Stories about Albania
Long-form guides, traditions, recipes and practical know-how — written by travellers who keep coming back.
guideThe Riviera vs the Albanian Alps: which to choose for 2027
Turquoise beaches or glacial mountains? Albania's two faces, who each suits, when to go and whether you can combine them in 2027.
guideKsamil vs Zakynthos: Albania's "Maldives" or Greece's icon in 2027?
Turquoise water, prices, crowds and the drive from Romania — an honest Ksamil vs Zakynthos comparison for the 2027 season.
guideWhere to stay on the Albanian Riviera: Sarandë vs Ksamil vs Himarë vs Dhërmi
Sarandë, Ksamil, Himarë or Dhërmi? We compare beaches, prices, atmosphere and access so you pick the right base for your Albanian Riviera holiday.
practicalDriving Romania to Albania 2027: routes, tolls, border crossings
A complete guide for drivers: routes through Serbia, Bulgaria or Greece, real distances, tolls, vignettes, documents and where to sleep en route to Albania.
guideAlbania vs Greece: what a holiday really costs in 2027
We compare accommodation, food, beaches and transport in Albania and Greece with real daily figures, so you know exactly where to save and splurge.
guideAlbania with kids: the complete family guide
Safe shallow beaches, kitchen-equipped stays, the drive and Llogara pass, food and health basics — a practical guide for parents planning Albania.
guideKsamil traps: what to avoid in 2027
Honest guide to Ksamil's tourist traps: crowded beaches, overpriced loungers, boat scams and identikit restaurants — and what to do instead.
practicalHow much an Albania trip costs: a real day-by-day budget
Realistic daily Albania budget: lodging, food, beach costs, transport. Three scenarios — budget, mid-range, comfort — plus cash vs card, lek vs euro.
guideThe best beaches on the Albanian Riviera
An editorial pick of the Riviera's best beaches from Vlorë to Sarandë: who each one suits, access, sun loungers, water quality, crowds and hidden coves.
guideBeach holiday in Albania or Bulgaria? A comparison for Romanians
Albania or the Bulgarian coast? We compare the drive, real costs, beaches, atmosphere and food, with a clear verdict by trip type for Romanian travellers.
practicalWhen to visit Albania: the best time to go
Month by month: sea temperature, crowds and prices on the Albanian Riviera. Which window fits your trip best — beach, mountains or a city break.
guideAlbania in 7 days: a self-drive itinerary
Day-by-day driving route: Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër, the Blue Eye, Butrint and the Riviera to Vlorë. Distances, where to sleep, driving tips.
practicalHow to get to Albania from Romania: car, plane, bus
Car, plane, or bus? We compare routes, travel time, and costs for getting from Romania to Albania, and when each option actually makes sense.
guideAlbanian Riviera road trip: the complete guide
The complete Vlorë–Sarandë road trip guide: Llogara Pass, Dhërmi, Himarë, Borsh, Ksamil — beaches, where to stay, where to eat, and driving the switchbacks.
cuisineWhere to eat in Albania: a food guide
What to order in Albania: byrek, tavë kosi, seafood, qofte, realistic prices, how to spot a genuinely good place, and the tourist traps worth skipping.
practicalRenting a car in Albania: complete 2027 guide
What renting a car in Albania really costs, where to pick one up, which insurance to choose, and what to watch for on the road and at drop-off.
guideComplete Ksamil guide 2027
Ksamil in short: turquoise water and islets steps from shore, but also the Riviera's busiest strip. How to pick well and when to skip peak season.
guideComplete Sarandë guide 2027
Sarandë is the Riviera's logical base: seafront promenade, Corfu ferry, restaurants, and Butrint or Ksamil an hour away. How to pick your area and what to skip.
guideComplete Berat guide: the city of a thousand windows
Berat in short: the inhabited castle, the Mangalem and Gorica quarters, what to see, where to stay and eat, how to get there, day trip or overnight.
