Albania in Autumn Colors (page 1 of 6)

A new work assignment means our vacation dates can't stay the same.

We had planned to go to the Canary Islands, but flight prices are skyrocketing with this new holiday schedule.

So, I’m looking for an alternative to Gran Canaria and El Hierro and found two round-trip flights with Wizz Air to Tirana.

398 €, including baggage and seats—perfect!

Plus, the departure and return times are great, which is pretty rare for a low-cost flight!

All that’s left is to rent a car, plan the route, and book accommodations.

With two weeks, we’ll have to make some choices!

Here’s the final itinerary: Shkodra (2 nights), Valbonë (3 nights), Tirana (1 night), Lake Ohrid (1 night), Korçë (1 night), Përmet (1 night), Gjirokastër (1 night), Himarë (2 nights), Berat (2 nights), and Krujë (1 night).

A mix of countryside and small towns, a bit of the Mediterranean, and some mountains!

Late October isn’t the best season, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for the rest...

A completely unknown destination for me, so I’m going to discover it with this travel journal 😉

Where I’ll finally find out if I’ll ever go there… Even though I already know the blue eye has rolled (its eyes) 😉

Yes. Still a pleasure. And for Gran Canaria (already done) and El Hierro (which I loved), I’ll wait. Whis

Welcome to Albania, everyone! 😛

The plane is approaching the runway. Just a few more moments and we’ll set foot on Albanian soil.

The airport doors open, and a warm embrace envelops us.

We peel off a few layers of clothing as we head toward the car rental office.

A couple is ahead of us, with three young kids in tow.

It’s chaotic—pushing, shoving, crying, screaming, rolling on the floor.

The vacation has barely started, and the parents already look exhausted...

Hang in there!

Now it’s our turn to pick up the keys to the chariot that will carry us for the next 16 days.

A slightly battered red Japanese car—perfect for me!

Getting a shiny new car makes you anxious over every pebble, every scratch, every little bump!

In countries where driving is a bit rock ‘n’ roll, nothing beats a clunker!

Breakfast feels like a distant memory, and not even a single peanut was offered on the low-cost flight.

Aren’t you hungry?

About thirty kilometers away, I spot a lagoon that seems to be packed with restaurants.

The air is so mild, the sun is shining—it feels more like spring than autumn!

A "valet" directs us where to park. It’s the weekend, and the people of Tirana have all flocked to the same spot for lunch—a very long, leisurely meal for Albanians on their day off.

We opt for a shorter version, ordering just shrimp, calamari, and grilled vegetables.



This trip is off to a great start! 😛

Full and content, we take a little stroll by the lagoon before driving to our first lodging, a bed and breakfast by Lake Shkodër in the village of Shirokë.





The room is small but brand new and comfortable.

Its main selling point is the breathtaking view of the lake!



And its parking spot...

Parking isn’t always easy in Albania.

Lots of steep alleys, one-way streets, few marked spaces—you often end up parking haphazardly, crossing your fingers that the car stays intact...

Even the parking spots listed in hotel and guesthouse descriptions can be a bit chaotic, and sometimes the host offers to park your vehicle for you or keeps your keys to shuffle the Tetris-like arrangement when someone needs to leave...

We leave the Suzuki in its spot and head down to the water’s edge.

The evening chill is starting to set in, so we choose a semi-sheltered table for dinner.

Grilled fish is on the menu, plus a shot of homemade brandy to help with digestion...



As for the bill, it stays as gentle as almost everywhere in Albania.

And payable in cash!

Don’t forget to bring euros to pay for accommodations booked in that currency and to exchange some upon arrival.

For everything else, you’ll often need to withdraw lekë from an ATM since card payments are rarely accepted!

Watch out for local bank fees—at best, the equivalent of 5 euros.

So you’ll need to withdraw large amounts at once.

With that, good night...

Albania—a country that’s new to me. I’ll be following this travel journal, even if the destination doesn’t really grab me 🙂

I’d seen a few documentaries that made me want to go, but more in the summer, combining it with northern Greece.

I don’t regret going in the autumn because I feel like the seaside in summer is, like in many Mediterranean areas, very built-up and too touristy (the kind with sunbathing, nightlife, etc.)!

Good evening,

I don’t regret going in autumn because I feel like the seaside in summer is, like in many Mediterranean areas, very built-up and too touristy (the kind with sunbathing, nightlife, etc.)!

You would’ve probably met a lot of Italians there. Fans of that kind of vacation tend to head south since Croatia’s seen major inflation.

I’ll read this with interest—Albania’s the only country in the region I’ve never visited. The strong Albanian nationalism I saw in Kosovo and around Tetovo in FYROM (is that what the country’s still called?) put me off.

Cat

Hi Catherine,

It’s actually easy for Italians to travel to Albania with all the ferry connections available.

As for prices compared to Croatia, it’s hard for me to say since I went to Croatia a few years ago.

