last edited Dec 11, 2019
Types of Travel in Albania
Travel Themes
- Interests (rated ): Nature ; Adventure ; Culture ; Relaxation-holidays .
Nature-Adventure
This is one of the country’s highlights. Within just a few dozen kilometres, you move from the coastline to lakes and mountain ranges inland. These landscapes offer a fantastic setting for outdoor sports enthusiasts, from hiking to rafting and mountain biking.
Culture
Wedged between Greece and Italy, it’s no surprise that Albania is home to numerous ancient remains from both civilisations. The archaeological sites of Butrint (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and Appolonia alone justify a visit. Beyond these distant relics, Albania also boasts fortresses, monasteries, historic centres, and cities (Berat, Gjirokastër...), as well as the last traces of one of Europe’s harshest 20th-century dictatorships, that of Enver Hoxha, still visible through the countless Hoxha's Bunkers. Additionally, like the rest of the Balkans, the country is a mosaic of cultures and traditions from its diverse populations.
Relaxation-Holidays
With what locals call the Albanian Riviera, roughly from Vlorë to Sarandë, Albania has one of the region’s most beautiful coastlines—part of which remains relatively untouched by mass tourism, unlike the more developed northern coast. While it may not have the appeal (or organisation) of Greece, Croatia, or Montenegro, local beach tourism still has plenty to offer.
Independent Travel
Despite an undeserved reputation for insecurity, Albania is a relatively easy country to travel in. Once you accept the country for what it is—a destination with many attractions but where daily life isn’t always easy for part of the population—your experience will be all the more rewarding.