Albania
Albania, for years a forgotten corner of the Mediterranean, is now open for business again. Gifted with beautiful mountain scenery and a stunning coastline, Albania has an untamed beauty that is now a rarity in Europe. Our itinerary is one of the first to explore both the remote mountains of the north as well as the Riviera of the south.
Albania has only been independent since 1912, the last country to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire. Then followed a terrifying governmental rule, leaving the country with a communist regime long after others in Europe had crumbled. Only since 1997 has Albania really started to find some sort of normality and relation with the rest of Europe. This chequered past has left its mark on the country, the general infrastructure, such as the roads, are a far cry from European standards, although improvements are now being made.
And while the roads may have suffered, the spirit of Albanians seems unaffected, the hospitality, especially in the remote areas, is incredible. Life has changed little in the mountains of the north and the homemade cheese, bread and raki tastes how food should taste. Down south, the beaches and Christian monasteries of Sarandë are well worth a visit in summer, as are the two cities deemed worthy of Unesco heritage - Gjirokastër and Berat - which are home to stunning Ottoman architecture and castles still lived-in today.
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What to do in Albania
Explore Gjirokaster
Gjiorkaster
A UNESCO World Heritage town, Gjirokaster is one of the most venerable towns of Albania and is located in a lush valley between the high Gjerë Mountains and the rushing river Drinos. It is dominated by an Ottoman fortress, said to be the second largest in the Balkans. Crusaders passed by, looting and raping and pillaging, in the 11th century. A tragic legend recounts that when the Ottomans invaded in the 14th century a Princess Argyro jumped from the highest tower of the castle of Gjirokastër with her very young son, to escape seizure by the Turks. The old part of the town, with charming and characteristic Balkan-Ottoman houses, many with roofs composed of expertly-cut shale stone, surrounds the citadel.
Ride the hoof-prints of Byron
Gjiorkaster
'Land of Albania! Let me bend mine eyes on thee, thou rugged nurse of savage men'. So wrote Lord Byron in his famous poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, where he chronicled the journey that he and his friend and diarist J.C. Hobhouse took through the mountainous regions of southern Albania in 1809. Along the way he passed through a land that many at the time considered nothing more than an illiterate backwater of the Ottoman Empire, ruled by a despotic vizier and inhabited by savage mountain tribes. Now you can follow in the hoof-prints of Lord Byron on Wild Frontiers horse adventure.
Swim the Albanian Coast
Tirana
Swimming is great along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, well - except for the polluted section from Durrës to Fier! Adventure tourism is in its infancy in forgotten Balkan outpost, but for the true adventure tourist it is a land of mountains, coast and constant surprises.
Visit the Monastery of Bektashi Order:
Tirana
The 'heretical' Sufi Bektashi sect is a very interesting Brotherhood who has been involve in Albania for many centuries. Bektashi are a celibate, anti-hierarchical, anti-dogmatic, anti-hypocritical Brotherhood which does not exclude women from the religious order. The history of the Bektashi is curious: just as Christianity quickly became associated with Roman imperialism the Bektashi were associated with Ottoman imperialism.
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Where to stay in Albania
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Suggested Itineraries
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Albania Travel Guide
Kruja
Kruja is a town built around the foot of its sheer fortress rock, 610 metres high. The castle, the citadel of the national hero Skënderbeg, is both shrine and monument to the aspiration of the Albanian nation. It is built on an isolated spur of the limestone mountain-wall of the Kruja range and has spectacular views of the surrounding region. The citadel was used by the Illyrian tribes centred on nearby Zgërdhesh as early as the 6BC and became the main Illyrian castle in the area after Zgërdhesh was abandoned in the 4th century. The earthquake of 1617 caused the cracking and collapse of many hill structures, including the citadel, but in 1832, on the Sultan's orders, the Albanian feudal castles were made useless for defence and a centralised bureaucratic government replaced - at least in intention - the former feudal semi-autonomy of such mountain regions as Kruja. Half-hearted attempts were made by the Turks to rebuild sections of the castle, after they tightened their grip on the countryside, for they realised that sudden Balkan uprisings could overwhelm their government, and a defenceless castle is a doubtful asset to a ruling class. In 1968, on the 500th anniversary of the death of Skënderbeg, the city was proclaimed a 'Hero City' by the communist government which had come to power in November 1944.
Gjiorkaster
Seeped in history and enclosed by ancient walls, Gjiorkaster is a well-preserved Ottoman city in southern Albania which has been home to the country’s most influential leaders. Parts of the stone walls have been dated back to 3rd century AD, and nowadays it is still overlooked by the towers of its castle. The souks, mosque, citadel, museums, war mementos and leafy inclined streets make Gjiorkaster a fascinating city to visit today.
Tirana
Originally at Ottoman town, Tirana is now the increasingly flourishing capital of Albania. Recent governmental steps have begun to improve its poor infrastructure, making it an up-and-coming city built on a unique combination of old-world charm and modern architecture and entertainment.
How to book a trip
Albania Travel Information
Visa Information
UK Passport holders require a visa to visit Albania and this can be obtained upon arrival.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip, and it must have at least one blank page for each visa required. Please ensure the passport details we hold for you are correct.
Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa documentation when starting your trip. Country entry regulations can alter daily and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies for any changes.
If you prefer to obtain your visa prior to departing from the UK you can use a visa company such as:
Travcour (UK)
Tempo House
15 Falcon Road Battersea
London
SW11 2PJ
Tel: 020 7223 5295
Fax: 020 7738 2617
Email: info@travcour.com
Website: www.travcour.com
If you are travelling on a non-UK passport, please contact your nearest consulate/embassy for up to date visa information.
Insurance:
Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours.
You should be aware that many standard insurance policies may not cover you adequately for all aspects of a Wild Frontiers trip and so we strongly recommend that you purchase a suitably designed insurance policy.
One such policy is the "Wild Frontiers" policy underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE " firm reference 202803), which is available to EU residents (which excludes Norway & Switzerland) through our website or via the insurance company direct on 0845 345 3456. Under this policy there are two different levels of cover available.
Standard policy: a comprehensive travel insurance policy that provides cover for all Wild Frontiers activities, including trekking up to 6,000m. This policy does not provide cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel.
Elite policy: provides the same comprehensive level of cover as the standard policy. In addition the Elite policy also provides cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel. The policy will not provide cover for any claims arising from or relating to the reasons why the FCO is advising against travel.
If purchasing the Elite policy you also have the option to extend the cover provided by the policy to include cover for claims arising from a terrorist act in an area where the FCO is advising against travel. You can add this cover to your policy when purchasing online or over the telephone.
These policies are only available to those travelling on a Wild Frontiers holiday.
For more information and to purchase your policy online please visit the Insurance section of our website.
The cover is underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE), and is arranged by Travel & General Insurance Service Limited. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Wild Frontiers Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Travel & General Insurance Company plc, details of which can be found at the FSA's website www.fsa.gov.uk.
To contact them please visit their website at www.travel-general.com or call 0845 408 0583.
Health and Vaccinations:
There are no mandatory immunisations for travellers to Albania, although you should be up-to-date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. We recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.
We also recommend:
• A dental check-up prior to travelling.
• You inform us of any pre-existing medical conditions or medication.
To be on the safe side you can also check on www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
