Albania

Albania Travel Guide

albania-flag

Albania is one of Europe’s best kept secrets.  

This small country in south-east Europe is a dream destination for adventurous travellers, and people who want to explore a relatively unknown corner of the continent.

Everywhere you look in Albania, there is breathtaking natural beauty.  From the crystal clear, warm waters of the Adriatic and Ionian seas to the towering, snow-capped Albanian Alps (hiking in Theth National Park is really awesome), Albania is a place that takes your breath away.  

The country is peppered with ancient Greek and Roman archaeological sites, castles, and stunning medieval Ottoman towns.  Its capital city, Tirana, is modern and vibrant.  Though in the countryside, you’ll come across sleepy, rustic villages where the pace of life hasn’t changed much for centuries.

view-of-clocktower-and-mountains-from-gjirokaster-castle

Albania is a perfect destination for a road trip.  And hiking in Theth National Park you’ll get to enjoy some of the most spectacular in Europe. 

It’s also very affordable compared to most other European countries.  The food is delicious – Mediterranean with a distinctly unique twist – and the local people are incredibly welcoming.

The years of Enver Hoxha, the paranoid communist dictator who kept the country closed off to the outside world for much of the 20th century, are firmly in the past.  Today, Albania is very much open and waiting to be explored.

Despite all this, still relatively few foreign tourists come here.  But you should.  And soon, while it’s still undiscovered.

Factsheet

Approximate Area:29,000 km2
Approximate Population:2.8 million
Currency:Lek
Official Language:Albanian
International Dialling Code:+ 355
Drives on the:Right

Where to go