A tour of towns, cities and resorts in Albania - for city break in Tirana or a beach holiday on the Albanian Riviera

Tirana Airport

Albania map from poster in Albania.

CENTRAL ALBANIA

Airport Area

We flew to Albania's capital, Tirana, on budget airline Whizzair. To take advantage of the cheapest fare you have to cut down on your luggage. A friend of mine did just that, with one linen blouse which she washed out every night and it was dry by next day. 

The full name of Tirana's main airport is Mother Teresa airport, Meme Teresa. Her statue is on the roundabout at the airport exit. 

Half a dozen hotels are a short walk around the perimeter if you want to stay overnight, because on your return flight you are leaving from the airport early.

We hired a car from Whiz Cars, which has a hut office outside the perimeter fence. But in June 2023 the airport was being rebuilt without correct car park numbers so we wasted half looking for our Whiz Car office. We should have asked for a map of it first. They said it was next to a hotel, but there were four hotels in sight on the right, and two other airport staff sent us in other directions including the obscured left.  

Tirana's Delights - walking

Tirana

Tirana, the capital, highly recommended, has many multi-storey international hotels overlooking tree lined squares. We indulged by staying a couple of night in a fabulous luxury hotel, The Crown Hotel, with a marble staircase with  a wide marble bannister. The bedrooms had clockwork curtains. We could not get the clockwaork to work, but it was just the idea which was so exciting. The dining room's last night treat was a tasting menu of seven courses for fifty pounds each would have cost twice that in London. We also had drinks in their rooftop restaurant.

Crown Hotel Rooftop drinks and dining in Tirana, capital of Albania. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The Crown's indoor restaurant had a tasting menu  of several courses for about 50 pounds sterling. Also a private jacuzzi and sauna and power shower which you had to book.

The bedroom had

The markble bannisters and light fittings with millions of fairy lights were amazing, impressive. The curtains oeprated from a switch. It didn't work, but we were impressed.

Delightful Tirana

Day 1 We walked to one of the half a dozen many attractions, The House Of Leaves, the museum nearest our hotel.

It is a private museum and did not take Euros. All about methods of surveillance during the time when the country was cut off from the world under dictator Xhosa. (Proouced Hoxer).

Our next stop was Bunk Art 2, a dome over a staircase leading to a labyrinth of underground rooms, all about torture in the bad old days. It ended with a room of music and abstract art.  Much friendlier to tourists. Took Euros. .Lots of discount options such as family tickets and student tickets and press tickets or at least if they were not available.

We could not find Bunk Art 1, a drive to the north.

Walking, however, was very pleasant. We started at the street of restaurants and shops in the ground floor alley of the old castle. 

Owner of Cobo winery, at his restaurant in Tirana, restaurant called 

We ate in a wine owners restaurant. It was good to meet the owner.

The Pyramid

The next day we walked to the Pyramid. it looks like a modern artwork. It was originally designed as a museum to celebrate the achievements of Hosa, designed by his daughter, an architect, three years after he died. The structure was later made into a conference centre. After assorted changes, clashing parties had different ideas. 

But those defying threats to demolish it had it turned into a tourist attraction which you could climb. You can photograph yourself on the steps, yourself on the top, and the view from the top.  

Our last stop was walking to the Holocaust Memorial. Misleadingly signed from the map at the park. Ask the attendant in the car park.

Languages, Menus, Translations

I took with   a translator which I cut out from a Lonely Planet Eastern European guide.

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NORTHERN ALBANIA

THETH

The far south and north both of the country have tiring and scary if you are easily scared, long drives up and down mountains. The Balkans in the north to Theth for hiking were remote. We had rain. 

Things to see that way, not much. 

Meme Bridge, Side Trip from  Theth

Hike to the Blue Eye water

Hike to the waterfall

One picturesque old bridge, Meme. One ruined hilltop castle.

The road out of Tirana going north passes numerous multi story car and tyre show rooms and wedding dress boutiques and isolated wedding venues like white Disney castles. 

