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
Tips & articles
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Top 10 countries for 2011: Europe’s got the goods
3 November 2010
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011 has just come out, and Albania has claimed the number one spot in the...
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Lonely Planet’s top 10 countries for 2011
31 October 2010
Where in the world should you go next year? Our in-house travel experts, including Lonely Planet cofounder Tony Wheeler, have...
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Mediterranean Europe: travel books to read before you go
1 October 2010
This excerpt from Lonely Planet’s Mediterranean Europe guide provides a selection of travel literature to get you in the mood...
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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Albania
Things to do
- All things to do (51)
- Activities (1)
- Entertainment (8)
- Restaurants (10)
- Shopping (2)
- Sights (28)
- Tours (2)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Albania
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1 Berat
Visit beautiful Berat, a living museum of Ottoman houses, elegant mosques and an ancient citadel.
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2 Rozafa Fortress
Indulge your Lord of the Rings fantasies at Shkodra’s dramatic Rozafa Fortress .
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3 Tirana
Touring Albania’s colourful capital Tirana reveals tantalising glimpses of its recent communist past.
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4 Ionian Coast
Travel down the high mountain pass to the olive groves framing isolated white beaches; the crystalline Ionian Coast is nothing short of spectacular.
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5 Butrint
Travel back in time to the ruins of Butrint, hidden in the depths of the forest in a serene lakeside setting.
Fast Facts about Albania
- Visas
No visa needed for citizens of the EU, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.
- Area
28,748 sq km
- Population
3,582,205
- Currency
lekë; €1 = 123 lekë; US$1 = 97.04 lekë; UK£1 = 182.15 lekë; A$1 = 72.94 lekë; ¥100 = 82.59 lekë; NZ$1 = 63.45 lekë
- ATMs In most cities and towns
- Country codes 355; international access code 00
- Famous for concrete bunkers, Ismail Kadare
- Language Albanian
- Population 3,582,205
- Time GMT/UTC + 1
- Phrases Miremengjes (good morning), miredita (good day), mirembrema (good evening), c'kemi (what's up), mirupafshim (goodbye), ju lutem (please), faleminderit (thank you)
- Head of state President Bamir Topi
- Capital Tirana
Our favourite Albania Blogs (beta)
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Vagabond Hiker Scholar – Francis Tapon
Blog: Vagobond.com - 21 January 2012
If there is a modern day heir to the great traveler/scholar Ibn Batutta - I would say that Francis Tapon is the guy. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more!
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Three Odd Interactions With The Men of Gjirokastra
Blog: Lonely Girl Travels - 4 November 2011
1. Stone/dirt path scramble, muddy Converse and I’m chasing rubble: mad crumbled buildings in this town, falling like trash down the mountainside, and the urban explorer/trespasser in me can’t get enough. Guy sitting on his stoop—track suit and cheap sunglasses, smoking what smells like weed. Give him a nod, which I can’t tell if he [...]
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No Prayers in Shkoder
Blog: Lonely Girl Travels - 27 October 2011
Exercise: 20 minutes of contemporaneous note-taking, cafe in Shkoder. Click of heels on stones and bass of techno, bicycle chains and conversations. The lamps click on their orange glow, against the minarets and mountains. Two men in business suits behind me, speaking accented English and I have to turn and look, have to stop and [...]
