Albania was love at first sight during a trip six years ago, when Stefan and Kristina from Switzerland visited the country.
“I am Stefan, one of the three owners of this restaurant in Mursi. My wife and I discovered Albania six years ago after a trip. From the very first moment, we fell in love with this place. We started coming here every year and invested in properties in Saranda,” he tells Euronews Albania.
The Swiss couple’s dreams took a turn when their paths crossed with Mira. They opened a restaurant in Mursi, which they call “Three Stories and a Passion”.
“One day we met Mira and realized that we share common dreams and a passion for making guests happy. From the very beginning, I thought this was the right place to welcome our guests. There are many seaside restaurants, but we wanted to find a place with mountains and greenery for people who love nature. Mira found this place that we fell in love with at first sight – it’s calm, relaxing,” Stefan confesses.
The lakeside restaurant, blending Albanian and Swiss cultures, aims to promote agritourism in Mursi.
“I know Saranda very well, and when I’m there in the summer and want to go out for dinner, I have to wait in traffic for an hour. Here, it only takes 20 minutes, and you’re in a different world. It was all a dream, and here we are today,” Stefan says.
“There are several points where I think we bring something different – the tranquility here, our garden, but also the restaurant itself. We have many traditional dishes, and you can swim when you come here. We are like a package of relaxation,” his wife, Kristina tells Euronews Albania.
For Mira, who comes from the Konispol area, this is more than fulfilling a dream; it’s an investment in her homeland.
“Because I am from this area, I strongly believe that we can invest not only in the city but also in the village. Mursi has great potential to bring agritourism culture. What we are doing together with Kristina and Stefan is wonderful – it’s a blend of two cultures, Albanian traditional and international. Let’s not think about leaving Albania but rather try to build something here and invest in our country,” she tells Euronews Albania.
Mursi is one of the villages in southern Albania that aims to bring rural life to life and provide employment for residents through investments in agritourism.
