Informacione mbi turizmin kombëtar
ALBANIA
The Republic of Albania is a Balkan country in southeastern Europe. It borders Montenegro in the northwest, Kosovo in the North, The Republic of Macedonia in the East and Greece in the South. It has a coast on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The capital and the largest city of Albania is Tirana. The official language of this country is Albanian. Albania lies in an area of 28’748 km2. In the Southeastern part there is the Ohrid Lake which is the deepest lake. The average depth is 138 m and the largest depth is 295 m. Despite this lakes there are a lot of glace lakes in the Albanian Alps.The population reaches 3’581’656 inhabitants. The currency of Albania is Lek. Albania consists of most hilly and mountainous terrain with the highest mountain, Korab reaching up to 2753 m. In the northwest part of the country there is the Shkodra Lake which is the largest in the Balkan Peninsula. It is 368 km2 One of the most beautiful part of Albania is its coastline with blue-green unspoiled sandy and rocky beaches. Also Albania has a reach historical heritage dating 2500 years ago. What makes Albania particular is that in a small surface you can find Alpine and Mediterranean climate, dreamy beaches, adventurous climbing, canoeing and a lot of secrets that you will find out only by visiting Albania.
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania’s capital in 1920. It has a population of 700’000 inhabitants. Instead of different industries, Tirana has a variety of cultural elements. The Et’hem Bey mosque which was begun in1789 and finished in 1821. Another landmark located near the Et’hem Bey Mosque, in Scanderbeg square, is the clock tower which was built in 1830. The tabakeve and Herezive bridges date from the beginning of the 20th century. The tomb of Kapllan Hysa, near the monument of the Unknown Soldier was built in 1816. The fortress of Petrela, 12 km from Tirana, dates from the 4th century B.C. Tirana also features many governmental and social buildings of great importance for the state. Mother Teresa Airport is located 25 km northwest of the city, off the road to Durres. Tirana is a very lively city. In the morning you can jog in the lake park of Tirana, then you can organize your day with different cultural activites, and the night is as lively as the day with a lot of night clubs fully frequented by the youth.
Shkodra
Shkodra the capital of the North is one of the most ancient cities in Albania. Founded in the IV century B.C., the city has played a very important role in Albanian culture and history. Shkodra retains its characteristic appearance with narrow streets with tall stone walls on both sides and tall gates. Serresh and Gijadol are the most attractive quarters of the city where you can touch the richness of the culture. But you can’t live Shkodra without visiting the Venetian citadel of Rozafa which is situated on the western part of the city. With a spectacular sightseeing it has also a very interesting legend. Other places where you can enjoy the time is the Velipoja beach with its curative sand, the Shkodra Lake suitable for fishing, rowing etc.
Lezha
Lezha is a city in Northwestern Albania. It has a population of 17,000 inhabitants. Before you spend the afternoon on the beach of Shëngjin, take the short hike up the mountain in Lezha to the castle ruins. There is a breathtaking view of the mountain, villages and the coast. Lezha was the site of the League of Lezha in 1444 where Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, the National Hero, united the Albanian princes in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. In this city is the final resting place of the hero. His tomb includes the remnants of an ancient fresco.
Kruja
The town of Kruja is located 32 km in the Northwest of Tirana. It rises 560 m above sea level on the slopes of Sari- Salltik mountain. It provides to visitors the great view of majestic landscape and a rich collection of historical and cultural objects. The most important is the castle of Kruja which was built during the 5th and 6th centuries. The surrounding walls are reinforced by nine towers which served as an observation and signaling post during the Ottoman attack. Despite the wars and the time there can still be found the remains of a few houses.
Durrës
One of the oldest cities, the country’s main sea port, the second largest industrial center after Tirana. Durres lies on a small peninsula on the coast of Adriatic Sea. All through the history, Durres was the most important city which linked West Europe with East. Between the 1st and 3rd centuries it was an important port and trading center on the Via Egnatia trading route between Rome and Byzantium. After a great number of earthquakes , much of ancient Durres sank into the sea or collapsed and was subsequently built over. You can visit the remains of the amphitheatre which is one of the biggest and most exquisite monuments that has survived from the ancient city. Today the city is well known for the nearby beach resort of Durres, its wonderful sand and warm sea water.