I found Albania budget-friendly for my travel style. Maybe the cheapest country I’ve visited in recent years.

But I think in summer by the coast, prices must shoot up.

For hospitality and as a French tourist, it was pretty much perfect.

Hello Agnès,

I’ll be following this travel journal with pleasure—it’s going to bring back some memories! !

Hi Nathalie,

When did you travel to Albania?

The alarm clock rings.

Darn! It's already time to go to work!

A nanosecond later, my brain remembers we're on vacation and no hard work awaits us today.

I open the curtains—the lake is still there, the blue sky and the sun too.

I had a little concern yesterday when I discovered there was a mosque in the nearby area of our accommodation, but not a single muezzin came to disturb the serenity of the place.

Albania is majority Muslim, but like France is majority Catholic.

More a question of cultural background than religious practice.

The call to prayer is rare. I only heard it in the late afternoon.

The mosques are empty. Only a few pairs of shoes lie at their entrance, even on Fridays.

The headscarf doesn’t exist here, nor do unkempt beards.

No niqabs, hijabs, or burkas.

Except on the heads of a few foreigners who stand out sharply.

No restaurants proclaiming themselves halal with big signs, no issues drinking wine, no "vade retro" pork.

The establishment of state atheism combined with the ban on all religious practice during Enver Hoxha’s reign left its mark...

Breakfast is served on the terrace. It’s a bit chilly, but the sun’s rays won’t be long in warming up the diners.

As often happens, we’re served a mix of an English breakfast and local specialties.

Eggs, of course, but also delicious doughnuts and excellent fig jam.



Downside to the sausages... A knackwurst is Alsatian or it’s nothing!

I can tell I’m not going to lose any weight in this country...

We’re now heading toward Lake Koman, an artificial lake usually traveled by ferry.



We didn’t plan to take the ferry due to lack of time, but we’ll still follow the lake for a good distance, taking the small road—not always in great condition—that leads to the ferry dock.

The surroundings are bucolic—priority to the herds!



The next stop is likely to be quite busy in season: the Ottoman bridge of Mes.

In photos, the place looks idyllic.





In reality, it’s a bit less so since a new bridge was built right next to it.

Moreover, while the front side is quite wild, the back side is very urbanized.

We then continue to the fortified village of Drishti, a timeless village offering lovely views of the valley.

Hi Nathalie,

When did you travel to Albania?

Summer 2023. We toured Greece in our Defender, then drove back and spent a few days in Albania. It’s an amazing country for vanlife and 4x4 adventures.

We’re wrapping up this beautiful day in Shkodër.

First, we’ll climb up to Rozafa Castle, whose ruins overlook the Mbishkodra plain and the Buna River.



The walk through the different enclosures is pretty enjoyable, and the 360-degree panorama is stunning.







Afterward, we’ll stroll through the city center, wandering between mosques, churches, restaurants, and cafés.





Back at our base, we take a walk by the lake and then go enjoy some seafood pasta.





Enjoy your meal! !

Hi there. I was in Albania five years ago. Good memories. I remember Buntrit. And also, I noticed that on the rooftops there were stainless steel water tanks. I thought to myself, progress, progress...

Hi Marie-Anne,

I think in 5 years, this country must have changed a lot, especially along the coast. Construction is everywhere as soon as there’s a bit of beach! !

Today, we’ve got a long day of driving ahead of us.

Not so much in kilometers, but in switchbacks!

Our destination is Valbonë, a tiny village nestled in the heart of the Albanian Alps.

The deeper we go into the countryside, the narrower the ribbon of asphalt becomes, and the more we encounter one surprise after another...



We’re now following the Drin River, whose flow is slowed by numerous dams generating most of the country’s electricity.

These dams create artificial lakes, like the one in Fierze that we’re currently overlooking.





We take a break for a hearty and delicious snack before getting back behind the wheel, heading toward Bajram Curri—the last big town before the Valbonë River winds between the mountains.

The peaks block the sun from lighting up the narrow valley, making the last few kilometers feel a bit gloomy. We’ll never see the gorge illuminated.

Then the plain widens, and we’ve arrived.

The reserved hotel is just before the village.

It’s a collection of small chalets with a stunning view of the massif. A bit pricey for the country, but really nice!





We settle into our room and then head out for a walk before nightfall.

We gain a little altitude and climb up to the cemetery. There’s no one around except a few goats, the peaks are turning golden in the last rays of the setting sun, and we don’t hear a sound.

Paradise?









The walk helped us digest our midday feast, but it didn’t quite have the intended effect on our hunger.

Our host adapts to our lack of appetite by offering us a light dinner.

Well, light for the area...

All that’s left is to slip under the covers and dream about the hikes awaiting us in the coming days...

Hi,

a stop that’s as delicious as it is invigorating

You can imagine anything and everything here...😉

Catherine

I have Buntrit in mind.

Butrint, maybe?