Sights of Albania
From a cultural point of view, Albania is a country of colorful mixture of styles and tastes. Visit Tirana (the capital of Albania), the cities of Gjirokastra and Shkodra, these are extremely cozy cities with interesting architecture, among which you can see the entire complex and rich history of the country. The city of Durres keeps the remains of an ancient Greek settlement founded before our era, elements of ancient Roman fortresses and fortifications are located in Elbasan, and Berat is called the “city of a thousand windows” because of the original houses with a tiled roof. Of course, Albania is the purest untouched beaches with the gentle thermal water of the Adriatic under the gentle Mediterranean sun. Albania is full of grape groves, olive and citrus orchards traditional for this region. Lake Ohrid, partly located on the territory of Albania, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is considered the oldest and deepest of all existing in the Balkans. Its depth is 288 meters, which is home to unique flora and fauna. On the shores of the lake there are restaurants where you can taste the local delicacy – the Koran fish. Albania is famous for its own alpine meadows, which can be found on Mount Apit, this is an incredibly beautiful place with the cleanest air and nature untouched by man. For many travelers, this attraction resembles the Norwegian fjords, its name is Lake Kamani. It was artificially created by man in the 70s of the last century in the process of building hydroelectric structures. Along the edges of the winding lake are incredible sheer cliffs, accessible only to professional rock climbers.
National cuisine of Albania
The main influence on the cuisine of Albania was the 400-year-old Turkish Dominion, they love meat (most often lamb) with all its diversity, as well as various meat pastries, seasoning everything with a generous amount of spices and spices (garlic, red and black pepper, mint, basil, parsley, bay leaf, marjoram and rosemary). Locals often eat soft cheeses like feta or cheese, milk, eggs, olive oil, as well as fresh or stewed vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, sweet peppers). In Albania, the tradition of tea drinking with sweets after the main meals is developed. A traditional drink dating back over 900 years in Albania is bosa, a sweetened drink made from corn and wheat flour, very tasty and original. The signature Albanian alcoholic drink is “raki” – light alcohol based on fruits and berry juices. For more than 3 thousand years, Albanians have been engaged in winemaking and have also succeeded in this.
Transport
According to Collegesanduniversitiesinusa, the most popular way to travel around Albania is the so-called minibuses “vans”, in addition to them, regular buses and trains also run here. Both minibuses and buses run, as a rule, in the morning, keep this in mind when planning your trip around Albania. The roads in the country are of rather average quality, but this is unlikely to be an obstacle if you want to travel in a rented car or other transport. The Albanian railway connects cities such as Tirana, Durres, Shkoder, Elbasan, Pogradets and Vlora. Local trains are not the most comfortable or fastest in the world, but you will have the opportunity to take in the amazing Albanian landscapes at your own pace. In Albania, there is only one international airport of Tirana named after Mother Teresa, located in the town of Rinas, 25 kilometers from the capital. There are no direct flights here from Russia, but you can get there with a transfer in one of the European countries. Albania also has night buses from Athens, regular buses from Montenegro and ferries from Italy.
Visa to Albania
Albania is a remarkably loyal country when it comes to the visa issue. Officially, citizens of the Russian Federation who do not have a Schengen visa will need a national visa to enter Albania, but in reality everything turns out to be much simpler. During the tourist season from May to September (check specific dates), entry to Albania is visa-free for up to 90 days. You just need to apply for a passport. The rest of the time, obtaining a visa to Albania is also not difficult, it is easy to get it (at the Albanian embassy in Moscow), and it costs only 15 euros.