Elbasan
Elbasan is the site of the ancient city of Skampa founded in the 1st century A.D.. It came into being and developed during the construction of the Egnatia route. Elbasan is surrounded by walls built in the 4th century. Elbasan (in Turkish) means fortress. Beside the hotel “Skampa” is a bath-house of the Turkish period. A museum relating the history of the Elbasan district is located in the fortress. Today Elbasan has a population of 80’000 inhabitants and it is Albania’s 4th largest town. It is located in central Albania. A variety of industries are developed in Elbasan. Till 1990 this city was the capital of metallurgic combine in Albania.
Pogradec
Pogradec lies on the southeastern part of Albania, lakeshore of Ohrid Lake. It has ancient historical background. Situated 720 m above sea level and surrounded by mountains and Ohrid Lake, the town represents a basin of special and pleasant climate. In addition to the climate, the Lake Ohrid, the deepest in Balkan, makes the town more attractive and one of the most preferred tourist resorts, providing good opportunities for bathing, swimming, fishing and water sports. Rich are the rare species of the water fauna in this lake. Worth mentioning the fish Koran, hardly to find in other lakes of the world over. It is famous for its delicious meat, which winter period is red and during the summer is white. The tourist resort of Driloni 5 km away from the town which beauty and natural surroundings will leave you breathless. There, the decorative trees and plants are full in harmony with water springs, characteristic bridges and three bars and restaurants offering typical local dishes. The lakeside village of Lin is a charming opportunity to see Lake Ohrid from a traditional perspective. The Byzantine church ruins, under World Heritage protection, have a modern cover constructed to keep the treasures from further deterioration.
Korça
Korca is situated at the foot of Morava mountain, 896 m above sea level, on the Southeastern Albania . It has a population of 60’000 inhabitants. Korca is an important agricultural and industrial center. In the city of serenades you can enjoy the biggest carnivals held in Albania. Korca was a very important city all through the history. It is home of the Mirahor mosque, dating back to 1466; the museum of medieval art; the first Albanian school opened on 7th of March 1887 etc.In the northern part of the district you will be satisfied by Prespa Lake. Its clean water offers opportunities for sunbathing to the tourists. In the small island of Maligrad is an interested eremite church.
Voskopoja
Voskopoja village is situated only 21 km from Korca, is one of the rare countries with such a developed history. In its glory days, in 1760s, it is said that it had a population surpassing 60’000 inhabitants and was the second city of the Balkans after Istanbul. The city have been inhabited by Vlachs / Aromanians. It was a very important center of commerce between Balkan and Europe. It had various manufacturing plants, around 70 churches, banks, a printing press and even a university. Today Voskopoja is just a small mountain village in the district of Korca. Of the old city only five Orthodox churches survive and lay in ruin. Voskopoja has a natural beauty with snow in the winter and the fresh green of the trees in the spring.
Gjirokastra
Gjirokastra, the stony city, is a picturesque museum town in Southern Albania. Gjirokastra is like an Albanian eagle perched on the mountain side with a mighty citadel for its head. The fortress surveys the Drino valley above the three and four – storey houses clinging to the slopes. Both buildings and streets are made of the same white and black stone. Gjirokastra’s population is around 40’000 and one of the biggest cities of southern Albania. Gjirokastra has a flourishing bazaar where embroidery, felt, silk and the still – famous white cheese were traded. What strikes the visitors most in Gjirokastra are its typical and characteristic houses which resemble little fortresses, clustered one above other. In the center of the town is the Memedheu ABC Monument, commemorating the renaissance of Albanian education around the turn of 20th century. Dominating the town is the 14th century citadel, now a museum of Armaments, with a collection of old cannons and guns.