guideComplete Gjirokastër guide: the stone city
Gjirokastër in short: the Ottoman fortress, tower houses, old bazaar, how to get there, how much time to give it, and pairing it with Blue Eye or Sarandë.
guideThe Theth–Valbona hike: complete guide
Albania's most famous mountain crossing, explained plainly: the route, difficulty, guesthouse stays, gear list, and the best months to go.
guideAlbania on a budget vs in comfort: two trips, two price tags
The same Albania, two travel styles: backpacker vs boutique. Real costs for accommodation, food, transport and experiences on each budget level.
practicalBasic Albanian phrases for travellers
You'll get by with English in cities and tourist areas, but a handful of Albanian phrases unlocks smiles, free coffee, and warmer welcomes.
guide12 Best Beaches in Albania for 2027 — Ranked by Locals
The 12 best beaches in Albania, ranked by clarity, accessibility, vibe and crowds. From Ksamil's Caribbean islands to Gjipe's hidden cove.
newsHow Vlorë airport will reshape Albanian tourism
A second international airport changes the southern Riviera math — direct flights to Vlorë put Ksamil within a 2-hour transfer.
newsThe 5 best new things in Albania to try in 2027
A new modern restaurant in Tirana, a refurbished mountain pass road, expanded ferries on Lake Komani — what we recommend trying this season.
guideTheth–Valbona trail — the complete guide (2027)
The trek between Theth and Valbonë is the hike that put the Albanian Alps on the map, and with good reason. In a single long day you cross the spine of…
guideOsum Canyon rafting — the wild side of inland Albania
The 26 km Osum Canyon, with walls up to 80 m high, is rafted in spring when snowmelt fills the river — a half-day adventure from Berat.
cuisinePetulla — Albanian fried dough you should eat for breakfast
Pillowy pieces of dough fried until golden, served with honey, jam or salty cheese — the breakfast you didn't know you needed.
traditionFolk dress in Albania — xhubleta, fustanellë and the white felt cap
A guide to Albanian folk costume — northern bell-shaped xhubleta, southern white skirt fustanellë, the iconic white felt qeleshe cap.
guideHimarë — the Riviera's laid-back middle
Halfway between Vlorë and Sarandë, Himarë is the Riviera at half-volume — beach clubs by day, simple tavernas by night, and access to the most secret coves on the coast.
cuisineKoran — the endemic trout of Lake Ohrid
Some fish taste of a place. Koran tastes of Lake Ohrid — one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, straddling the border between Albania and North…
guideTop 10 things to do in Albania
Albania packs an outsized amount of variety into a country you can drive across in a day. In a single trip you can swim in Ionian turquoise, hike a…
guideDhërmi — beach clubs, festivals and the Llogara plunge
Dhërmi is the Riviera at full saturation: a white village spilling down a green mountainside, some of the most vivid turquoise water in the country, and —…
guideMount Tomorr — the sacred mountain pilgrimage hike
The 2,415 m Mount Tomorr above Berat is sacred to both Bektashi Muslims and Orthodox Christians — a 6 to 8-hour summit hike with a national park lodge halfway.
historyThe 173,000 bunkers of communist Albania
Between 1967 and 1986, paranoid dictator Enver Hoxha built 173,000 concrete bunkers across the country. You can still see them in fields, beaches and villages — and visit two huge ones in Tirana.
guideGjirokastër — a complete guide to Albania's stone city
Gjirokastër is the stone city — a UNESCO Ottoman town carved into the side of a mountain, with a giant fortress on top and a Cold War bunker tunnel beneath it. Here's how to spend two days here properly.
practicalHow to Get to Albania — All Routes Compared
How to travel to Albania — flights, ferries from Italy and Corfu, buses from Kosovo / Macedonia / Greece, driving from Montenegro. Routes, prices, time.
guideCoastal hike from Drymades to Gjipe Beach
A 30-minute scrambling descent from Drymades to one of the Riviera's last unbuilt beaches — sharp, sun-baked and worth every step.
