Town
Berat
Albania
The town of a thousand windows, with white Ottoman houses stacked up a hillside beneath a living castle.
Balkans
Albania
A small Adriatic and Ionian country of ancient towns, clear beaches, steep mountains and warm hospitality, still far less crowded than its neighbours.
For storytellers
Why Albania matters
Albania is one of the surprises of southern Europe. Within a few hours you can go from a colourful capital to hillside towns of stone houses with hundreds of windows, then to beaches with water that looks Caribbean. In the north the Albanian Alps offer some of the most dramatic hiking in the Balkans. For decades the country was closed to the outside world, which is why many places still feel untouched, and why so many concrete bunkers are scattered across the countryside. Prices are low, food is generous and people are quick to offer coffee.
Talking points
- For decades the country was largely isolated, and its concrete bunkers still dot the landscape.
- Berat is nicknamed the town of a thousand windows.
- The Ionian coast has clear turquoise water and quiet coves.
- Hiking in the north is among the best in the Balkans.
- Coffee culture is strong, and hospitality is a source of national pride.
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- Capital
- Tirana
- Languages
- Albanian
- Currency
- Albanian lek (ALL)
- Best time to go
- May to June and September for warm sea and comfortable sightseeing; July and August are hot, and mountain trails are best from June to September.
Where to base yourself
Cities and towns in Albania
City
Tirana
Albania
A colourful, fast-changing capital with a lively cafe scene, bold architecture and mountains on its doorstep.
Town
Gjirokaster
Albania
A steep stone town of Ottoman-era tower houses beneath a huge hilltop fortress.
Town
Sarande
Albania
A seafront town on the Ionian coast, the base for ancient Butrint, Ksamil's beaches and the Blue Eye spring.
Town
Kruje
Albania
A hill town above Tirana, tied to the national hero Skanderbeg, with a castle and a lively old bazaar.
City
Shkoder
Albania
A northern city of bikes, cafes and a mighty hilltop castle, and the gateway to the Albanian Alps.
City
Durres
Albania
Albania's main port, a seaside city with a Roman amphitheatre in the middle of town.
Top places
What to see in Albania
- Top places
- Castle 5
- Neighbourhood 3
- Ruins 3
- National park 2
- Square 1
- Church, mosque or temple 1
- Monument 1
- Beach 1
- Other 1
- River or canal 1
- Market 1
- Scenic route 1
Castle · UNESCO
Berat Castle
Berat, Albania
A hilltop citadel that is still a living neighbourhood, with old churches, houses and valley views.
Ruins · UNESCO
Butrint
Sarande, Albania
Ancient ruins in a forested lagoon setting, layered from Greek to Roman to Byzantine and Venetian times.
Square
Skanderbeg Square
Tirana, Albania
Tirana's huge central square, named after the national hero and surrounded by museums, mosque and government b...
National park
Theth
Albania
A remote mountain valley in the Albanian Alps with stone guesthouses, waterfalls and trails.
Scenic route
Albanian Riviera
Albania
A mountain-backed Ionian coastline of white pebble beaches, small villages and winding views.
Castle · UNESCO
Gjirokaster Castle
Gjirokaster, Albania
A vast fortress above the town, with a military museum and sweeping views down the valley.
Castle
Kruje Castle and Skanderbeg Museum
Kruje, Albania
A castle on a rocky hill with a museum devoted to the 15th-century hero Skanderbeg.
Beach
Ksamil
Sarande, Albania
A cluster of small beaches and islets with clear turquoise water just south of Sarande.
Neighbourhood · UNESCO
Mangalem Quarter
Berat, Albania
The terraced old quarter of white Ottoman houses that gives Berat its thousand windows nickname.
National park
Valbona Valley
Albania
A glacial valley of pine forest, river pools and high peaks at the northern edge of Albania.
Ruins
Amphitheatre of Durres
Durres, Albania
A large Roman amphitheatre hidden among the city's modern buildings.
Neighbourhood
Blloku
Tirana, Albania
A once-restricted district that is now Tirana's trendiest area for cafes, bars and boutiques.
Other
Blue Eye
Sarande, Albania
A deep natural spring whose water bubbles up in layers of blue, in a shady forest setting.
Church, mosque or temple
Et'hem Bey Mosque
Tirana, Albania
An Ottoman-era mosque on Skanderbeg Square with colourful painted interior decoration.
Neighbourhood · UNESCO
Gjirokaster Old Town
Gjirokaster, Albania
A steep maze of stone lanes, tower houses and a small bazaar beneath the castle.
Castle
Rozafa Castle
Shkoder, Albania
A hilltop fortress above Shkoder, where two rivers meet a lake, with a famous local legend.
Ruins
Apollonia Archaeological Park
Albania
Ruins of an ancient Greek colony on a hill among olive trees, with a small museum in a monastery.
Castle
Lekursi Castle
Sarande, Albania
A castle on the hill above Sarande, with a terrace restaurant and a famous sunset view.
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