crawling upeachothertoreach ofisolated thetopsofhills,andpockets beaches. able addresses, tethered intheuniquesightsofAlbania:donkeys andtake houses tobunkers, generous hospitalityandfriendliness. thepotholes,packsofmangydogsandundecipher- Mind unrestrictedbenefit frompractically accesstocastlesandcentury-oldhousesaswellincredibly otherwise inhospitablemountains. women stillweartraditionaldress andshepherds guide flocksalonggrassyledgesinthe into louddiscoswhere menand every Incontrast,northern dayisathumpingweekend. thousands return, bumpingupthelocaltourismindustriesandturning quietseasidespots alivingintheUK,Italy,Greece, make USAandAustralia. Insummer,hundreds of of ,bereft oftouristsbutrichinarchaeological finds. are site istheextraordinary dessert. townsofBeratandGjirokastra cessible Ottoman andtrendy sidedish, andthere’scolourful nodoubtthattheUnesco-listed andeasilyac- in thesouth., atastyandsurprisingly makes almostsmackbanginAlbania’sheart, andthethrivingwetlandsnearVlora mountains andbrilliantgreen Komaninthenorth Lake the west-coast beachesoftheAdriaticandIonianSeas,while veg consistsofthealpine Albania isameat-and-three-veg shaped–spreads ofcountry.The along meat–kidney kind Albania 48 © LonelyPlanetPublications Like agoodmeat-and-three-vegLike dish,Albaniaisaffordable,fillingandready toeat. International travellers withnolinkstoAlbaniaare stillarelatively newphenomenon,and There are millionsofethnicAlbaniansinneighbouringcountries,andasmanyamillion

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for details Visas Telephone codes Population Official language shim Key phrases uniquelanguage bunkers, Famous for lekë 138.74 lekë;€1=126.12A$164.20 Currency Capital Area international accesscode erit vjen keq (thank you), 28,748sqkm (goodbye), not neededforcitizens oftheEU,Australia, NewZealand, theUSandCanada; see p97 Tirana (I’m sorry) lekë;US$1=95.25UK£1= 3.62million being‘mysterious’, concrete

tungjatjeta me falni ju lutem countrycode Albanian (please), (excuse me), (hello), % 00 mirupaf- % falemind- 355; më ALBANIA 49 The best time to visit Albania is spring or trally located ruins and archaeological and archaeological ruins located trally ). the rickety catching museum, before p90 ( to Shkodra train early-afternoon head up the terrifying The next morning Theth of mountainroad to the village spend a night) and with a local p92 ( heading back to Shko- family, before photo Marubi out the dra and checking Rozafa and valley-guarding exhibitions on the Lake trip a return Take fortress. ) and find your way to p91 ( Koman ferry your way to beautiful Make Kruja. a trip to the then take rest, for two days of Catch ), near . p75 ( Apollonia ruins of ) and p82 a bus down through Vlora ( Pass pass through the scenic Llogaraja coast’s ). Next stop is at the Ionian p84 ( ). p85 choose betweenbeaches: busy Dhërmi ) or Himara ( p85 ( Jal and quieter out Saranda and the nearby Then check of Butrint, the Monastery attractions of and the Blue at Mesopotamia St Nicholas ). Cruise up to Gjirokas- p88 Ottoman- Eye Spring ( another ) to explore p88 tra ( ) – on era town. Next comes adventure p79 the stunning road to Korça ( one. not an easy ride but an unforgettable Check out Korça’s museums and beer way to lake- finding your factory before and R. R ) for some p79 side ( In summer Tirana swelters, especially in swelters, In summer Tirana CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO autumn, particularly May and September, autumn, particularly May when you can sightsee in the mild sunshine. is high, accom- In August the temperature and tight in coastalmodation is very regions, bookings for stays will only take most hotels or more. a week of Coastal Albania has a pleasant Mediterranean Coastal Albania has a pleasant Mediterranean and other inland towns on In Tirana climate. win- rainfall during plenty of the plains there’s rare. are below freezing but temperatures ter, experience heavy The high mountains often and and March, snow between November as Korça become icy. Roads and towns such by can be blocked tracks to mountain villages and Theth can be inacces- snow for months, as June. sible as late the high reach August, when temperatures 30s, and even in the mountain towns the mer- rises to 40°C. Temperatures cury frequently for a Tirana p429 See milder. on the coast are climate chart.

( p88 ) Unesco- 600 lekë 50 lekë ( p87 ) The south’s p87 ( (minibus) to Berat 30 lekë 800 lekë 300 lekë Gjirokastra Butrint furgon 160 lekë 1800 lekë 150 lekë ALBANIA •• Highlights ( p91 ) Seemingly mile-high p91 ( Spend two days in Tirana, Spend two days in Tirana, Two days in Tirana ( p62 ) will p62 ( Two days in Tirana 300 lekë ( p84 ) to ( p62 ) Wild colour schemes and hip ) Wild colour schemes p62 ( ( p92 ) A hard-to-reach village deep village ) A hard-to-reach p92 ( ( p75 ) and

Tirana beer beer Tirana T-shirt Souvenir (burek) snack Street Litre of petrol Litre water of bottled Litre English translation of an Ismail of an Ismail English translation novel Kadare Pizza Bottle of Albanian Bottle of Albanian Short taxi ride Shot of mulberry rakiShot of mulberry (a local spirit) 100 lekë

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dramatic Ionian coast, ranging from dramatic Ionian coast, ranging from jungly ruins. to beaches alps. in the northern cliffs enclosing bottle-green water. cliffs bottle-green enclosing Dhërmi Theth Lake Koman Berat cities. museumlisted Blloku cafe culture. Blloku cafe Tirana Two weeks then head to Durrës ( p71 ) for its cen- ) for its p71 then head to Durrës ( One week out the museums, you time to check give dance restaurants, the great eat at some of some mountainin the pyramid and get ). Then p74 ( Express time on the Dajti Ottoman-era ), Albania’s loveliest hop on a bus or p75 ( around traipsing town, for two days of your make Next, the town’s old quarters. ) by the sea (stopping p86 way to Saranda ( , for some beach p84 at Dhërmi, en route a day trip to the wonder- time) and take ). On the p87 Butrint ( ful jungly ruins of to Kruja a detour way to the airport take the country’s out one of ) to check p73 ( best ethnographic museums and buy your little bazaar. in its authentic souvenirs

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