newsTravelling responsibly in Albania — a 2027 guide
How to support local economies, choose sustainable accommodation, reduce plastic waste, and not contribute to overcrowding hotspots.
guideTop wine regions in Albania
Albania has made wine for at least three thousand years — some of Europe's oldest cultivated vines grew on these hills — yet the modern industry is small,…
historyReligion in Albania — a model of coexistence
Albania is roughly 60% Muslim, 17% Christian Orthodox, 10% Catholic, with the rest secular or other. The dominant attitude is "religion is a personal matter" — and the country is famous for inter-faith coexistence.
guideKorçë — Eastern highland city, serenades, Old Bazaar, Albania's beer capital
Korçë (Korça) sits on a high plateau in Albania's southeast, closer in spirit to the continental Balkans than to the Mediterranean coast.
guideKrujë — Skanderbeg's castle, the best ethnographic bazaar in Albania
Perched on a mountain shelf with the whole coastal plain falling away beneath it, Krujë is the town where Albania's national story was written.
guideCross-border trails from Vermosh into Montenegro
The northernmost Albanian village links to Plav and Gusinje (Montenegro) via 2,000 m alpine passes — a quiet, dramatic corner of the Balkans.
cuisineA guide to Albanian cheeses — from gjizë to djathë i bardhë
White feta-style brine cheese, fresh whey gjizë, mountain kashkaval — the country's dairy is more diverse than first meets the eye.
guideTop hidden beaches on the Albanian Riviera
The Albanian Riviera — the roughly 100 km of coast from the Llogara Pass down to Sarandë — is no longer undiscovered. Yet the crowds still cluster on the…
practicalSarandë to Corfu Ferry — Schedule, Prices and Tips (2027)
The ferry between Sarandë and Corfu is the easiest way in and out of southern Albania. Crossing times, ticket prices, which boat to pick, and how to combine it with Ksamil and the Riviera.
guideTirana — a complete guide to Albania's painted capital
Tirana is the loudest, most painted, most contradictory city in the Balkans — a former communist capital that woke up in colour. Here's how to spend three or four days really seeing it.
cuisineQofte — the meatball that means home
Albanian qofte are smaller, spicier and sometimes funkier than the Balkan kebab cousins. A guide to the regional varieties.
cuisineSeafood on the Albanian Riviera — what to order and where
Ionian octopus, mussels, sea bass, prawns and the universal grilled fish — eating seafood on the Riviera is half the trip.
newsAlbania vs. Greece, Croatia, Montenegro — where it wins, where it doesn't
Honest comparison of Albania with the more famous Mediterranean rivals — what each does better, and where Albania still has work.
guideTop 10 beaches in Albania (2027 edition)
From the famous turquoise of Ksamil to the seven-kilometre stretch of Borsh — our editor-picked beaches across the Riviera and Adriatic coast.
practicalSIM cards and internet in Albania
A 30-day prepaid SIM with 30+ GB costs €10–€15. Coverage is strong everywhere except deep mountain valleys. Here's what to know.
guideAlbania Travel Guide 2027 — Everything You Need to Know
Complete Albania travel guide for 2027 — when to go, where to stay, what to eat, how much it costs, what to see. Written by people who travel here, not just visit.
guideSarandë — a complete guide to the Riviera's southern gate
Sarandë is the southern gateway of the Albanian Riviera — a horseshoe of pastel buildings facing Corfu across a strip of water you can almost swim. Here's how to spend three or four days here without missing the things that matter.
guideTop restaurants in Tirana
Tirana's food scene has matured fast. A decade ago the city offered hearty home cooking and little else; today it spans wood fired traditional taverns,…
cuisineTavë kosi — the lamb-and-yogurt dish that defines Elbasan
Albania's national dish: lamb baked in a thick yogurt-and-egg crust until it sets like a savory custard. Born in Elbasan, eaten countrywide.
newsWhat's new in Albania tourism — the 2027 outlook
Albania's tourism boom shows no sign of cooling, and 2027 brings the biggest structural changes the country's travel map has seen in years.
