More tourists are enjoying traveling to Albania

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Albania is on only a few tourists' wish lists for their next vacation - and wrongly so. The small Balkan country has fantastic coastlines and untouched beaches along the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, offering perfect conditions for a relaxing beach holiday.

Half of the Albanian territory is of mountainous terrain with altitudes of over 600 m above sea level. A small proportion of these are high-mountain regions. From Skadar Lake in the north to the south in Vlora a few kilometers wide alluvial soils partly extend along the coast, which expand to large Myzeqe level in central Albania. There are numerous lagoons and wetlands on the coast.

At about 1000 BC the Illyrians settled in the Western Balkans. Residential cities were Scodra  and Rhizon. After the Illyrian wars in late 3rd century BC, the Western Balkans came under Roman influence and the Romanization of the Illyrians began. With the division of the Roman Empire 395th BC, today Albania came under Byzantine rule. In 591 the Slavs from the north penetrated into the area, followed by looting allover the Balkans.

Next to our content articles we publish blogs to certain topics. Please follow the given links to get to our topic relevant blog articles with couple of additional pictures about Albania.

New contacts in Shkoder, Salona and Omis

Skadar Lake - geologically considered a young lake

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Skadar Lake - geologically considered a young lake in Albania

Unlike the tectonic scale and geologically ancient Lake Ohrid, Lake Skadar in Albania, at least is geologically very young. Its present form as a flat but geographically large lake, has set more or less in the last 18,000 years.

Meeting in Lin (Albania) at Ohrid Lake

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Meeting in Lin (Albania) at Ohrid Lake

The conclusion to do a trip around Lake Ohrid should include the peninsula and the locality of Lin (in Albanian Lini) . We could have reached Lin from the campsite in Kalishta easily as well by canoe, if it would not have prevent by the country's border with Albania in between.

Few more interesting insights about the fortress of Kruja

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  • Category: Tirana
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Couple more interesting insights about the fortress of Kruja

Some time ago, we had already published an article on the fortress of Kruja; now, within the part wise guided camper trip through Albania, Greece and Macedonia, we have got further impressions, which we gladly publish in another article, especially since the fortress of Kruja is such an historical sanctuary for the Albanian nation.

Our tour through the impressive fortress of Kruja

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Our tour through the impressive fortress of Kruja

After the visit of the Skanderbeg Museum which is inside the fortress of Kruja, a tour of the castle grounds and the local buildings should follow, in spite of the threatening dark sky, which was part wise looking like strong rain could appear, but we were lucky.

Durrës on the Via Egnatia - city tour and Roman history

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Durrës on the Via Egnatia - city tour and Roman history

As one of the two starting points of Via Egnatia on the Balkans and as a possible arrival point by ferry from Italy, the city of Durrës was always in the focus of our interest.

Albania's bunker history - the Bunk'Art Museum Tirana

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  • Category: Tirana
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Albania's bunker history - the Bunk'Art Museum Tirana

Whenever the name of Albania falls in talks, two theses emerge, which we can not share without contradiction, because of our experiences during the travels through the country: "mafia structures in politics and economy" and "everywhere bunkers".

Ascent to Petrela - Coffee break in the castle´s garden

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  • Category: Tirana
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Ascent to Petrela Castle - Coffee break in the castle´s garden

After the really interesting cave exploration in a side valley next to the road from Tirana to Elbasan, we finally wanted to visit the Petrela castle on the hilltop south of the river Erzen, about 500 meters above sea level.

Tirana - Capital in Change to Modernity

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Tirana - Capital in Change to Modernity

Tirana, the capital of Albania, lies on the west side of Mount Dajti on the transition from the coastal plain to a hilly landscape in central Albania. To the coast of the Adriatic Sea at the port town of Durrës it is only about 30 km of air line.

From Elbasan to Camper Stop Hotel Baron Tirana

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From Elbasan to Camper Stop Hotel Baron Tirana

Already at the beginning of our search for a secure and easy going camper route to the south, which is intended to show all-seasons camping sites or camper stops along Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece along the coast, we had found Hotel Baron in Tirana as a way to explore the capital Albania during a short stay before the traveler continues the way to the South (even for long term stay).

Skanderbeg - Albanian myth and desire for freedom

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Skanderbeg - Albanian myth and desire for freedom

During our visit to the Skanderbeg Museum, the desire for more information about this fighter for independence and freedom as a ruler of the past had grown, surely affected by all the mythologies that still surrounds his personality.

Kruja - center in the struggle for freedom against Ottoman

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  • Category: Tirana
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Kruja - center in the struggle for freedom against Ottoman

After our visit to Durres we were driven to mountain town Kruja by passing Tirana where today a living museum reminds Albanian freedom fighter Skanderbeg and which increasingly ensures tourist interest from abroad.

Albania – tour from Skhoder via Tirana to Farma Sotira

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Albania – tour from Skhoder via Tirana to Farma Sotira

There are only a few destinations in Europe that can be reached by motorhome as part of a summer holiday that are considered to be little discovered and therefore offer not only rest and relaxation, but also a little adventure and lots of new things to discover: Albania is undoubtedly one of them.

Illyria - passing the empire of the Illyrians on the Balkans

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Illyria - in the empire of the Illyrians in the Balkans

In some of our topics along the journeys along the Roman road system, the old, partly Greek or Roman names of the settlement areas of the tribes or settlement areas that have long since disappeared today also appear.

Shkodra - colonization by Illyrians - then Romans came

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Shkoder - colonization by Illyrians - then Romans following

In our article about the Rozafa fortress, we had already mentioned the first settlement of the Illyrian tribes, which settled here in Shkodra in ancient times. The earliest traces of human settlement date back to the 2nd millennium BC, they were found south of today's town at Tepe and can be classified dating back to Bronze Age.

Drin, Buna and Lake Shkodra - potential for tourism of Albania

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Drin, Buna and Lake Shkodra - potential for tourism of Albania

Our first stay in Shkodra already had surprised us because of the huge Lake Shkodra, the dams and rivers of the Drin, the Kir and the Buna not only with regard to the huge water surfaces but also the related ecosystems.

A Wedding in Albania - Traditional wedding customs

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A Wedding in Albania - Traditional wedding customs

When two people celebrate wedding, this is always a special event, not only for the two main participants. Family and friends usually enjoy it at least too, it is celebrated, danced and laughed.

The Kanun - Myth about the ancient legislation of honor

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The Kanun - Myth about the ancient legislation of honor

In and around Shkodra, the Albanian habitual right, often referred to as Kanun, was revived with the beginning of the 1990s together with the decline of the dictatorship of Envar Hoxha.

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