“Despite the fact that the terrain was rough in some places, we found Albania to be really welcoming to families,” said journalist and blogger Jennifer Malloy, who spent three weeks on vacation in Albania.

Malloy has stated that apart from the sun, sea and sand for which most tourists come, she and her husband and son chose to visit other tourist towns such as Gjirokastra, mountainous places such as Bjeshke Namuna and other cultural objects.

In her report dedicated to the natural beauty and warm hospitality of Albania, the journalist writes as follows:

“Good morning my friend! I miss you!

Manuel picks up our son and gives him a hug before running after him through the restaurant. Finley’s laughter echoes through the family hotel in the small village of Qeparo where we are staying on the Albanian Riviera.

White pebble beaches, blue water and views of Greece make this a relaxing place to enjoy delicious Albanian cuisine.

But the food and scenery aren’t the only reasons my husband and I fell in love with this country.

Our two year old son is welcome everywhere we go.

Our three-week family holiday included UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Butrint National Park, the world-class hiking trail between Theth and Valbona, and the thermal springs and fascinating history of Përmet in the Vjosq river valley.

The family atmosphere of Albania is evident as soon as we arrive in the Balkan country, immediately making our way north.

Instead of the sun, sea and sand that most tourists are here for, we embrace the scent of rain and the heavy rumble of thunder that permeates the clouds that gather the small village of Theth.

A 16 km walk over the famous Valbona Pass awaits us the next day. Said to be one of the best hikes in the world, we can’t wait to get our boots on and hit the trail.

We run from the taxi into the welcoming arms of a family-run guesthouse, where the local children eye Finley curiously before ushering him outside to meet a black and white puppy.

We drink “Korça” beer and watch our son playing happily while we meet other climbers who have now arrived, wet and exhausted, from Valbona.

What is it like to walk in Albania’s Bjeshke Nemuna?

The next morning we climb a hill filled with Norway spruce, the balsamic scent of the forest piercing our nostrils.

The path is lined with hikers, all of whom give him a smile, moving aside as he makes his way up a slope, occasionally collapsing in the mud that has formed after last night’s storm.

Returning to Tirana, we rent a car, navigating between destinations on freshly paved roads, ending up at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Berat.

The City of a Thousand Windows, peppered with Byzantine churches, provides a visual feast for our eyes, while the ruined castle walls of Berat Castle – dating back to the 13th century – are the perfect playground for Finley.

In the town of Permet, near the Greek border, we soak in the luxurious hot springs of the Vjosa Valley, while Finley creates abstract art with riverside mud in the alabaster canyon that flows into the valley.

We climb the ‘City Stone’, a bulging landmark of the city, climbing 42 meters or 101 steps up a ruined staircase to the remains of a fort dating back to the 4th century.

We learn about the local legend in which the ruler of the castle jumped off the cliff rather than be captured by an enemy invasion.

We keep a close eye on our son, who is surveying the wreckage, to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to him.

In the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gjirokastra, we wander through the ghostly green glow of a sound tunnel that was once an entrance to a cold war bunker beneath Gjirokastra Castle.

The strategically important castle also doubles as an amusement park as Finley runs along the walls, squeals with delight at the historic armor on display and plays hide and seek among the perfectly preserved arches that adorn the ancient 12th century structure overlooking the mountains of wonderful that surround the valley of Drin.

In Butrint National Park – first a prehistoric Greek colony, then a Roman city and then, after a brief occupation by the Venetians, abandoned to the area’s salt marshes – Finley is enamored by the many cats that inhabit the site, gently petting the furry cats.

The Albanian Riviera is beckoning, but first, Finley must climb over the richly layered archaeological ruins that now preserve the stories of the many ancient civilizations that once settled here.

As we visit the fabulous beaches of the coastline, we watch our son shyly playing by the rippling river, dipping a toe in, maybe twice at a time, shyly gazing at the endless horizon that stretches before him.

We can’t wait to come back.”