traditionThe Kanun — the medieval code that still echoes in modern Albania
Codified by Lekë Dukagjini in the 15th century, the Kanun governed family, honour, marriage and blood feuds in the Albanian highlands for half a millennium. Its echoes are still detectable today.
cuisineBest traditional restaurants across Albania
Where to eat the most authentic Albanian food in each major city — our editorial pick of family-run, time-tested institutions.
guideTop Instagram spots in Albania
Albania photographs better than almost anywhere in the Mediterranean, largely because so much of it is still unpolished. You get turquoise water without…
guideShëngjin — Adriatic family beach, popular with the Kosovo diaspora
Shëngjin is where the Albanian coast turns family holiday. Set on a broad, shallow bay in the northern region of Lezhë, it is the closest stretch of sea…
guideThe Blue Eye of Theth — half-day trail to a turquoise pool
Albania has two Blue Eyes. The famous one bubbles up near Sarandë; the wilder, harder won one hides in the Accursed Mountains below Theth, and reaching it…
guideTop beach clubs on the Albanian Riviera
The Albanian Riviera — the Ionian stretch from the Llogara pass down to Sarandë — has grown from a string of quiet coves into the summer heart of the…
guide7-Day Albania Itinerary — Tirana, Berat, Riviera, Gjirokastër
The classic 7-day Albania itinerary — Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër, Saranda, Ksamil, Albanian Riviera. Day-by-day plan with hotels, drive times and costs.
practicalWeather and climate in Albania — coast vs. mountains
Mediterranean on the coast, alpine in the mountains, continental in the east — Albania has more climate diversity than its size suggests.
practicalHow to Get to Ksamil — Every Route, Time and Cost (2027)
Ksamil sits at the far southern tip of Albania. Here's every realistic way to reach it — from Corfu, Tirana, Sarandë or the Greek border — with times, prices and the fastest option for your start point.
guideTheth to Valbona Hike — Complete Guide 2027
Everything you need for the Theth–Valbona hike — distance, difficulty, accommodation, transport (Koman Lake ferry), packing list, day-by-day plan.
cuisineThe Albanian wine renaissance — Çobo, Alpeta, Nurellari and the new generation
Albania has a 4,000-year-old wine tradition that almost died under communism. The post-2010 generation is rebuilding it — here are the wineries to visit.
practicalHow to get around Albania — bus, car, ferry, plane
Buses (and minibuses, locally called "furgon") cover most routes cheaply. Renting a car gives you the Riviera and Alps. Here's how to combine them.
guideTop things to do in Sarandë
Sarandë curves around a wide horseshoe bay at the southern end of the Albanian Riviera, close enough to Corfu that the Greek island shimmers on the…
practicalCurrency and money in Albania — the lekë guide
Albania uses the lekë (ALL). Cards are accepted in cities; cash is king in mountains and villages. Currency, ATMs, tipping — the full guide.
cuisineAlbanian Food Guide — 15 Dishes You Have To Try
What to eat in Albania — 15 traditional dishes from byrek and tavë kosi to Riviera seafood and raki. Where to find each one and what to expect.
guideTop hotels in Ksamil
Ksamil is the postcard image of the Albanian Riviera: a cluster of tiny white sand coves and turquoise water at the country's southern tip, with a scatter…
guideAlbanian Riviera Road Trip — 7-Day Self-Drive Itinerary 2027
The complete Albanian Riviera road trip — 7 days from Vlorë to Saranda via Llogara Pass, Dhërmi, Himarë, Porto Palermo, Ksamil and Butrint. Day-by-day plan.
guideTop rooftop bars in Tirana
Tirana looks best from above. As the Albanian capital has reinvented itself — painted facades, new towers, the green wall of Mount Dajti on the horizon —…
practicalDriving in Albania — rules, roads and reality
A car opens up the country, but Albanian roads have a learning curve. What to expect, what to avoid, and which roads are worth the rental.
newsAvoiding the crowds — why September is the new July
August has officially become uncomfortable on the Riviera. The smart move is to shift to September — same sea temp, half the people.
guideAlbania vs Montenegro — Which Should You Visit in 2027?
