Albania, the Hidden Treasure of the Balkans
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Discover Albania, between sea and mountains.
Albania, an authentic adventure with varied landscapes.
Lieux incontournables
Explore Albania and its natural wonders
Traveling to Albania, a former satellite of the ex-USSR long cut off from the Western world, guarantees discoveries and surprises from north to south without a time difference in a country full of archaeological sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage after having known the greatest Mediterranean civilizations: the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and then the Ottomans. To make it even more inaccessible, Albania is a small country with three-quarters of mountainous areas, a wild and preserved territory inhabited by bears, wolves, jackals, and lynxes.
But the rest of the country is much more accessible to travelers, like its 400 km of winding coastline stretching along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, bordered by long and beautiful sandy beaches bathing in turquoise waters until forming an authentic Riviera with a local twist in the South.
Albania also has other treasures to offer, by rental car or organized tour, as a couple or with friends: deserted coves, seaside resorts, ruins of ancient cities including an exceptional Roman amphitheater in Durrës, Ottoman-era mosques, Byzantine churches, Orthodox monasteries, charming traditional villages, and a dozen national parks with magnificent landscapes. All under a delightful Mediterranean climate.
A Hidden Treasure of the Balkans
West of the Balkan Peninsula, nestled between Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Greece, Albania remains a mysterious and little-known destination to the general public. It is far from the mass tourism that floods Dubrovnik or Split in Croatia.
The Must-Sees of Albania
Berat, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, awaits you in the center of Albania to offer a journey back in time to the Ottoman era. This city presents a magnificent setting with traditional houses dating from the late 18th century cascading down a hill. This hill is topped with an old castle and a red mosque.
Tirana, the Albanian capital, is not limited to the socialist realism that marked part of the city for more than half a century. It has managed to preserve a beautiful cultural heritage with the Et'hem Bey Mosque, the large Skanderbeg Square, and the National History Museum.
The Albanian Riviera stretches over more than a thousand kilometers along the Ionian Sea. Between Vlora and Saranda, lovers of Mediterranean delights will appreciate the paradisiacal beaches, deserted coves, and picturesque villages.
Finally, Apollonia of Illyria is an archaeological site of an ancient Greco-Roman city located near the Adriatic Sea. It offers numerous remains in an enchanting setting.
Discover Albania in a Different Way
The historical center of Gjirokastra, located south of Tirana in the Drinos river valley, was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005. This distinction is a well-deserved reward for a city that has managed to preserve its 17th-century houses, its bazaar, and its Byzantine churches.
At the top of a hill in northwestern Albania, near the city of Shkodra, stands the Rozafa Fortress. Built in the 2nd century BC by the ancestors of the Albanians, the Illyrians, it offers precious remains and an unobstructed view of the surroundings.
Albania has several sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as Butrint, located in the south of the country. This archaeological site brings together remains from all major historical periods of the country, from prehistory to the Byzantines, including Greco-Roman colonization.
A Rich Architectural Heritage
Albania is a predominantly mountainous country, with three-quarters of its territory made up of mountains, as well as lakes and rivers. Its wildlife and flora are very rich, still home to wolves, bears, and eagles. Serious hiking and white-water sports are easily feasible here. The country has preserved natural parks where one can walk without encountering another soul.
The coastline, 472 km long, offers very diverse landscapes: long beaches and wetlands on the Ionian coast in the north, small coves and mountains plunging into the sea on the Adriatic coast in the south. The climate is marked by always warm and sunny summers, making it an attractive destination for nature and sun lovers.
A Journey Through History and Cultures
While many religious buildings were destroyed during the communist period, Albania retains a wealth of monuments inherited from the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans. Byzantine churches and mosques stand side by side. In the off-season, visiting major sites like Butrint, Gjirokastra, and Berat can even give the impression of being one of those pioneering travelers of the 19th century.
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