Saranda
Saranda is situated in an open sea gulf, the gateway to the southern Albania, opposite the island of Corfu. The name Saranda derives from an early Christian monastery dedicated to Santi Quaranta (forty Saints).The sea panorama, the variety of flora favored by the soft climate, makes Saranda the preferred centre for rest and recreation and an important tourist town. Most Albanian couples come to spend their honeymoon in Saranda. That’s why it is known in Albania as the town of honey mooners. Don’t forget to have a coffee at the Lekursi castle on the top of a dominant hill over Saranda, only 2 km far from the town. It is another attractive, historical site, that was built up during XVI -XV centuries, by Sultan Suleimani in his campaign to conquer Corfu. If you have more time you should go to the magical place of “Blue Eye” spring (in Albanian “Syri i Kalter”), only 18 km northeast of Saranda. At this beautiful spot, shaded by centuries old oak trees, a twelve headed dragon, according to the legend, jeausly guarded and held back the spring waters from the villagers. Consequently, pagan rituals were carried out by sacrificing young voluptuous maidens to the gods of the same waters.
Butrinti
Butrinti is the first place you should visit in Saranda. It is one of the most interesting settlements of the 2nd century B.C. This ancient city is under UNESCO protection. Places of interest you should visit in Butrint is the old amphitheatre, the temple of Aesculapius, the baptistery with colorful mosaics and the ancient city walls. An old fortress housing a small museum watches over the entire site which is one of the last unspoiled natural and ancient historical areas remaining in Mediterranean.
Vlora
Vlora is a coastal city located in southwestern Albania. It is the second major sea port after Durresi. Vlora is not only a major port but of great historical importance. For it was here in 1912 that the Assembly was convened which first national government headed by Ismail Qemali. In recognition of this, it was proclaimed a “Hero City” in 1962. The city’s main square is Sheshi I Flamurit (Flag Square). The oldest traces of civilization in the area of Vlora date back to the 6th century B.C. The ancient name of Vlora was Aulona. It was and it is still known for its wine, olives, salt etc. During the Medieval Age, the town’s fate was linked with the Castle of Kanina. Beaches in Vlora are nearby, and at the mouth of the bay is the island of Sazan, the biggest island of Albania.
Himara, Dhërmi
Himara is a region along the Albanian Ionian Sea coast, opposite of the northern side of the Epirote Islands (Corfu Island in particular). The main town of the region is Himara and there are seven villages: Dhermi, Palase, Vuno, Pilur, Qeparo, Shen Vasil, Kudhes, Ilias. The whole region is characterized by high mountains falling steeply to meet a crystal clear sea. There are long white rocky beaches and the few hills close to the seaare generally terraced and planted with olive, orange and citrus trees. The views are breathtaking on the way down to Palase. A short distance south lies Dhërmi, the biggest village in the region after the town of Himara and one of the most beautiful of the whole seaside.
Berat
Known as “The city of a thousand windows”, Berat has been declared a “Museum City”. Situated in the South central Albania, near the Osum River and overshadowed to the east by mount Tomorr, Berat has a population of 37’000 inhabitants. The hills and the mountain slopes around Berat are planted with fig trees, olive trees and other fruits. Built on the slopes of a mountain, the old Turkish part of the town is very picturesque, being largely encompassed by the medieval fortress. Berat has innumerable beautiful places to visit. The Onufri Museum, dedicated to the 16th century painter and his contemporaries, houses restored icons in an Orthodox church and there is a magnificent castle. Near the street running down from the fortress is the Bachelors Mosque (Xhamia e Beqarit) built in 1827. This has a handsome portico and an interesting external decoration of flowers, plants, houses etc. The Kings Mosque (Xhamia e Mbretit), the oldest in the town built in the reign of Bayazid II, is notable for its fine ceiling. The Leaden Mosque (Xhamia e Plumbit), built in 1555 is so called from the cover of its cupola. This mosque is the center of the town. Berat is one of the rare cities in Albania whose architecture has remain unmoved.
Apollonia
About eight miles outside the city of Fier, are the ruins of the ancient city of Apollonia, uncovered from a 1000-year nap. Founded in 588 B.C by Greeks of Corinth, the city quickly grew to 50’000 inhabitants by the 2nd century B.C. Apollonia later became a free Roman city after it sided with Julius Caesar during the war against Pompey. It developed into a cultural center of the arts until the 3rd century A.D when an earthquake rerouted a river and lead to the city decline. The archeologists have made some progress excavating the site but much of the ancient city still remains buried in the hill.