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Home , Albanian Civil War, Butrint, Gentius, Illyrian Wars, Rozafa Castle, Skanderbeg

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 or Podgorice transfer to Shkodër hotel transfer and check-in

- 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 and the fourth largest city in . Shkodër also a strong influence on northern Albania’s , religion, arts, and entertainment.

Shkodër sprawls across the Mbishkodra plain between the freshwater marshlands of Lake Shkodër and foothills of the Albanian , 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 . Shkodër became the capital of Praevalitana in the 3rd century AD as a result of administrative reform by the Diocletian. With the spread of Christianity in the century that followed, the Archdiocese of Skodra was founded and adopted by in 535.

Shkodër has retained its status as a major city in the region because of its strategic position close to the and Italian port cities as well as its land routes to other important cities and towns in neighboring regions.

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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 () - 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 , 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 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 after the , it became an integral part of the . The Tirana showcases the city’s ancient past. In the 5th and 6th centuries, a Paleo Christian was built around this site. When the Roman Empire split into east and west, the 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: - - 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 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 . The Bektashi order is mainly found throughout Anatolia and the Balkans. It was particularly strong in Albania and and among Ottoman-era Greek Muslims from the regions of , Crete, and .

overnight in Tirana – hotel Friday, September 20 B/–/D TIRANA –

morning: - bus transfer to Berat on the way: - 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. , 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 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 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 in 1997.

overnight in Gjirokastër – hotel Sunday, September 22 B/L/– GJIROKASTËR – –

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 and was eventually abandoned in the Middle Ages after being severely damaged in a major . Today it is an archeological site near the Greek border located on a hill overlooking the Vivari Channel in . In fact, it is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania. Given its immense wealth of cultural, historical, and natural value, Butrint was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

overnight in Qeparo – hotel Monday, September 23 B/–/D QEPARO – PORTO PALERMO – QEPARO

morning: - walk in Old Qeparo Village - transfer to Porto Palermo - visit Ali Pasha’s fortress afternoon: - free time on the beach - transfer to Qeparo

Porto Palermo Castle is situated in a closed bay a few kilometers south of Himarë. It served as a Soviet submarine base during Albania’s Communist regime. Nowadays its semi-abandoned tunnel and barracks as well as stronghold walls and gates built by the powerful Ali Pasha of Ionina are what attract its visitors.

Ali Pasha was appointed by the Ottoman sultan to govern over most of Epirus in the late 18th century. By then pashas had near autonomy to rule over their respective provinces. Ali’s ancestors were Christians who converted to Islam after the Turkish invasion. overnight in Qeparo – hotel Tuesday, September 24 B/L/– QEPARO – TIRANA

morning: - bus transfer to Tirana on the way: - - Natural Park of Divjaka

evening: hotel check-in free time in Tirana

overnight in Tirana – hotel Wednesday, September 25 B/–/– TIRANA

transfer to the airport

price per person – double occupancy 1510 € price per person – single occupancy 1700 €

** you may also join the tour for a shorter program arriving on September 18 in Tirana: price per person – double occupancy 1160 € ** price per person – single occupancy 1300 € **

includes: • hotel accommodations • meals as specified next to dates in the itinerary: B=breakfast, L= lunch, D=dinner (note: – indicates meals not included in the tour price) • airport transfers • buses • English-speaking tour guides • all entrance fees does not include: • international flights • drinks • personal travel insurance –––––––––––––––––––––––––– * Please note that there may be small changes to the itinerary and price –––––––––––––––––––––––––– You have the option to combine this tour with ART-TOUR BOSNIA AND HERZOGOVINA, September 7–12, 2019 –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Payment policy: - 1000 € deposit by May 15, 2019 - rest of payment by August 2, 2019 –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Cancelation policy: - 100% refund until June 8, 2019 - 70% refund June 9–July 18, 2019 - 40% refund July 19–August 8, 2019 - no refund on or after August 9, 2019