Come and discover the rich and varied heritage of Albania; Butrinti, the ancient Illyrian city, Berat the Ottoman wonder, Gjirokastra, the enchanting stone town of Ismail Kadare, but also castles, mosques and churches, built side by side. Buildings born from the painful history of Communist dictatorship times are not hidden, but diverted. Bunkers that used to grow like mushrooms have thus been transformed into barns or discotheques.
Butrinti (Buthrotum 5 000 BC)
Explore the ancient ruins of this UNESCO World Heritage site.
A magical place where lush nature mixes with rich Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine, Greek and Venetian remains. For UNESCO, it is a “Microcosm of Mediterranean history”. A magical place that inspired Virgil, Racine and Lord Byron, where Eugène Delacroix and Edward Lear set up their easel to paint. Its antiquity and exceptional natural location made this ensemble a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the fall of the communist regime in 1992. Cicero in the 1st century BCdescribed it as: “The quietest, cutest and most pleasant place in the world”.
Berat – Visit the “City of One-Over-One Windows”
The King’s Mosque and Church of the Holy Trinity, 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.Enjoy this well-preserved Ottoman architecture style city.
Gjirokastra – The magnificent Stone town
Preserved and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with unique architectural composition, a castle and a rich Old Bazaar where you can buy souvenirs.Seen from a distance, the most beautiful city in Albania looks somewhat harsh. A shade of gray tones composed of the stones of the houses that pile up as you climb higher and the stones of the roofs and roads that harmonize with those of the mountain. This impression is reinforced by the castle that dominates the valley of Drin and by the view of some houses, surrounded by defensive towers; No windows on the ground floor, towers on the first floor and balconies with corbels. the rare use of white varnish. However, when you enter the city, it’s noticeable the charm of quaint houses, streets paved with black, white and pink motifs, and the friendly appearance of the inhabitants. Gjirokastra is a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman architecture style.
Kruja Castle
Learn about Illyrian-Roman wars and Albania’s national hero, Skanderbeg “The knight of the Christianism”, uniting Albanian Principates and leading the biggest Anti-Osman resistance of the 15-th century 1443-1468, defeating large Osman armies applying guerrilla tactics.
Skanderbeg, whose real name is Gjergj Kastrioti, is the national hero of the Albanians. After being trained by the Ottomans, he fought them for nearly twenty-five years with such heroism that his fame went beyond borders. Antonio Vivaldi composed an opera in his honorand Pierre de Ronsard dedicated a poem to him, as did the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In addition to the many statues to his glory that decorate the squares of the country’s main cities, a museum established by Enver Hoxha’s daughter has been dedicated to him in Kruja.
Apollonia – Walk through the ruins of this ancient Greek city
Founded by settlers from Corinth and Corcyra (Corfu) around 600 BC, in what was the country of the Taulantines (Illyrian tribe). Apollonia developed in the 6th and especially in the 5th century BC, extending its influence southwards to the detriment of Thronion (present-day Vlora). Besieged in 314 by the Taulantine king Glaukas, it was saved somewhat fortuitously, thanks to Spartan troops passing through. However, it was taken during the same year 314 by the king of Macedonia, Cassander, who quickly returned it after the intervention of Corcyra. From the 3rd century, Apollonia was placed under the supervision of Rome, which freed it from the control of the Illyrian kings and in particular of Queen Teuta. The city became an important Roman port on the Adriatic. Occupied during the Macedonian War, it was liberated by the Romans (205 BC). Always loyal to Rome, the city supported Caesar during the war against Pompey. Octavian, the future Roman emperor Augustus, came to live there for six months to complete his education. He will grant it the very rare privilege of “free and immune city”. Subsequently, all emperors continued to maintain excellent relations with the city, which allowed it to preserve its language, its currencies and its institutions. If Apollonia was conquered by the Goths in the 4th century, its end, however, seems to be mainly due to a series of earthquakes which modified the course of the Aous
Rozafa Castle
Enjoy panoramic views of the Buna River and Shkodra lake and delve into local legends…Perched at an altitude of 133 m, the Rozafa citadel was the scene of the terrible siege of 1479 by Ottoman army commanded by Sultan Mehmet II “The Conqueror” himself. Forming a vast triangle of 200 ha, it is one of the best-preserved fortresses in the country. Occupation of the site dates back at least to the Bronze Age and the wallswhich rest in places of Illyrian foundations, were largely erected during the Venetian period (end of the 14th century). A Mosque was built in 1479, named Fatih in honor of Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror), built on the ruins of former Saint-Stephane Cathedral (katedralja e Shën Shtjefnit, 13th century.) to which was added a minaret which is characterized by its orthogonal shape in height and square at the base. At the western tip are the powder magazine and the former residence of the pashas now converted into a museum. This, restored in 2011, houses a beautiful collection of objects from all periods discovered on site, including a Roman mosaic from the 3rd-4th century. Also worth noting: the hammam, next to the mosque, several water tanks scattered around the site, and, just before the main entrance, the tomb of a family of viziers (ministers of the Ottoman Empire) from Shkodra.
Durres Amphitheatre
Built in the 2nd century. during the reign of Emperor Trajan, it was the largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans with a capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 spectators (about a third of the capacity of the Colosseum in Rome. Leaning on a hill, it forms an ellipse 136 m in diameter, the highest stands rising 20 m high above the arena which hosted the gladiators. It is possible to enter under the stands via stairs leading to galleries where 40 skeletons with broken necks were discovered (probably gladiators or Christian martyrs). These galleries house a paleo-Christian chapel (4th century) decorated with mosaics from the 6th century. It seems that the amphitheater stopped functioning after the great earthquake of 345 and the place came to be a Christian sanctuary from the 5th century. Another medieval chapel was built in the 13th century. and the amphitheater covered during the 16th century. during the Ottoman period. Surrounded on all sides by modern dwellings, some of which were built over part of the arena itself, it was not the subject of scientific excavations until 1966. The parts then discovered have suffered serious damage due to the uncontrolled urbanization of the city. In 2013, the European cultural heritage organization Europa Nostra placed the Durrës Amphitheater on the list of most endangered sites.
Voskopoja
Uncover the history of this once-thriving medieval town. The beautiful churches of Voskopoja and their frescoes rivals the majestic solitude of the landscapes of this charming Arumun village near Korça.
