Durrës turned on the lights of the end of the year holidays on Wednesday evening. To outsiders, this year-end coastal city looks like a beautiful postcard.

“I come from the Philippines, but I feel at home here, it’s so beautiful and warm. It looks like a postcard. I didn’t expect it to be such a wonderful place.

I am here for work and in May of the coming year my contract ends, but I am considering coming to live for at least 5 years in Durrës. I was thinking about it while I was walking here, maybe it’s the effect of this December that looks so magical”, said the citizen from the Philippines.

“We are from Italy, but we have been living in Durrës since March. We had the opportunity to see the decorated city in January, but this year-end it is much more beautiful, especially the town hall building, it is more illuminated.

Where we come from, they have invested a lot with lights and skating rinks, but they are very commercial. It’s very nice here, we fell in love with your city. You have done a good job”, said the Italian.

The residents of Durrës are also satisfied, but note that the decor looks similar to that of previous years.

“It’s really beautiful, but it’s the same thing that repeats itself every year,” said the citizen.

“Not that there is any big change over the years, it is here and there, but it seems good to us. Let’s not forget the past, when we used to decorate the windows with cotton and stick them with saliva”, said the citizen.

Unlike the “tradition” of the past years, this year-end the lights were turned on without any “official” ceremony or party in the square, but this did not dampen the atmosphere.