Albania or Montenegro for your Adriatic holiday? Honest head-to-head: beaches, prices, food, mountains, ease of travel — with the verdict for each traveller type.
cuisineCoffee culture in Albania — espresso for €0.70 and afternoons that disappear
Albania drinks a startling amount of coffee. Here's what to order, where, and why an Albanian café visit takes two hours.
guideTop museums in Albania
Albania spent decades cut off from the world, and its museums tell that story with unusual intensity — alongside antiquity, Byzantine icons and a…
traditionWeddings in Albania — three days, three generations, hundreds of guests
Albanian weddings remain massive, multi-day, and full of regional rituals — flag dances, raki toasts, bride-veiling ceremonies and old polyphonic songs.
cuisineByrek — the soul of an Albanian breakfast
Layered phyllo, cheese, spinach or meat — byrek is the country's default breakfast and the snack you'll probably eat every day.
practicalDo you need a visa for Albania? (2027 update)
Most European, North American, Australian and many Asian passport holders enter Albania visa-free for 90 days. Here's the full breakdown.
practicalWhat to pack for an Albania trip
A simple packing list adapted to Albania's mix of beach, city and mountain — beach-and-hike season, summer-only, and shoulder.
practicalHow much does a trip to Albania cost? Real numbers (2027)
Albania is cheap by Western standards but Riviera season prices have risen. Here are honest budgets for backpacker, mid-range and comfort travel.
traditionIso-polyphony — the UNESCO-listed singing tradition of southern Albania
Multi-part vocal music with origins in the Tosk and Lab highlands — UNESCO-listed since 2005, still alive at weddings and folk festivals.
guideAlbania vs Greece — Which Is Better in 2027?
Albania or Greece for your Mediterranean trip? Honest comparison: Riviera vs islands, food, ruins, prices, crowds — for every traveller type.
guideCycling the Albanian Adriatic — Velipojë to Vlorë
Albania's Adriatic coast is made for a bicycle. Between the Montenegrin border and the city of Vlorë runs a broad, low lying plain of sandy beaches,…
guideValbonë — alpine valley at the end of the trail
Limestone walls, glacial river beds, and the eastern terminus of the iconic Theth–Valbona hike — Valbonë is the wider, wilder cousin of Theth.
practicalIs Albania Safe to Visit in 2027? An Honest Answer
Is Albania safe? Yes — and the data backs it up. Here's an honest breakdown of crime, scams, driving, solo travel and the few real risks.
cuisineRaki — the spirit you'll be offered everywhere
Grape raki, mulberry raki, plum raki — the welcome drink, the post-meal drink, the at-any-time drink. A short guide to surviving (and enjoying) it.
practicalWhen is the best time to visit Albania?
Albania rewards travellers who ignore the peak. The short answer: come in late May to early June , or in September . The sea is warm enough to swim, the…
guideKsamil — a complete guide to Albania's island beach village
Ksamil is the bluest water in mainland Europe — four small islands a swim from shore, four months of summer, and a village that has gone from twenty houses to a thousand in a decade. Here's how to do it right.
guideMount Dajti hike from Tirana — cable car up, walk down
The easiest mountain hike in Albania — take the Dajti cable car up from Tirana, hike one of three loops, lunch at the summit, return by car or on foot.
practicalIs Albania safe? Real talk for travellers in 2027
Yes, generally — Albania is safer than most Western European cities for tourists. Here are the actual things to watch for.
traditionThe Bektashi — Sufi mysticism with its world centre in Tirana
A liberal, syncretic Sufi order with deep Albanian roots — the Bektashi were officially banned in Turkey in 1925 and chose Tirana as their global headquarters.
