Scenic Cities in Albania

Albania is quite the beautiful, inexpensive country and has a ton of gorgeous scenery to indulge in during your visit. Whether you love to gaze at historical monuments, go back in time to the castle age or you just want to relax within the beauty of nature, Albania truly delivers it all. Here’s to the scenic Albania and all that it boasts within its borders:

Tirana

This is the current capital of Albania, and with that comes plenty of historical facts and interesting monuments. The Adriatic Sea and Dajti mountains are also very close to the city which makes for a beautiful horizon. In fact, if you do not want to travel outside of the capital city you can visit the Great Park which hosts a man-made lake located in the southern part of Tirana. A few other beautiful sites to check out in the capital include:

• The Mosque of Ethem Bey- Constructed in 1789 the structure of the mosque is still beautiful and one grand site to see as well as an important part of the Albanian history.
• The fortress of Pertrela and Preza- These ‘fortresses’, or castles as we call them now, are one heck of a sight to see and also another important and beautiful part of Albania.
• Martyrs Cemetery- While cemeteries are not usually where one would like to go to find beauty, the “Mother Albania” monument is a must see when visiting Tirana.

Pogradec

Pogradec is one of the most charming tourist areas in Albania because of its location on Lake Ohrid which is knows for its crystal clear water and mountain views. The Koran fish, similar to trout, are also found in this lake. Besides the beautiful beach you can also find there, your stay in Pogradec is made most interesting by the taking off to the tourist centre in Driloni (not too far east) surrounded by scenic plants and trees.

Shkodra 

This city is one of the most major cities in the northwestern part of the country. It is situated near the lake sharing the same name and along the road that leads to Montenegro. It is an ancient city with rich history, in which Albania really prides itself in. You can find old and distinctive houses where wood and other traditional designs can be found. Near the city there is also the castle of Rozafa built on a rocky hill from where you can see even more scenic and beautiful views. Shkodra is a great place to start your trip to the Albanian Alps.

Berat

Berat is known as “the city of one-thousand windows” and is declared as a historical museum city. You can find this city on the slopes of the Tomorri mount where the castle of the city rises through a large hill. Many paintings by well-known Albanian painters have been said to be inspired from this city and are also exhibited there. The older part of the city also has some religious buildings like churches and mosques that can be quite the view.

Photo Credits: Thomas Quine, eutro, Vegamaster, Aleksandr Zykov,

Andy Hayes is a travel journalist currently based in Seattle, Washington. When not soaking up the Pacific Northwest lifestyle or enjoying life on the road, he is spending time hanging out on his own travel lifestyle magazine, Sharing Travel Experiences.