Albania, Travel Guide
Yet this is a land of untouched natural beauty, with a rich history dating back to the ancient Illyrians and Greeks. It has become a solid favorite of backpackers looking for an affordable, off-the-beaten-path destination to explore.
I absolutely loved my time visiting Albania. It’s a country full of good food and welcoming people. I enjoyed it so much that I extended my stay.
Hikers and nature lovers can partake of all the hiking and trekking here, beach lovers have the Albanian Riviera along the Ionian coast, and history buffs can wander the uncrowded UNESCO sites such as Butrint (an ancient Roman city), Berat, and Gjirokastër.
Albania is on the up and up, with more tourists visiting each year. I think will become as popular (and expensive) as Croatia in the next couple of years, so visit now before the crowds come.
This travel guide to Albania can help you plan the perfect trip there without blowing your budget.
Closed to outsiders for much of the 20th century, Albania has long been Mediterranean Europe’s enigma. Until fairly recently its rumpled mountains, fortress towns and sparkling beaches were merely a rumour on most travel maps. But, with the end of a particularly brutal strain of communism in 1991, Albania tentatively swung open its gates. The first curious tourists to arrive discovered a land where ancient codes of conduct still held sway and where the wind whistled through the shattered remnants of half-forgotten ancient Greek and Roman sites. A quarter of a century after throwing off the shackles of communism, Albania’s stunning mountain scenery, crumbling castles, boisterous capital and dreamy beaches rivalling any in the Mediterranean continue to enchant. But hurry here, because as word gets out about what Albania is hiding, the still-tiny trickle of tourists threatens to become a flood.
