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Berat

Thought to be one of the oldest towns in Albania, it is a new member of the UNESCO world heritage list. Berat has long been known as the "city of 1001 windows" because of its unique Ottoman/Albanian architecture. It has a well preserved castle with residents still living inside its protective walls.

37km

40.719.95

Northeastern Albania

Northeastern Albania is a region of Albania.

69km

41.9520.11

Shëngjin

A growing beach town located in northwest Albania known for its Adriatic Sea views.

79km

41.8119.59

Korca

Korçë (Korça) is the principal city in the district of Korçë in Southeastern Albania.

86km

40.616720.7667

Resen

town in North Macedonia

103km

41.0888888921.01222222

Thethi

Thethi is a village surrounded by Thethi National Park, up on Albanian Alps, in Northeastern Albania, in Shkodra District.

111km

42.39583319.774444
Sights (52)

Lead Mosque, Berat

37km

40.704519.9554

King Mosque, Berat

37km

40.705619.9521

Berat Castle

It was mostly built in the 13th century, but with origins going back to the 4th century BC. A very beautiful place with great views of the surrounding area. Getting to the Kala requires a steep walk up a cobbled path - take care, the stones are worn and slippery. The citadel is still inhabited, with many churches, and there are a couple of bars and shops in the Kala area.

37km

40.70819.945

Red Mosque, Berat

37km

40.707319.9457

Bachelors' Mosque

37km

40.70468919.950051

Hysen Pasha Mosque

37km

40.7061111119.94027778

Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park

The Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park is a national park in eastern Albania adjacent to the border with North Macedonia. It encompasses 339.277 square kilometres (33,927.7 ha) and is specifically marked by a mountainous landscape supplied with glacial lakes, valleys, dense coniferous and deciduous forests and alpine meadows and pastures. Elevations in the park vary from 300 metres to over 2,200 metres above the Adriatic at the peak of Shebenik and Jabllanica, hence the name. It dwells a number of endangered species that are fast becoming rare in Southern Europe, including the brown bear, gray wolf and balkan lynx. The abundance in wildlife can in part be explained by the variety of vegetation types and remote location.

46km

41.1666666720.5

Çorovodë

main city of Skrapar District, Albania

53km

40.520.21666667

Lake Ohrid

lake

71km

41.0372222220.71888889

Fatih Mosque, Durrës

Built in 1503.

72km

41.3111111119.44583333

Great Mosque of Durrës

72km

41.313219.4455

Tushemisht

Village in Korçë, Albania

73km

40.9002777820.71916667

Royal Villa of Durrës

This used to be the most luxurious crib in all of Albania, but it was looted in the 1997 uprising and isn't open to visitors now. Reportedly prince Leka has plans to renovate the villa "in the near future", but this has been reported for quite some time. Endure the steep climb up the hill for one of the most spectacular views over the city.

73km

41.314719.4387

Vithkuq

municipality in Korçë District, Albania

74km

40.5166666720.58333333

Korab

mountain range

76km

41.7902777820.54666667

Labovë e Madhe

village in Albania

76km

40.2069444420.13611111

Korab (mountain)

76km

41.7911111120.54777778

Castle of Rodon

Roman amphitheatre in Durrës, Albania

80km

41.585819.4482

Kardhiq

Village in Albania.

83km

40.1216666720.0275

Kaninë Castle

Built in the old center of Vlore in the 3rd century BC. This castle has an area of 3625 ha. It was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in the 5th century BC. In Anna Komnenes' notes, she talked long about her father, Emperor Aleks', war against the Norman army.

84km

40.44319.52

Flag's Square

- Independence Monument - a massive socialist-realist monument celebrating the independence of Albania from the Ottoman empire in 1912

85km

40.470719.4913

Muradie Mosque

85km

40.46904919.490932

Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre

87km

40.618720.7771

Gjirokastër Ethnographic Museum

Once Enver Hoxha's house, it is a well-restored Ottoman house which displays clothing, kitchenware, tools and other cultural artifacts. The guided tour (available in Albanian, English, and German though availability should be checked in advance).

87km

40.0755555620.13472222

Zekate House

It is the most visited of Gjirokastër's monumental stone houses. It is one of the largest of its kind, featuring three floors spread over two large towers. The house was recently restored again (having undergone earlier restorations during the Communist era) and is kept open by its owners as a museum house. In addition to providing an interesting primer of the characteristic architectural elements of the city's tower houses, it offers a beautiful view of the city below.

87km

40.0748420.13229

Gjirokastër Fortress

The historical and geographical center of the city, the Castle is billed as the second largest in all the Balkans, and is worth a look. The Armaments Museum is located in the castle (separate 200 leke entrance) and contains a collection of mostly post-War era weapons, photographs and artwork: the main gallery, with its eerily lit corridor, contains two columns of large German and Italian field guns, remnants of WWII. The Castle also contains two Bektashi tekes, the stage for the internationally-renowned Gjirokaster National Folk Festival, a prison (now part of the Armaments Museum and available with an extra charge) and numerous chambers, some in ruins, open to exploration. A second museum gallery, the Zenebishi Gallery, features occasional free art exhibits. Underneath the castle is the underground bunker built in the Cold War.

