Prespa ÷ beaches and coves
#
\ Lushnja National Park #
on Albania’s Ionian
0̧ E853 #
\ Kuçova Mt Tomorri
National Park
coast.
Kapshtica
Berat #
3
R#
÷
Korça \
# #
\ 5 Tirana (p44)]
#
Apollonia ä
#\ Mt Tomorri +
# Feast your eyes
# Fier #
\
(2415m) Drenova #÷
V jo National Park on the wild colour
To sa schemes and
Bri Riv
n di s e
i experience Blloku
r

Sazan #
\
Vlora cafe culture in the
plucky Albanian
Karaburun
Peninsula
0̧
E853 #
\
Këlcyra
capital.
6 Gjirokastra
Llogara Pass 0̧
E90 (p54) Take a trip
National Park #
÷\ Dhërmi
#\ Gjirokastra to this traditional
# Vuno
#
Albania Rivieria # 4
#\
Ù #
\
#Himara # 6
#
\ Albanian mountain
Ù
#\
Jal #
\
Borsch Blue Eye town, with its
Livadhi
GREECE
0̧
#
\ Spring Kakavija spectacular Ottoman-
Bunec E853 # Y +
##
\
#
\ era mansions and
Saranda
#
\ Mesopotamia impressive hilltop
fortress.
Ksamil
#
\ ^
#
Butrint # Ioannina
÷
National Park +
#
#
\
Konispoli
Corfu ^#
Kerkyra
IONIAN SEA
GREECE

e
# 00 50 km
25 miles
#
\