Tourism in Albania
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…high time to explore and invest… …Albania, Europe’s last secret!… From the end of the WWII, the country experienced 45 years of communist dictatorship and complete isolation from the rest of the World …nearly 700,000 “concrete mushrooms” are still spread all over the country… …a unique unexplored country with fascinating culture, friendly, warmth, and wonderful people… …being a secret in the heart of Europe is an asset and unique attraction… Location Neighboring Countries Italia – 72 km (Strait of Otranto) Montenegro Kosovo Macedonia Greece Quick Facts • Small Country - 28,748 km² (11,100 square miles) • 362 km coastline along Adriatic and Ionian Sea • Mountains comprise nearly 70% of the territory • variety of weather patterns and climatic regions – Coastal lowlands - typically Mediterranean weather; – Highlands - Mediterranean continental climate Mediterranean Climate …The average temperatures between May – October are 23 – 31 °C…. …Albania climate is characterized by bright sunny days (second after Spain in Europe). There are nearly 250 sunny days in the Northeast and 325 in Southwest… Why travel to Albania? Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011, …Albania as the number one in the top 10 countries to visit in 2011… …a great variety of seaside relaxation, from sandy to pebbly and rocky beaches… More than 200 km of sandy and pine beaches along Adriatic Sea (the only sandy beaches in east Adriatic coastline)… Nearly 85% of this coastline is not yet developed… …dense areas along Durres – Golemi coastline… …less dense developments… …but also vast virgin beaches along Adriatic coastline Strong Mediterranean Patterns …centuries old tradition of olive trees planting… …nearly 5,590,000 olive trees … Albanian Riviera - Ionian Sea ...Albanian Riviera, a Frugal Paradise... ..NY Times June 2011.. …no one is seen standing on this beach. Everything is mine… Government of Albania – World Bank June 2005 – December 2012 – develop a sustainable tourism in the South INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT Albania coast by improving critical AND CLEAN UP PROGRAM public environmental infrastructure and municipal services, – remediate and contain pollution hazards from former chemical plant in Porto Romano near Durres – improve community infrastructure – enhance architectural and cultural resources. Mountains represent nearly 2/3 of the whole Albanian territory, grouped in: • Albanian Alps Mountainous Adventure • Central Mountainous Range • South Mountainous Range Valbona Valley – Albanian Alps Kulmaku Tyrbe Mount Tomorr Central Albania Valbona Valley …Drinos Valley, south ofAlbania … Drini Artificial Lake – North Albania Jezerca Peak – Albanian Alps, 2694 m Small Mountain Lakes – Albanian Alps Thethi Valley – Albanian Alps (small village church) Hiking in Northern Alps Nothing may be sold or become private property in the upland or lowland pastures or in the common property of the Village and Banner, because these are free for the use of everyone... Kanun of Lek Dukagjini Balkan’s Peace Park – will bring travellers to discover amazing mountainous landscapes with isolated charm-full valleys, ancient traditions and pagan legends many guest houses operate throughout Alps, offering visitors food, shelter, and warm Albanian hospitality Inland water surface is nearly 1350 km² …the main Rivers toward Adriatic: • Drini 285 km •Semani 281 km •Vjosa 272 km •Erzeni 109 km Total area 363 km², of which 111 km within Lake Ohrid Albanian territory… • average depth 145 m • max. depth 295 m … the Ohrid lake, that came into being between four to ten million years ago, is Europe's oldest lake, and is amongst the oldest in the world, similar to Lake Baikal and Tanganyka . Shkodra Lake The largest lake of the whole Balkan Peninsula. with a coast line of 57 km belonging to Republic of Albania, and 2 / 3 to Montenegro. Shkodra Lake • Prespa lake • Consists of Great Prespa (285 km) and from Prespa e Vogel (44 km2). The Lake stretches between Albania, Greece and Macedonia Prespa Lake Butrinti Lake and ancient city of Buthrot / UNESKO site …ferry along Drini lake, northern Albania… Lagoons Eight lagoon ecosystems, covering nearly 10,900 Ha, supporting traditional fisheries, fish farming and salt production Karavastaja Lagoon One of the largest in the Mediterranean Sea (nearly 3900 Ha). The lagoon is famous for the rare Dalmatian Pelican – nearly 5% of the world's population of this type of pelican is found in this lagoon Narta Lagoon Area 4180 Ha, of which 1290 converted to a commercially operated salina Viluni Lagoon Kune – Vain Lagoon …nearly 13,4% of the Albanian territory is comprised of natural parks and protected areas such as forests, lakes, lagoons, pastures, etc. “Bredhi i Hotoves” National Park …map of protected areas in Albania Rich Historic Heritage 10 – archeological protected areas 9 – archeological parks Over 1600 cultural monuments Over 300 fortresses