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Land in Tirana\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n With a busy international\u00a0airport, Tirana is an obvious starting point for your Albanian holiday. The capital city is also ideally located in the middle of the country, offering easy access to both the beaches in the south and the mountains up north.<\/p>\n Head first to Skanderbeg Square, Tirana\u2019s beating heart, beloved by both locals and tourists. Start with the 18th<\/sup> century Et\u2019hem Bej mosque with its exquisite wall and ceiling murals, and then spend some time at the National Museum at the other end of the plaza. Bunk Art 2, a Communist era bunker now converted into a museum, is just around the corner, and the striking Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral is a short walk away.<\/p>\n You might want to catch a quick lunch around the city center, but in the evening, definitely make your way to the bustling Blloku neighborhood, once reserved for the residences of senior party officials. Another great dinner spot is the Tirana castle (also known as Fortress of Justinian), now repurposed into a lively shopping and eating hub.<\/p>\n First Stop, Berat<\/strong><\/p>\n From Tirana, drive south to Berat, which is known as the \u201ctown of a thousand windows\u201d after the clutch of white homes that seem to cascade all the way down from the castle.\u00a0Cross the exquisite stone bridge over the river for the best views of these hillside homes. Berat was added to the UNESCO world heritage sites list in 2008 as a \u201crare example of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period.\u201d<\/p>\n Kalaja \u2014 the 13th<\/sup> century castle, also called Kalasa \u2014 is the brightest star among Berat\u2019s\u00a0architectural attractions. Inside this inhabited castle, you\u2019ll find houses and churches, along with souvenir shops and traditional restaurants. Don\u2019t miss the Onufri Museum, known for its remarkable collection of Albanian Orthodox icons painted by iconographic artist Onufri during the 16th century.\u00a0The other old quarters of Mangalem at the foot of the citadel and Gorica across the river are also worth exploring now for glimpses into a rapidly disappearing way of life.<\/p>\n Albania has an interesting evening tradition known as \u201cxhiro\u201d \u2014 literally translated as \u201cstroll\u201d \u2014 but really signifies a regular evening socializing ritual. So, after a long day of sightseeing, chill with a glass of raki (distilled fruit alcohol) at one of the restaurants lining the pedestrian avenue of Bulevardi Republika, where families and friends gather every evening to practice their xhiro and catch up over coffee and chess.<\/p>\n Then Go to Gjirokastra<\/strong><\/p>\n Another UNESCO World Heritage site known for its superb Ottoman age architecture, this hill town goes by the moniker \u201ccity of stone.\u201d The core of Gjirokastra is the bazaar area with its narrow, cobbled streets, where shopkeepers will wave you into their shops with a disarming readiness to bargain.<\/p>\n The Gjirokastra Castle perches dramatically on top of the hill, overlooking the town\u2019s two-storied homes, the busy market directly below and the rolling hills at a distance. For a castle built in the 4th century, it is remarkably well preserved, complete with a clock tower, stone tunnels and a tiny museum. And as a quirky bonus, there\u2019s a fighter plane that was shot down during the Second World War sitting in the open lawns.<\/p>\n If all this feels like too much of a history lesson, then drive an hour to Blue Eye, a natural spring with sparking turquoise waters, located right in the middle of a forest.<\/p>\n Beachside Bliss<\/strong><\/p>\n For some beachside R&R, go further south towards Saranda, part of the Albanian Riviera, which is much quieter and nicer than many other popular European beach towns.\u00a0The Albanian Riviera has a rugged coastline stretching for nearly 75 miles from Vlora to Saranda, the entire route dotted with postcard pretty villages like Himara, Vuno, Dh\u00ebrmi and endless powder white sand bays and coves that seem to be made for Instagram.<\/p>\n Close to Saranda are two unmissable stops. The first is Ksamil, a secluded beach from where you can almost reach out and touch Corfu in Greece. And then there\u2019s Butrint Archaeological Site and National Park with its collection of Roman and Greek ruins, including an amphitheater, aqueducts, baths and temple ruins.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Berat.webp\")
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