Once in the mountains, the hiking trails were not marked. 

Lots of cheap guest houses. Power went off in the two restaurants by the bridge, and staff in the supemrket disappeared when we wanted to pay. Our hotel at Theth has a Jacuzzi in the indoor pool and a sauna. Made a great birthday cake for 40 dollars. No toilet roll holders and small rooms. Lovely owner family. 

We visited one winery, Medaur, which was a bit slow in replying, but did a tasting for a small charge including cheese, bread and salami.

Next door is an aromatic herb factory, lavender and sage.

LAKESIDE

Restaurant Syri i Sheganit

The Schkoder lake has a lakeside restaurant with ducks. I loved the ducks, but was not thrilled by the food.

The big hotel is the DeLuxe with an outdoor pool. on the plain by the motorway and near the prison with high walls and towers and around the outside in English motivational mottoes.

The Motorway North

The buildings are all multi coloured and every building different. Looks like six students designed every building, orange on the left and yellow on the right, or all window frames different colours, or oblongs on the ground floor circles on the middle floor and waves on the balconies of the top floor.

The same goes for the hotels going south along the Albanian Riviera. 

On the way back we drove inland to see Berat, a hillside town with a hilltop ruined castle. I had read so much about the town with a thousand windows that I was disappointed in Berat. Few places to eat for those in a car. Worth seeing but not worth going to see. 

SOUTH OF TIRANA

Berat's Wineries

Berat has two major attractions are two wineries geared up for coach parties. In the centre of town is Luana, a huge hotel with coaches outside a small lobby and a huge dining room the size of a wedding hall with everybody eating the same white dessert  is a glass. 

We went to small, quaint, traditional Cobo Winery on the road into town, having met the owner's family at their restaurant in Tirana. It is an old rustic house with beams. 

Much more life in the south in the Riviera.

What to eat? They are across the sea from Italy and you get pizza everywhere and ice cream.

THE FAR SOUTH WEST

Dhermi

We stayed at La Brisa hotel, which opened to fanfare in 2022. 

We had breakfast included at adjoining Arthur restaurant. The owner is Arthur. It is Thai style. A model elephant in by the beach bar. Rooftop pool.

A kosher hotel, Solomon's, was up the hillside, nooky and full of vintage items and stained glass. They are builign a rooftop swimming pool for next year, 2024, hopefully.

Vlore, en route, a coastal strip with skyscraper hotels in colourful and varied styles. Hard to park.

Further South

Sander, sloping, character, remote so less expensive.

Isak Winery, loved it. Saw the fruit and vegetables as well as wines. Fig jam.

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Porto Palermo bar restaurant, cliff top coffee stop. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Porto Palermo, clifftop restaurant, on the z bend road was a coffee stop, cliffside on the road (cross the road on foot to see the view on foot), large orange-red flowers arched over the windows in June.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Tirana

Albania's Jewish history: holocaust memorial, menorah mosaic, kosher hotel, synagogue and points of interest in Albania

Holocause memorial in the park in Tirana, capital of Albania. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

1 The holocaust memorial in the capital, Tirana

2 Nearby is the shop whose facade overhead shows a magen David, the six point star, which attracted my attention. Inside the shop are jewellery, antiques and knick knacks, and a magnificent decorated ceiling. The owner, whose name in English is Solomon, is a mine of information. 

3 He has the key to the which he had built synagogue. 

4 His son David runs a kosher hotel full of amusing oddities and vintage items on the hillside above Dhermi beach.

5 Sarande Synagogue Floor

6 Isak winery was originally owned by a Jewish man called  Isak from whom the current owners bought the buiness. 

 Google told me - Sarandë is a resort on the Albanian Riviera, in southern Albania. Sandwiched between the Ionian Sea and hills of olive groves, the town is on a horseshoe-shaped bay, edged by beaches and a promenade. In the center are the archaeological remains of a 5th-century synagogue ...