and castles More than 200 churches and mosques Over 130 cultural prime attractions 3 UNESCO protected areas The sight of high Phaeacia soon we lost And skimm'd along Epirus' rocky coast. Then to Chaonia's port our course we bend, And, landed, to Buthrotus' heights ascend. Here wondrous things were loudly blaz'd fame: How Helenus reviv'd the Trojan name, And that Priam's captive son Succeeded Pyrrhus in his bed and throne. Virgil, “Eneida” National Park of Butrint – areal view Since 1992, Butrint is registered as an UNESCO world's estate in 1992, and as a World Heritage site in 1999 Proceeding on, another Troy I see, Or, in less compass, Troy's epitome. A riv'let by the name of Xanthus ran, And I embrace the Scaean gate again. Virgil, Eneida Butrint: the Virgil’s “Skea Gate” and the "Lion Gate“ (5 c. BC). At the architrave is represented a lion devouring a bull, allusion of Aeneas sacrifice of the bull before sailing toward Italy to establish Rome Apolonia, the 4 c. BC fortification. Carved stone basement and the brick wall, among the first cases in the world of the massive use of baked bricks. Amantia: The most beautiful example of the “lesbian masonry”: The flattened rock served as a defending wall and basement for the chiseled blocks jointed by curved faces (5th BC) The stadium of Amantia (3 BC). During the excavations, numerous statuettes of athletes were found. Among the winners of Olympic competitions appears the names of athletes from Amantia. Selca, the monumental tombs carved into the rock (4-3 BC), unique in the all ancient architecture because of their forms and elements. Archaeological excavations discovered here numerous valuable golden artifacts. Durrës, “The Beauty of Dyrrachium”: A mosaic of river gravel with apulian motifs (4th c. BC). One of the most beatiful mosaics of the pre- roman antiquity. Butrint, the head of Apollo, a roman copy of a probably disappeared model of Polykletes. The site of Apollonia was founded at the 6th c. BC. By Strabo it is mentioned as "an exceedingly well- governed city" and Aristotle considered as an important example of an oligarchic system. The Roman emperor Augustus studied in Apollonia in 44 BC and it was there that he received news of Caesar's mord . For Cicero Apollonia was magna urbs et gravis, a great and severe city. Durrës, founded as Epidamnos in 627 BC, one of the oldest cities in Europe. For Aristotle Epidamnos was a “politically advanced society”, Cicero had to leave the city because it was “very noisy”. One of most important monuments of Durrës is his Amphitheatre, built in the 2nd century AD. The Amphitheatre, having a capacity of 20,000 people, is one of the largest in the world, probably the fourth according to recent excavations,. The Baptistery of Butrint, constructed in the early 6th AD, is the second largest baptistery in all the Eastern Roman Empire. The intricate brightly colored mosaic has representations of land (animals), air (birds), and water (fish), symbolizing aspects of Christian salvation. Synagoge of Saranda (Onchesmos). According to a legend 2000 years ago, a ship full of Jewish slaves from Palestine landed at Illyria. A mosaic with seven-branched candelabrum (menorah) and a ram’s horn (shofar), symbols of Jewish holidays, demonstrate clearly that the ruins of the large mosaic paved building in Saranda belongs to a synagogue of the 5th- or 6th c. AD, one of the greatest in Mediterranean. …the magnificent and famous Castle of Gjirokastra is an ancient building of stone, erected along a high ridge of rock. It stretches from east to west, a length of 600 steps wide and a width of 100 steps. The long crowned cortains give it the appearance of a galley ship… Evliya Çelebi, Seyahatname, november 1670. The UNESCO World Heritage Town of Gjirokastra. “It was a strange city, and seemed to have been cast up in the valley one winter’s night like some prehistoric creature that was now clawing its way up the mountainside. Everything in the city was old and made of stone, from the streets to the roofs of the old houses covered with grey slates like gigantic scales. That was only natural, for it was a stone city and its touch was rough and cold Ismail Kadare, Chronicle in Stone Gjirokastra, Zekati House. …in a large house of Gjirokastra, you can not easily meet the people. They are fresh houses, excessive rooms, great and mysterious spaces, in the sense that there is always something to be repaired, something that is unfinished. Somewhere you don’t have to enter. Ismail Kadare, Chronicle in Stone …bazaar has 200 elegant shops . In addition, there are 80 modern two-floor stores. Bazaar is an attractive one, with strong gates on both the entry exit wings, like a bezistan... Evliya Çelebi, Seyahatname, november 1670. The UNESCO World Heritage Town of Berat. “The City of a Thousand Windows”, the Mangalem quarter Mary and Child. Icon by Onufri (Onufri museum in Berat) Onufri (first half of the 16th century) is one of the most prominent post- Byzantine painters.