Albania

In the city of Berat, you can immerse yourself in the country's long history and experience the influences of the Middle Ages and the Ottoman period at first hand. The city, which is over 2000 years old, is known as the "city of 1,000 windows" because of its well-preserved buildings and is nestled in picturesque mountain slopes. From the upper town you can enjoy a great view of the Osum river valley. The fortress of Berat Castle rises prominently above the city.

The city of Gjirokaster in the south of the country is an important cultural centre in Albania. Traditional Albanian houses, connected by narrow streets with numerous staircases, characterise the cityscape. The roofs of the houses are covered with stones in the style of Balkan architecture. In 2005, Gjirokastra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Albania newcomers feel at home on the beaches in the west of the country. These can easily compete with their Italian and Croatian counterparts and are far less crowded. One of the most beautiful stretches of coastline can be found in the seaside resort of Ksamil in the very south of the country. White sandy beaches, crystal blue sea - a beach straight out of a picture book. There are three small islands off the coast, which you can reach by swimming or canoeing. From here you can see the Greek island of Corfu in the distance.

The special location in a gorge and the striking rocks and caves make the beach area of Gjipi very special. The bay can only be reached on foot and therefore you can enjoy the peace and quiet with a view of the Mediterranean Sea, especially outside the high season. The stone town of Gjirokaster is just 50 km away and is perfect for a day trip.

Albania is part of three major long-distance hiking trails that run through the Western Balkans. The Via Dinarica starts in Croatia and ends in Albania - with over 1,200 km in between. The route follows the course of the highest peaks of the Dinaric Alps. The last two of the 45 stages cross Albanian territory.

The long-distance trail „Peaks of the Balkans“ is perhaps the best-known of the three trails, but still leads in large parts through lonely nature and primitive mountain regions. In a large loop, the trail runs through Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo.

On the newest of the three trails, the High Scardus Trail, you cross the countries of Northern Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. Lonely mountain ranges in the heart of the Western Balkan Mountains characterise the route. The trail, which was opened in 2018, consists of 20 stages and lets you immerse yourself in the wilderness of the Western Balkans and experience the hospitality of the people.

If you want to experience adventure, Albania is the place to be. Here, vast, untouched stretches of land and mountainous plateaus await new adventurers. Around Lake Scutari, a third of which lies in Albania, there are varied hiking and mountain bike trails. Or you can go directly to the largest lake on the Balkan Peninsula and take a kayak or rowing boat to the Montenegrin side of the lake.

Significantly smaller, but also spectacular, is the „Blue Eye“, a karst spring with extremely low water temperature and a shimmering deep blue colour. How deep the magical and mysterious spring reaches into the depths is still unknown. In the immediate vicinity is the Thethi River and two waterfalls, which you can see on a 20 km hike.