Albania Off The Beaten Path

  Kukès - Main street
by ant1606
 
  • Kukès - Main street
      Kukès - Main street
    by ant1606
  • Poshnjë
      Poshnjë
    by JLBG
  • French bus !?
      French bus !?
    by JLBG
  • French bus !?
      French bus !?
    by JLBG
  • The big four conference
      The big four conference
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Syri i Kalter (Blue Eye Spring)

by frockland

Two Kilometres off the main road between Gjirokastra and Saranda is a beautiful place called Syri i Kalter. Underneath old shady oak trees is this unusual "Blue Eye Spring" giving birth to a small river. The water bubbles up through a more than 50 metres deep pool and is creating a curious shape. The water is deep blue in the centre and lighter blue at the edges. With a bit of fantasy it looks like the an eye´s iris and pupil. A couple of years ago a French expedition was trying to explore the cave. The divers didn´t reach the bottom of the spring but surveyed the first 45 metres. The temperature is constantly 10°Celsius. The waters spit out of the spring can be as much as 8,8 m³ / sec.The blue Eye Spring is a pretty spot! During the days of communism it was reserved for the party elite which indicates how nice this place is. Nowadays its a bit run down but still worth a visit. There is...

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Bunker systems

by frockland

Everywhere in Albania are bunkers. Hundreds of thousands of concrete pill boxes were constructed throughout the country. Nowadays some of them are used as storerooms. It can be interesting to explore them. The Bradt guide gives a good explanation about the strategy.

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Road trip

by illumina

In Albania I must recommend a trip along the road between Gjirokaster and Saranda. It is as slow and tortuous as any Albanian road, but the reward is the breathtaking mountainous landscape. You'll see the occasional tiny village along the road, just a few houses and maybe a church. I saw one little church perched precariously on the uphill side of the road, with it's Greek-style cemetery on the other side. You might also be lucky enough to see eagles on the journey, they are supposed to be plentiful in the Drinos valley - I caught a glimpse of a large bird of prey that might have been an eagle on the way down to the EU-built road from Ioannina.

Children

by illumina

As you drive or walk through villages or small towns like Ksamili, you will invariably be followed by a swarm of small children, all waving and saying 'hello' repeatedly. It seemed to be the only English they knew as any questions were met with blank looks, but they grin delightedly if you say hello back! On my last day in Ksamil, we were passed by a troop of children on their way to school, and one little boy looked up at me and said 'Mire Dita' (good day), which made me smile because it was the only time I'd heard a child say hello in Albanian!

Villages of the Vrina Plain

by illumina

The area surrounding Butrint National park is constituted by two Municipalities: Ksamil and Xarra. This last one includes 5 villages and takes the name from one of these: Xarra, Vrina, Shen Delli, Mursia and Shkalla.The villages are located in the surrounding area of the Park. Vrina and Shen Delli are just on the Park south border; the other three are a bit faraway from the Park south border. All of them stand on the road that goes from Butrint to Konispol, the last little town in the south of Albania, close to Greek border. Agriculture is the backbone of the local economy with a majority of the active population being engaged in farming activities and also fishing is an important income generating activity.If you want to get off the beaten path, and see a little of the real, completely tourist-free Albania, I recommend a trip through these villages.

Enver Hoxha's bunker defences

by Whitevanman

In the south the roads and towns improve and close to the Greek border it is hard to tell the difference between Albania and Greece. Except for the bunkers, thousands of them, in groups of three some ten rows deep, stretching as far as the eye can see. Enver Hoxha must have been pretty sure we were gonna invade from Greece.

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Albanian communist era memorials

by Whitevanman

No matter which road you take in Albania its guaranteed you will be off the beaten track. There are still some communist era monuments that did not get destroyed in the 1996 uprising but they are few and far between. Shkoder had huge oversized communist monuments on the roundabouts yet the rest of the main street looked like an African shanti town, very bizzare. unfortunately its all on video and not yet converted to digital.

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Rural destinations.

by Tobias_Plieninger

Your whole trip to Albania is a off the beaten path.So it won't be necessary to be more off the beaten path.If you want to be more off the beaten path than you should go go to rural destinations.There you can see how they earn their money.Though Albania has a dry climate people try to do agriculture.Some are moving forword with horses and oxen.That you can't see often in all Europe!

Serenity

by Firstlady

These were my local 'tour guides'! The mass of water behind is connected to the River Drin which runs through Kukes.The old town of Kukes is submerged under the lake.The lake is used for recreational use in the summer.Absolutely stunning, you won't be able to put your camera away.

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The Albanian Wild West

by Firstlady

The North-East of Albania is as much unexplored as today as it was 20 years ago. Unlike neighbouring Kosova it has received fractional if zero media attention. Probably because the area is well-known to be bound up in blood feuds and it's locals have little respect for the law, but these are local issues and it is much less dangerous than the home office website would tell you.I know because I have been there. People are simple, kind, pro-west, not wild outback bandits waiting in the bushes on the off chance that a rich westerner will come their way. Westerners...there are no westerners there. The only westerners that ever go there are the girlfriends of local boys that have flown the nest and of course the old soldier. If you want to experience something and somewhere that cannot be seen in any magazines or brochures but offers all the breathtaking views and local hospitality then...

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Unique Places in Albania

Top 3 Hotels in Albania

Sheraton Tirana Hotel and Towers  Tirana

 4 Reviews and 70 Opinions  Having spent approximately 5 months in the Sheraton-Tirana, I know the "ins" and the "outs" of the... 

 Hotels in Tirana

Hotel Berati  Berat

 3 Opinions

 Hotels in Berat

Grand Hotel Europa  Shkoder

 11 Opinions

 Hotels in Shkoder

86 Hotels in Albania
 
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Reviews and photos of Albania attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Albania sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Albania
  1. Tirana Off The Beaten Path
  2. Shkoder Off The Beaten Path
  3. Durres Off The Beaten Path
  4. Sarande Off The Beaten Path
  5. Vlore Off The Beaten Path
  6. Berat Off The Beaten Path
  7. Korce Off The Beaten Path
  8. Gjirokaster Off The Beaten Path
  9. Kruje Off The Beaten Path
  10. Dhermi Off The Beaten Path
  11. Butrint Off The Beaten Path
  12. Voskopoje Off The Beaten Path
  13. Dardhe Off The Beaten Path
  14. Llogora Off The Beaten Path
  15. Himare Off The Beaten Path
  16. Vuno Off The Beaten Path
  17. Bajram Curri Off The Beaten Path
  18. Burrel Off The Beaten Path
  19. Qeparo Off The Beaten Path
  20. Fushe-Kruje Off The Beaten Path
  21. Ishull-Lezhe Off The Beaten Path
  22. Lukove Off The Beaten Path
  23. Fier Off The Beaten Path
  24. Kalive Gjoka Off The Beaten Path

More Cities in Albania

 

Popular Regions in Albania

Bashkia e Tiranës Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Vlores Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Sarandes Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Shkodres Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Korces Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Durresit Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Beratit Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Krujes Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Gjirokastres Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Lezhes Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Elbasanit Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Lushnjes Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Permetit Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Dibres Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Tropojes Off The Beaten Path  Rrethi i Pogradecit Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

Drugness profile photo

Q:  Hello all I'm planning to visit Albania in 2012 and i need every bit of advice going. There doesn't seem to be a huge amount of... 

cachaseiro profile photo

A: I have been to Albania several times over the years and i would say you should try and make a visit to Berat aswell as Girokaster. These places are very scenic places... 

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