As you can see from the pictures, it is no wonder that Berat is also known as “the town of a thousand windows, also the Museum City”

Berat is a good base for exploring the region. The Monastery of Ardenica is not too far and the important archeological site of Apolonia can also be visited in a day.

GROUP GUIDE

- Tracking itineraries, nature oriented, to know the local fauna and flora.

- Tracking itineraries suitable for all, better knowing the antique castles of ilir and medieval period.

- Tracking for a couple of days in the oldest trail tracks “ Salt Road ”, stretching from Korça to Berat and Vlora.

- Guide to the most beautiful monuments of nature, as The Canions of Skrapar, Tomori mountain, the sources, the caves etc.

- Visits in the wine breweries, dairies, local artisans to discover the products and the traditions of the area, and naturally tasting the most typical products.

- Are you a group of friends in search of a weekend that is different from the others?

- Do you want to spend some days in nature and under the hospitability of the villagers of Skrapar, Tomorrica etc?

One of Albania’s oldest cities and the main sea port, Durresi lies on a small peninsula on the coast of the Adriatic sea. Although international travellers do visit to see some of the archaeological remnants, the city is better known for its beach resort, Durresi Plazh, attracting Albanian holidaymakers from across the entire Balkan Peninsula.

The city of Durresi was founded in 627 BC as a Greek colony named Epidamnus and was one of the causes of the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BC Later, as Dyrrhachion it became a very important staging post for the Roman Empire. During this time it also became a major trading centre and the main port on the eastern coast of the Adriatic.

In the middle ages it was coveted by many different intruders from all over Europe. The fact that this city has been inhabited throughout its history means that very little of the ancient city has been excavated, as newer buildings have been built over ancient structures. However the Archeological Museum is well stocked and presented. The famous Roman orator, Cicero, called Durresi ‘an admirable city, while the poet Catullus called it the ‘tavern of the Adriatic’.

Attractions in Durresi

From the Venetian Tower that rises over the harbour, the road leads to the ancient amphitheatre. The town also has an Archaeological Museum, a Cultural Centre with the ‘Aleksander Moisiu’ Theatre, a Museum of History, and the house of Aleksander Moisiu’s family. On the west side of town, on top of a hill, is a magnificent villa – the former villa of King Zog.

Relaxing

For a place to relax (outside of the peak season months of July and August) head south out of Durresi city to the beach resort of Durresi Plazh.

Getting Around

If you do not have the luxury of private transport, taxi’s can be hired at various spots in the city and red city buses run frequently between the beach resort and city centre.

Saranda is a city in Southern Albania on the coast of the Ionian. It can be reached easily from the Greek island of Corfu by ferry. The town is a good base for exploring the most beautiful part of the Albanian coast – a strip also known as the Albanian riviera. Also, the coastal road to Vlore is wonderful.

Not far from the resort of Saranda lie the impressive ruins of Butrint. Ignored for many years, rambling creepers hid ancient masonry and buildings so effectively that a Roman Theatre and Baptistery have only recently been discovered. You can also visit the museum city, Gjirokaster. It is about 1.5 hours by bus.

The city center of Saranda has been scarred by communist architecture but since the fall of communism many small shops and bars have sprung up which give the city a very nice Mediterranean feel.

One of Albania’s oldest cities, an important economic and cultural center with around 81,000 inhabitants. It lies on southern part of the plain of Mbishkodra, next to the Shkodra Lake (Liqeni i Shkodr’s), between the rivers Drin and Bun’, the mountain of Tarabosh, and the Rozafa Castle.

At one time the site of an Illyrian fortress, Shkodra still contains some imposing reminders of its past. Among the city’s best-known sights are the Rozafa fortress (which lies about two km from the city), the multiple-domed Leaden Mosque, and the Franciscan Church, a symbol of the fact that Shkodra was one of the prominent Christian cities in Albania.

The city also has a rather impressive new mosque called the Sheik Zamil Abdullah Al-Zamil Mosque, which stands next to the city’s chief museum, the Muzeo Popullor.

In the 19th century, Shkodra was also known as a cultural center. The Bushati Library, built during the 1840s, served as a center for the League of Prizren’s branch for Shkodra. Many books were collected in libraries of Catholic missionaries working in Shkodra. Literary, cultural, and sports associatons were formed, such as “Bashkimi” and “Agimi.” The first Albanian newspapers and publications printed in Albania came out of the printing press of Shkodra. The Marubi family of photographers began working in Shkodra, which left behind over 150,000 negatives from the period of the Albanian liberation movement, the rise of the Albanian flag in Vlora, and life in Albanian towns during the end of the 19th and the begining of the 20th century.