Top 5 Tourist Places of Albania
Albania, a country that will impress you with its diversity and coziness. Traveling through its endless mountain serpentine roads, admiring its incredible golden beaches, you simply cannot help but fall in love with this truly heavenly corner on the planet.
Despite its complex history, Albanians maintain humanity and openness. Every year, more and more travelers come to the country, and each finds what they are looking for. Marvelous natural parks, ancient architectural landmarks, and, of course, the coastline. Albania has everything you could dream of for a vacation.
Butrint National Park
Photo: Butrint National Park, Source: https://peakvisor.com/park
Butrint National Park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is considered the most visited place in all of Albania. The name "Butrint" comes from the Latin word "buthrotos," which translates to "wounded ox." There is an ancient legend that on the Greek island of Corfu, a wounded ox was brought as a sacrifice, but it managed to escape, jump into the sea, and swim to the mainland. The Greeks interpreted this event as a sign from the gods and decided to build a settlement on this spot. Albanian Butrint National Park is very popular, so if you want to take a quiet and uncrowded stroll, it's best to come to the park early in the morning. A walk through the park will take at least 2-3 hours, so comfortable shoes will come in handy.
Saranda
Photo: Saranda , Source: https://www.visitsaranda.net
Saranda - a town on the Albanian Riviera, known for its beauty and wonderful beaches with turquoise water. The town is located in the southernmost part of Albania. During the off-season, only 30,000 residents live here, but during the peak season, the number of "residents" easily surpasses 100,000 people. The favorite walking place for tourists is the promenade. Here you can find restaurants with exquisite cuisine, atmospheric seaside bars, craft bakeries, and numerous shops. In Saranda, you can also take a high-speed ferry and reach the beautiful Greek island of Corfu in just 30 minutes.
Berat
Photo: Berat, Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org
Berat - one of the oldest cities in all of Albania, founded in ancient times. Among the locals, you can often hear the name "Beligrad," which literally translates to "white city." This name seems logical, as the Old Town of Berat is completely covered with white houses, with windows facing the local river Osum. In the city itself, you will find plenty of entertainment and museums, restaurants and souvenir shops. However, the main highlight of the city is the medieval Berat Castle, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.
Osumi Canyons
Photo: Osumi Canyons, Source: https://www.hitchedandhiking.com
Osumi Canyons - a gorge through which the Osum River flows. Located in southern Albania, near the town of Çorovodë. The Osumi gorge is one of the most impressive natural landmarks in Albania. The canyon has numerous underground passages and caves, but the most popular activity here is rafting. Spring is the ideal time for it, as the water level rises significantly after the winter period. The rapids in this canyon are classified as Class 2 difficulty, so visitors don't need to have prior experience.
Çobo
Photo: Çobo, Source: https://instagram.com/cobowinery
Çobo - an extremely cozy winery with delicious homemade wine. The Çobo family, who own the vineyards, has a long history of wine production dating back to the 1900s. In 1945, the communist party banned winemaking in the country, and the family of craft winemakers had to suspend their activities. Now, the Çobo winery is situated on the hills surrounding the town of Berat, near the base of Mount Tomorr. By visiting this quiet place, you can learn all the details of making authentic Albanian wine, and the winery owners will happily treat you not only to exclusive homemade drinks but also wonderful local olives and cheese.