Introducing Albania
Awaking Sleeping Beauty–like in the 1990s from her hardline communist isolation, Albania was a stranger from another time. Her cities weren’t choked by car fumes, her beaches were unspoilt by mass tourism, her long-suffering people were a little dazed and confused. While things have changed a lot since then, this ancient land still offers something increasingly rare in Europe these days – a glance into a culture that is all its own. Raised on a diet of separation and hardship, Albania is distinctly Albanian.
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You’ll continue to find beautiful pristine beaches on parts of the Ionian Coast (try the charming town of Saranda), fascinating classical sites like ancient Berat, and dramatic mountain citadels, but the mad traffic of Tirana is symptomatic of a bustling, bright city shrugging off its Stalinist grey patina. Squat toilets are no longer the norm and you can even sip cocktails at hip bars while listening to rock bands. Meanwhile, Northern Albania keeps the country's reputation as a wild frontier alive and well, with bleak mountains and the occasional blood feud.
Not just the preserve of the adventurous, Albania is a warm and sincerely hospitable country – with enough rough edges to keep it interesting.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Go on an Albanian adventure along the Adriatic coast
- Discover Albania an extensive jaunt from Vienna to Athens
Last updated: Feb 20, 2012
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Balkan trip - help please
by everbrite 24 May 2012
You have too many places for too short a period of time. You indicate 10 possible stops in a period of 18 nights. Try looking at a map…
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Re: [TRIP] Help me make it shorter
by hunventure 24 May 2012
It's too much... Look! I know the airfare is high from Buenos Aires but it will costs a lot on transportation, almost the same as another…
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RE: The
by peromyscus 23 May 2012
Arvo. Q, my browswer auto-paused at 1.37 of the Albania video. Which I like, though I am only listening to it, not watching. It sound…
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