A L B A N I A – K O S O V O DATES: September 14/18** – 25, 2019 * DURATION: 12 days / 11 nights MEALS: Breakfast plus an additional meal per day TRANSPORT: Bus Saturday, September 14 –/–/D SHKODËR arrival in Tirana or Podgorice transfer to Shkodër hotel transfer and check-in - Rozafa Castle and town center walk - dinner at traditional restaurant Shkodër (Shkodra) is the capital of Shkodër county, one of 12 counties that make up the Albanian Republic. It is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans and the fourth largest city in Albania. Shkodër also has a strong influence on northern Albania’s culture, religion, arts, and entertainment. Shkodër sprawls across the Mbishkodra plain between the freshwater marshlands of Lake Shkodër and foothills of the Albanian Alps, which are largely formed by limestone and dolomite. The lake, which is named after the city, is the largest in Southern Europe. overnight in Shkodër – hotel Sunday, September 15 B/–/D SHKODËR – VALBONA morning - transfer to Valbona on the way: Lake Koman - guesthouse check-in - walk in the village - free time - dinner in a family guesthouse Artefacts and inscriptions discovered in Rozafa Castle confirm that the ancient Illyrian tribes of Ardiaei and Labeates founded the Shkodër region in the 4th century BC when the city of Shkodër was known as Scodra. It is strategically located where Lake Shkodër flows out into the Buna River. The Romans annexed the city after the third Illyrian War in 168 BC, when a force of Anicius Gallus defeated Gentius. Shkodër became the capital of Praevalitana in the 3rd century AD as a result of administrative reform by the Roman emperor Diocletian. With the spread of Christianity in the century that followed, the Archdiocese of Skodra was founded and adopted by Justinian I in 535. Shkodër has retained its status as a major city in the region because of its strategic position close to the Adriatic Sea and Italian port cities as well as its land routes to other important cities and towns in neighboring regions. ------------------------------------------------------------ The approximately two-hour ferry ride on Lake Koman is considered one of the best boat tours in Europe. overnight in Valbona – family guesthouse Monday, September 16 B/–/D VALBONA Valbona and surrounding area Valbona is a small village sandwiched between stunning mountains, a craggy landscape, and endless trees. Flora, fauna, homes, people, food, and traditions add to the mystique of this place that seems to be lost in time. Jaw-droppingly beautiful, the stark isolation and sense of community make this village a highlight of the Albanian mountains. overnight in Valbona – family guesthouse Tuesday, September 17 B/–/D VALBONA – GJAKOVA – PRIZREN morning: bus transfer to Prizren on the way: - Gjakova (Kosovo) - lunch in Gjakova bazar - Monastery Visoki Decani arrival in Prizren - hotel check-in - walk in historical town Gjakova (or Đakovica) has been populated since the prehistoric era. Not only did It serve as a center of trade on the route between Shkodër and Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire, it was one of the most well developed trade centers at that time in the Balkans. Seventeenth-century Ottoman scholars and explorers mentioned it as a flourishing, attractive town with 2000 houses and 300 shops. Gjakova has always been considered a city of religious and cultural tolerance and coexistence. Modern day Prizren’s name likely came from an old Serbian word meaning a fortress that can be seen from afar. It was the Roman town of Theranda, which Ptolemy wrote about in his 2nd century AD work Geography. Three centuries later Procopius of Caesarea wrote in De aedificiis that the city, then known as Petrizên, had been restored. Sometimes it is even mentioned in relation to the Justiniana Prima, a short-lived Byzantine city founded by Emperor Justinian. Prizren was the capital of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. overnight in Prizren – hotel Wednesday, September 18 B/–/D PRIZREN – TIRANA morning: bus transfer to Tirana - hotel check-in - walk in city center ** option to arrive today instead of on 14th - hotel transfer and check-in - walk in city center Tirana – Albania’s capital and most populous city – was established in 1614, but the region where it lies has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. Similar to the rest of Albania, Illyrian tribes lived in this area. Once it was annexed by Rome after the Illyrian Wars, it became an integral part of the Roman Empire. The Tirana Mosaic showcases the city’s ancient past. In the 5th and 6th centuries, a Paleo Christian basilica was built around this site. When the Roman Empire split into east and west, the Byzantine Empire took control of Tirana and constructed Petrelë Castle during Justinian I’s reign. Tirana became the capital in 1912 when the Congress of Lushnjë declared Albania’s independence from the Ottomans. Its significant location and importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education, service, research, and healthcare make Tirana the economic and cultural hub of Albania. All of the country's largest companies and scientific institutions are headquartered in the city. overnight in Tirana – hotel Thursday, September 19 B/L/– TIRANA – KRUJË – TIRANA morning: - bus transfer to Krujë excursion in Krujë: - Skanderbeg - Ethnographic Museum - Citadel - Bektashi - Teqe - bazaar afternoon: free time in Tirana Albani, the ancient Illyrian tribe, first inhabited Krujë (or Kruja). It became the capital of the first autonomous Albanian state – the Principality of Arbër – in 1190. It later became the capital of the Kingdom of Albania. The Ottomans conquered Krujë in the 15th century and it was recaptured by Skanderbeg, leader of the League of Lezhë, in 1443. He successfully defended Krujë against three Ottoman sieges until his death in 1468. However, the Ottomans took control of the town after the fourth siege in 1478, and incorporated Krujë into their territories. A local revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1906 was followed by Albania’s declaration of independence in 1912. Shortly thereafter, Krujë was one of many battlefields in the conflict between the Republic of Central Albania and the Principality of Albania. It is also where resistance leader Abaz Kupi was active during World War II. Bektashi (Bektaşi) is a Sufi dervish order headquartered in Tirana. It was named after the 13th century saint Haji Bektash Veli who was a mystic, saint, humanist, and philosopher. He is revered for his spiritual, rational, progressive, and humanistic interpretation of Islam. The Bektashi order is mainly found throughout Anatolia and the Balkans. It was particularly strong in Albania and Bulgaria and among Ottoman-era Greek Muslims from the regions of Epirus, Crete, and Macedonia. overnight in Tirana – hotel Friday, September 20 B/–/D TIRANA – BERAT morning: - bus transfer to Berat on the way: Elbasan - arrival in Berat - hotel check-in - walking tour Elbasan experienced an industrial boom during the Communist era that expanded its population to around 75,000 and culminated in the founding of Steel of the Party, a large metallurgic complex built with Chinese assistance in the 1970s. Enver Hoxha, Albania’s head of state from 1944 to 1985, referred to the complex’s construction as Albania’s second national liberation. Berat, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, has a unique architectural style with influences from several civilizations that have coexisted for centuries. Like many cities in Albania, Berat is an old fortified city filled with churches and mosques painted in a grandiose wealth of murals and frescoes. Its life began in the 6th century BC as an Illyrian settlement. It became a castle city – Antipatrea – in the 3rd century BC. The castle continued to expand, particularly during the feudal dominion of the Muzakaj family, who built churches (adorned with frescoes and icons) and a calligraphy school. Unlike other ancient castles, residents still live inside its walls. overnight in Berat – hotel Saturday, September 21 B/–/D BERAT – GJIROKASTËR morning: - bus transfer to Gjirokastër - hotel check-in - fortress and town walk The city of Gjirokastër dates back to 1336 when it was known by its Greek name, Argyrokastro. Under five centuries of Ottoman rule it was known in Ottoman Turkish as Ergiri and Ergiri Kasrı. During this time conversions to Islam and an influx of Muslim converts from the surrounding countryside transformed the once predominantly Christian city into one with a large Muslim population by the early 19th century. Gjirokastër also became a major religious center for Bektashi Sufism. The city reached its peak between 1800 and 1830 when monumental assembly houses were built. Gjirokastër is a UNESCO World Heritage Site described as a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town. Taken by the Hellenic Army during the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 because of its large Greek population, it was eventually incorporated into the newly independent state of Albania in 1913. This change proved highly unpopular with the local Greek population, which rebelled. After several months of guerrilla warfare, the short-lived Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus was established in 1914 with Gjirokastër as its capital. It was handed back to Albania in 1921. In more recent years, the city witnessed anti-government protests that led to the Albanian Civil War in 1997. overnight in Gjirokastër – hotel Sunday, September 22 B/L/– GJIROKASTËR – BUTRINT – QEPARO morning: - bus transfer to Qeparo on the way: Butrint afternoon: hotel check-in free time on the beach Butrint has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It was a city of the Greek Chaonian tribe, a Roman colony, and a bishopric in Epirus. Butrint began to decline in late antiquity and was eventually abandoned in the Middle Ages after being severely damaged in a major earthquake.