87km

40.07420.141

National Museum of Medieval Art (Albania)

Fantastic collection; if the door is locked during opening hours, ring the buzzer.

88km

40.615820.7837

Boboshticë

village in Korçë, Albania

89km

40.5541666720.76444444

Birra Korça

Famous throughout Albania, sponsors a week-long Beer Festival in the summer.

89km

40.611220.7907

Fir of Drenovë National Park

91km

40.5833333320.8

Shurdhah Island

It is in the Vau i Dejës Reservoir, which is fed and drained by the river Drin. It is accessible by tourist boat in summer from the Vau i Dejës dam or Rragam. It contains the ruins of the medieval town of Sarda. You can visit the ruins of the 11th-century medieval castle, which includes two rings of defensive walls and towers (some submerged in the lake), the remains of a Byzantine church and other early medieval walls. The setting on the steep rocks rising from the lake is especially impressive.

92km

42.0719.65305556

Canyon of Gjipe

93km

40.1436111119.67027778

Aoös

river

93km

40.6427777819.31722222

Kosmaç

village in Albania

93km

41.9938888919.55583333

Porto Palermo Castle

fortification

94km

40.06219.791

Orikum

municipality of Albania

94km

40.3333333319.46666667

Prespa National Park

One of Albania's national parks, Prespa, is mostly located within Pustec Municipality. The park covers 27,750 hectares (68,570 acres), consisting of Albania's share of the Prespa region. Established in 1999, it aims to conserve the wildlife of Prespa including rare species of bird like the white pelican, the white stork, and the Dalmatian pelican. Almost half of the area of the national park is forest.

97km

40.7520.91666667

St. Mary's Church, Maligrad

This Orthodox cave church was built in 1369 by Serbian nobleman Kesar Novak, though there is an older preserved inscription in the apse of the church dating from 1345. A fresco on the interior depicts Novak's family. The western facade was painted in 1607. The church is built within a cave overlooking the lake.

98km

40.79220.9317

Oricum

Ancient theatre of Orikum (1st century BC), Church of Marmiroi (Kisha e Marmiroit) - Here is also a small hotel

98km

40.3188888919.42861111

Drisht Castle

A ruined castle, the earliest traces of Frost Castle's fortifications date to the late Neolithic era. The walls and towers date to 1396-1478 during the Venetian era.

99km

42.123519.6112

St Mary's Church, Tuminec

Located east of Tuminec just inside the border with North Macedonia, this monastery got its present appearance in 1888, although a cave church of the same name just 100 meters (110 yards) north of the monastery complex dates from the 14th century. The cave church stands 10 m (33 ft) tall and contains many large frescoes. The monastery has not had monks since 1898.

100km

40.886920.9731

St. Stephen's Cathedral, Shkodër

100km

42.0652777819.52

Lead Mosque, Shkodër

101km

42.046519.4995

Blue Eye, Albania

101km

39.92361120.192778

Ebu Beker Mosque

101km

42.067519.51388889

Shkodër Orthodox Cathedral

101km

42.0686111119.51472222

Shkodër

city in northwestern Albania

102km

42.0666666719.5

Lëkurësi Castle

105km

39.865920.02567

Lake Prespa

107km

40.921.03333333

Butrint

115km

39.7455555620.02055556

Lake Skadar

lake

122km

42.1666666719.31666667

Rugova Mountains

mountain region in northwest Kosovo

131km

42.70120.162
Nature

we will see

Elbasan

Albania
Someday we will visit Elbasan or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Elbasan

Elbasan is the city at the very center of Albania. Its central location, North to South and East to West, is the reason it is sometimes referred to as "Kërthiza e Shqipërisë" (The Bellybutton of Albania).

Elbasan has been occupied by several different groups, including the Serbs, Bulgarians, Austrians and Italians. Elbasan remained a center of Islam in Albania even after the Ottoman occupation. After the 1908 Congress of Monastir (in modern Bitola, North Macedonia) decided to use the Latin alphabet for the written Albanian language, Muslim clerics influenced by the Young Turks held various demonstrations in favor of the Arabic script in Elbasan.

  • Ethnographic Museum (1982) held in an 18th-century building
  • “Kostandin Kristoforidhi” house (started as a museum in 1978)
  • Shkolla Normale Museum
  • War Museum

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Information for getting there

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

9.5°C2.4
Precipitation: 124 mm

Feb

11.1°C3.6
Precipitation: 113 mm

Mar

14.1°C5.4
Precipitation: 92 mm

Apr

18°C8.5
Precipitation: 84 mm

May

22.7°C12.5
Precipitation: 82 mm

Jun

27.1°C16.1
Precipitation: 52 mm

Jul

29.6°C17.9
Precipitation: 34 mm

Aug

29.6°C17.8
Precipitation: 38 mm

Sep

25.9°C14.7
Precipitation: 65 mm

Oct

20.3°C10.9
Precipitation: 101 mm

Nov

14.9°C7.4
Precipitation: 148 mm

Dec

10.9°C4
Precipitation: 133 mm
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