Travelling through this country today, it is easy to imagine that the best kept secret in Europe has already begun to be revealed to the greatest number of visitors…
Pasqyra Beach
There are plenty of studies out there touting just how important it is for humans to spend around water. It makes us calmer, more creative, and all-around better people. But why spend time around any old water source when you can spend the day next to the bluest water in the world?
To help people find the bluest waters, CV Villas collected unfiltered Google map images of 200 beaches around the globe, then analyzed them to show their RGB color code and cross-referenced that with the color code of the certified bluest shade of blue, YInMn Blue, which was discovered by scientists at Oregon State University in 2009.
After doing all that homework, the team found that Pasqyra Beach (Mirror Beach) in Albania has the bluest water in the world.
“Pasqyra Beach” claims the top spot, with its sea being just 12.4 points off the YInMn Blue shade,” the company shared in the findings provided to Travel + Leisure. Known around the world as “Mirror Beach” it is considered to be a highlight of the Albanian coastline when the sunlight hits the surface of the sea, creating a mirror-like effect.”
The beach sits at the southern end of the nation, just across the way from the Greek island of Corfu, and nestled between large rock formations that help to protect it from the wind.
Joining Pasqyra Beach on the list of bluest waters is “Paralia Mpouka” (Long Beach) in Greece in second, sitting just 13.6 points away from YInMn Blue, followed by Kassiopi in Greece in third at just 14.1 points away. They are joined by Plage de la Vernette in France, and Kaputas Beach in Turkey, rounding out the top five.
The moral of the story is if you want to see some seriously blue water, book a flight to Albania and Greece ASAP. See more at cvvillas.com.
Rich history and architectural heritage
If many religious buildings were destroyed during the Communist period, Albania retains a host of heritage monuments of the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. Byzantine churches and mosques coexist side by side.
Visiting the 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
Buthrotum 5000BC; For UNESCO, it is a “Microcosm of Mediterranean history”. According to the poet Virgil (1st century BC), “It reminds the Portae Scaeae (lat.) of mythical Troy”; Those that were opened by the conquerors of the Trojan horse to allow the Greek soldiers to enter the city.
Gjirokastra the “Stone town” offers sweeping panoramas. This long corridor surrounded by steep mountains was a mandatory crossing point for the great tribes of Epirus (Chaons, Molossians, etc.), Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. This is evidenced by the castles of Gjirokastra, Tepelena and Libohova, the ruins of the ancient cities of Antigone and Hadrianopolis and the old churches.
Berat the 2400 years old town, can even provide the feeling of being one of these precursor travelers of the nineteenth century. The so-called “City of One-On-One Windows” in reference to the facades of its adjoining Ottoman houses,
Strongly influenced by Hellenic, Slavic and Muslim cultures, today it has one of the richest cultural heritages in the country: the preserved old quarters of Gorica and Mangalem, the fantastic still inhabited castle, the Byzantine churches decorated by the best Albanian artists of the Middle Ages. the oldest mosques in Albania, sublime Orthodox icons of the Onufri Museum and beautiful hotels that respect traditional architecture.
Lin, the picturesque village on Lake Ohrid, which houses the 7800-year-old settlement, the earliest in Europe, recently discovered by archaeologists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin,_Kor%C3%A7%C3%AB
Bunk’Art 1 & Bunk’Art 2, martyrdom and the history of one of the harshest communist dictatorships in the world.
Grandiose landscapes
Albania is a country of mountains (three quarters of the territory), lakes and rivers. Its fauna and flora are of great richness. There you can find wolves, bears and eagles. The country has preserved natural parks where it is possible to walk without meeting a living soul. The coastline (472 km) offers very diverse landscapes: from long beaches and wetlands on the Adriatic coast (north), to small caves and mountains plunging into the sea on the Ionian coast (south). The climate, finally, is marked by always hot and sunny summers!
The Vjosa River in Albania is one of the last big, wild rivers in Europe. The river and its tributaries flow freely from the mountains in Greece to the Adriatic coast in Albania. This wilderness area is made up of an enormous mosaic of different habitat types, from the narrow gorges in the upper part, to the wide braided river sections in the middle part, to the near-natural delta at the Adriatic Sea. The middle stretch alone is made up of at least eight habitat types that have the highest conservation importance, at EU level.
Curiosity meeting new people with distinct language and great hospitality
After the long isolation experienced by the population, where the bunkers grew like mushrooms and everyone was an enemy, now the country is westernized at great speed, taking advantage of the natural resources, showing with pride to the world the values, history and hospitality.
The Albanians are ambitious people, speaking many languages and showing great hospitality, as they want to suggest you every hidden corner worth visiting for an unforgettable experience.
The Albanian landscapes are wonderful, wherever you are, the sea and/or mountains occupy the horizon.
Bio local food
Albanian cuisine is at the intersection of western and eastern tastes. It has as much Turkish influence (grilled meats, pies, baklava) as Southern Italy and its summer vegetable-based sauces. More rustic than refined, it uses quality fresh products typical of Mediterranean countries (tomatoes, eggplants, olive oil, peppers).
Lakes and rivers offer excellent freshwater fish like the Salmo Letnica in Lake Ohrid, while sea fishes and mussels are a specialty of the Saranda region and along the coastline.
The most common meat dishes are the lamb ribs, veal steak and free-range chicken oven cooked in home-made spaghetti (Tave Pule). Usually served with cheese, salads and raw vegetables. Many restaurants, often located in pleasant surroundings on the outskirts of cities, have made grilled meat a specialty. Other very popular meats include veal escalope, offal and pâté, the latter grilled or served in soup.
Traditional cooking:
“Fergese”
A dish served very hot with diced meat, tomatoes and peppers cooked in beaten eggs. There is a version where only vegetables are cooked in eggs.
“Pace koke”
A thick soup made from sheep’s head and usually eaten for breakfast.
“Tave kosi” Casserole
Cooking made from yogurt, eggs, mutton and rice, all cooked in the oven.
“Tarator”
Cold soup made with cucumber, garlic, olive oil and yogurt, especially refreshing in summer.
