What is it like to be a tourist in Albania? I will tell you. I am a global nomad/traveler known as Solo Vagabond. Find out more about me here.
Albania is a laid back tourist destination. It has moderate weather, nice grasslands and forests and a scenic coastline. Albania is a very small country with only 3 million inhabitants. It is also kind of an out of the way and not as popular as Greece or Montenegro. I personally came to Albania from Montenegro on a bus. Montenegro, which i previously visited is much more mountainous than Albania, but Albania also has mountains. Near to Tirana, the land is mostly flat. Tirana is a very nice city to visit with enough stores, restaurants and sites to keep you occupied for at least a few days. Albania also has things like coastal resorts at the beach, castle ruins, and mountainous sites to visit. My video from Skanderberg Square is here: Youtube Skanderberg Square
Tirana:
The capital Tirana is slightly smaller than Belgrade, containing around 1 million inhabitants. It feels a bit smaller but has some similarities. The weather is very temperate. The city is very well organized around a central square called Skanderberg Square, named after an old war hero. The center square is a flat stone area, that has streets that spiral out in radials, along with some interesting parks, the big one being Grand Tirana Park. It is nicely landscaped with plenty of greenery and a lake at the center. One of the things I like about it are the plethora of well graded bike lanes for cycling around town and around Grand Tirana Park.
Other sites in Albania…
Saranda is along the coast of Albania along with Vlore, both acceptable beach towns. These spots are not as popular and less mountainous as those of its neighbor to the north, Montenegro. There are many smaller castles that are ruins in Albania. After having traveled around the Balkans and other places in Europe it seems that each small town has its own fortification. One such is Lekursi Castle near Saranda, and probably the most famous in Albania. There is also an abandoned castle near Tirana. its called Fortress of Justinian. The owner has turned this place into a series of restaurants near Toptani Mall.
Things to note about living in Albania… After having lived there a few months, I can highly recommend it has a laid back, low crime country. The people are very friendly towards foreigners and they have a great relationship with the USA. Its definitely considered an out of the way spot. Officially the country is Muslim but this is not noticeable in daily life. Enjoy, and dont hesitate to post a question on my site or contact me. Albania is also very affordable having a cost of living lower than Greece, and at about 30 to 50% that of the USA.
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[…] I spent one morning taking a bus from Tirana to Durres Albania beach resort. Durres, Albania is a coastal/beach resort city of over 100,000 that is about 30 miles from the capital Tirana. The best thing about it is that its easily reachable for a day trip from Tirana on a local bus for only 150 lek which is about $1.33, and the same price on the way back. The trip only takes about 35 to 40 minutes via highway. You can also watch the video i filmed in Durres on my Youtube Channel for more of a visual and audio tour here and read a little more of my life in another post on Albania, here. […]