Short guide to Albania

Albania is a small country of the Balkan Peninsula, washed by the Adriatic Sea in the west and the Ionian Sea in the southwest. A rich culture, tasty and healthy national cuisine and hospitable locals are the main “calling cards” of the country. In addition, Albania is famous for its wonderful nature and beautiful clean beaches.
Popular hotels in Albania
Bougainville Bay Apartments (Saranda) is located just 100 meters from the sea. A concierge, ironing service and facilities for people with disabilities are available.
2 Kitarrat Hotel Boutique & Spa (Durres) – one of the most popular resort hotels in the country. It is located just two minutes from the beach, the amphitheater and the famous castle of Durres. The hotel has spa and wellness centers, each room is equipped with a work desk, a minibar, air conditioning and a private bathroom.
Food in Albania
The country’s cuisine was formed under the direct influence of Italian and Turkish. Traditional food of Albanians – meat, fish, as well as dishes with seafood and vegetables. Albanians are very fond of all sorts of seasonings: basil, chili, artichoke, saffron, etc. Here are some of the country’s most common dishes and drinks:
tave-kosi meat (alb. Tavë Kosi) – lamb baked in yogurt and eggs and stewed in flour and melted butter;
Kofta (alb. Qofte) – meatballs made from minced meat, fried in a mixture of herbs, spices and tomato sauce. Traditional Albanian beer snack;
Kabuni (alb. Kabuni) – traditional Albanian rice dessert, baked with cinnamon and raisins;
raki is an Albanian-Turkish alcoholic beverage made from fermented fruit.
Restaurants in Albania will meet you at every step. Lovers of traditional cuisine from Albania, the Mediterranean, Europe, Argentina and South America will feel most comfortable. The country is replete with small budget restaurants, such as “The Rooms”, “Pastamore”, “Komiteti Kafe Muzeum”, “À la Santé”. These restaurants have no end of tourists, therefore, tables in them must be booked in advance.
Where to spend leisure time in Albania?
Albania is quite universal: both beach and cultural tourism flourishes here. Let us dwell on several of the most famous cultural monuments of the country.
Butrint is an ancient Greek colonial city known for its sanctuary, amphitheater, “lion’s gate”, the ruins of residential and administrative buildings, and statues of marble. This monument is protected by UNESCO.
Ancient monuments of the cities of Gjirokastra and Berat. The royal mosque (the ancient mosque of Albania), the Christian quarter, the church of St. Demetrius – and this is not all the monuments of Berat. Girokastra is remarkable for the house of Herat and the tunnel dug out during the Cold War.
The lagoon of Karavasta is one of the largest lagoons of the Adriatic Sea. In this place the curly pelican nests – a rare and beautiful bird.
Read about the best wines of the Balkan Peninsula here!
Albania: features of transport
Getting around Albania with the help of transport is a thankless task. The roads are bad, buses run rarely, renting a car is expensive. Exit – take a taxi or walk: it’s even better, because you will see more attractions of the country.