cuisineFlija — the layered pancake of the Albanian Alps
Some dishes are defined by their ingredients; flija is defined by patience. This spiral of paper thin batter, built up layer by layer over glowing coals,…
guideTop romantic getaways in Albania
Albania rewards couples who like their romance a little wild — empty coves instead of manicured resorts, candle lit stone terraces instead of chain…
cuisineFërgesë — the summer classic of Tirana
Fërgesë is the dish that tastes most like a Tirana summer. At its heart it is nothing more than peppers, tomatoes and fresh curd cheese, softened in olive…
guideVlorë — where the Adriatic meets the Ionian
Albania's third city is also its summer playground — long sandy beaches, the wild Karaburun peninsula, and the gateway to the Riviera.
guideVermosh — Albania's northernmost village, alpine pastures, kullas
Vermosh is the last village in Albania before Montenegro, the northernmost inhabited point in the country, folded into a green alpine valley in the…
practicalRenting a Car in Albania — Costs, Rules and Honest Tips (2027)
A rental car is the best way to see Albania beyond the beach resorts. What it costs, what to watch for in the contract, how the driving really is, and whether you actually need one.
guideLlogara Pass via Cesare — the historic 1939 mule trail
A spectacular hike along the original Italian-built mule track over the Llogara mountain — sea on one side, pine forest on the other.
traditionKullas — the stone tower houses of the Albanian highlands
Multi-storey defensive stone houses with tiny windows and a single doorway — kullas are the architecture of a place that needed to defend itself.
newsAlbania for digital nomads — why Tirana is becoming a hub
A unique 1-year visa, 9% flat tax for foreign income, low cost of living and a buzzing café culture — Albania is quietly becoming a Balkan nomad favourite.
practicalEtiquette and customs — what visitors get wrong (and right)
Yes/no head shakes are reversed. Coffee invitations are sacred. Here's what to do — and what to avoid — to fit in like a local.
cuisineStreet food guide to Tirana — sufllaqe, byrek, kebab and qebapa
Tirana eats on its feet. Between the morning coffee ritual and the long dinner, the capital runs on a handful of hot, cheap, portable staples that locals…
practicalHow Much Does a Trip to Albania Cost in 2027?
Real prices for Albania travel — daily budget breakdowns for backpackers, mid-range and luxury. Cost of food, hotels, transport, activities.
guideTop family-friendly beaches in Albania
Not every beautiful beach is a beach you can bring a four year old to. Albania's most photogenic coves are often steep, pebbly and reached by a scramble —…
guideTop cities to visit in Albania
Albania is small enough to string several cities together in a single trip, yet each has a distinct character, with Ottoman, Italian, communist and…
guideBorsh — the Riviera's longest beach
Seven kilometres of pebble and sand, an olive grove behind, almost no high-rises. Borsh is the slow-Riviera answer to packed Ksamil.
newsThe overtourism warning — Ksamil, Theth and what to do about it
Ksamil hit 1 million visitors in 2025; Theth's tiny village is overwhelmed in August. Here's how to enjoy them anyway — or pick alternatives.
guideShala River — the "Thai of Albania" canyon by boat
The Shala river flows through a steep canyon north of Lake Komani — a half-day boat trip with swimming stops makes one of Albania's great soft adventures.
historyMother Teresa — the Albanian saint of Calcutta
Born Anjezë Bojaxhiu in 1910 to an Albanian family in Skopje, Mother Teresa is one of the most globally recognised Albanians. Tirana airport bears her name.
practicalHow to get from Tirana airport into the city (and beyond)
Bus, taxi, transfer or rental — what each option costs and how long it takes from TIA to Tirana centre, the coast and the mountains.
guideTirana City Guide — What To Do in 48 Hours
Tirana city guide — Skanderbeg Square, Bunk'Art bunkers, Blloku nightlife, where to eat, where to stay. The capital of Albania in 48 hours.
newsThe 2027 summer festival calendar in Albania
Somewhere around 2018, Albania's coastline became one of Europe's most talked about summer festival destinations. The formula is hard to beat: warm Ionian…
guideTop day trips from Tirana
Tirana makes an unusually good base. Within an easy drive or a short furgon (shared minibus) ride, you can reach an Ottoman bazaar, Roman ruins, a…
guideBerat — a complete guide to the city of a thousand windows
Berat is the city of a thousand windows — an Ottoman hill town stacked white against the dark stone of its castle, and one of two UNESCO sites in Albania that you can sleep inside. Here's how to spend two slow days in it.
guideVelipojë — Wild Adriatic, lagoon birds, the Buna river delta
Velipojë is the Adriatic at its wildest and least polished — a long, flat sweep of sand where the Buna river empties into the sea at Albania's far…
historyThe Illyrian roots of Albania
Long before Greeks and Romans named the western Balkans, the Illyrians lived here. Albanians consider themselves their direct descendants — and the language hints they're right.
guideQeparo — Two-village authentic Riviera escape
Qeparo is really two villages wearing the same name, and understanding that is the key to the place. High on the hillside sits Qeparo i Sipërm, the old…
guideTop archaeological sites in Albania
Few countries pack this much ancient history into a short drive. Albania was Illyria, then a coveted edge of the Greek and Roman worlds, then Byzantium —…
cuisineMountain honey — Albania's best edible souvenir
Wild thyme, chestnut, and forest meadow honeys from the Alps and the south — what to look for and where to buy real, raw, unpasteurised jars.
historySkanderbeg — the man behind every Albanian square
Gjergj Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg, held off the Ottoman empire for 25 years from a hilltop fortress in Krujë. His statue stands in every Albanian town square.
guideShkodër — Lake city, Rozafa Castle, gateway to the Albanian Alps
Shkodër is one of Albania's oldest cities and the cultural capital of the north, spread across a plain where three rivers meet at the foot of the Albanian…
guideThe Blue Eye of Albania — How to Visit Syri i Kaltër (2027)
A perfectly circular spring of impossibly blue water, bubbling up from a depth no diver has reached. Here's how to get to the Blue Eye, when to go, what it costs, and how to combine it with Sarandë and Gjirokastër.
guideTop castles and fortresses in Albania
Albania is stitched together by stone. Because it sat on the fault line between empires — Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman — nearly every…
guide7-day Albania itinerary — coast, mountains and old towns
A week is enough to taste the four Albanias — capital, coast, mountains and heritage cities. Here's our editor-picked route.
newsTirana — the most-improved Balkan capital of the decade
From grey, polluted post-communist capital to pedestrianised, painted, cafe-lined city in 15 years. Tirana's transformation is one of Europe's under-told urban stories.
traditionBesa — the unbreakable Albanian promise
Besa is the Albanian word for the sacred bond of honour and hospitality. It saved 2,000 Jews during the Holocaust. Today it still shapes how Albanians treat guests.
guideTheth — heart of the Albanian Alps
Theth feels like a place the twentieth century agreed to leave alone. Cradled deep in the Albanian Alps — the Bjeshkët e Nemuna, the "Accursed Mountains"…
guideDurrës — Roman amphitheatre, Adriatic beaches, Albania's busiest port
Durrës is Albania's oldest and second largest city, an Adriatic port that has been trading, defending and sunbathing for 2,500 years.
guidePogradec — Albanian shore of Lake Ohrid, koran fish, Drilon springs
Pogradec lies on the Albanian shore of Lake Ohrid , one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe and a UNESCO protected natural and cultural site shared…
guideTop hotels in Sarandë
Sarandë curves around a horseshoe bay on Albania's southern coast, looking straight across the strait to the Greek island of Corfu.
practicalWhere to Stay in Albania — Best Areas + Hotels for 2027
Where to stay in Albania — by region. Tirana neighbourhoods, Riviera vs inland, Ksamil vs Saranda, mountain villages. With hotel picks for each style.
guideTop mountain villages in Albania
Albania is a mountain country that happens to have a coastline. Behind the beaches, the interior rises into some of the least developed high country in…