Wiki says

Saranda, then under the name of Onchesmos, is held to be the site of Albania's first synagogue, which was built in the 4th^[20] or 5th century. It is thought that it was built by the descendants of Jews who arrived on the southern shores of Albania around 70 CE.^[21] Onchesmos' synagogue was supplanted by a church in the 6th century.^[20]

See pictures of half a menorah (7 branch candlestick used on the eve of the Sabbath, ie Friday night).

Useful Websites

https://www.visitsaranda.net/see/synagogue-complex/

https://www.visitsaranda.net/see/synagogue-complex/

Driving to Dhermi Beach in south-west Albania - for the beach bars, gravel, stones and clear water

Drive Time From Tirana

We reckoned it took about four hours at least non-stop from Tirana, the capital, where we stayed a couple of nights, down to Dhermi. We took longer.

We wanted to visit Berat, the picturesque old historic mountainside town of a thousand 'eyes' or windows. We started to detour, but eventually turned back. The road conditions meant we did not have enough time to go there and back and see the place.

The roads have clearly marked lay-bys for passing. 

We passed an occasional memorial photo and flowers to somebody who must have died on the mountain road.

The Albanian Riviera

This area is known as the Albanian Riviera.  Signs on the winding mountain road tell you, so it is official. It reminded us of the Corniche on the Cote d'Azur in southern France. Corniche means ledge, as Wikipedia reminded us.

Dhermi beach is cut off from the road by the hotels. 

A cobbled pedestrian way leads along behind the hotels between them and the beach bars. The bars blare music from morning to nearly midnight. Macarena. It is a young people's place. (Nothing Albanian.)

Shingle Beach

Around the beach bars, the Dhermi beach is shingle and gravel. Down by the water's edge I sank into the stones almost up to my ankles. Now I know why the shops sell large numbers of beach shoes which encase the foot like thin sneakers or old fashioned tennis shoes but looking brightly coloured and maybe canvas or slightly stretchy. 

Clear Water

The water of the Ionian sea which starts here is clear. You can reputedly see down to your feet and the stones below, even where it is deeper. 

Fresh Fish To Eat

The sea contains fish. An Albanian lady in the rooftop swimming pool said you can see the fish. A waiter in Artur's restaurant which adjoins La Brisa hotel (and serves the hotel buffet breakfast) said the fish on display in the restaurant are caught daily by three fishermen.

Beach and Beach bars in Dhermi, on the west coast of Albania, called the Albanian Riviera

 

The beach bars at Dhermi blare out throbbing music from about 9 am to about 11.15 pm. For example, the song Macarena. 

Some bars have bean bags on the sand, in neat rows under the thatched umbrellas (closed at closing time). Flames are in between the drinkers. 

Our hotel, La Brisa, meaning the breeze, has a private beach across the pedestrian promenade. 

The stylish restaurant Artur, (Arthur's) is Balinese style. The owner had another style of restaurant in the capital Tirana.  

And a row of cigar shaped links cordoning off a square of the sea. A public beach is at the far end.

Angela On the shingle beach with hotel loungers and parasols at Dhermi Beach, SW coast of Albania. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Hotels are along the promenade and up the hillsides. More are being built. 

All good news. For the hoteliers, Albanians, and visitors.

Useful Websites

https://hefinde.com/products/water-shoes-2?dicbo=v4-6r1NEpn-1077638467

Cows On the Mountain road to Dhermi, south west coast of Albania

 

Cows on the z bend, steep mountain roads in South west Albania. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

The roads have barriers. All the same, you don't want to get in a confrontation with a cow.

A tunnel for cars is being built through one of the mountains at ground level. This will save half an hour on the journey from Tirana to Dhermi. Good news for hoteliers, locals from capital Tirana who come to the beach for the weekend, and foreign visitors who will spend less time driving to Dhermi beach, or driving even further south  to cheaper Sarander seaside which is more distant from the capital.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania

Albania, handy map - major destinations, Tirana, the capital for culture, Dhermi, Sarander, Vlore for beaches

 

A handy map on a poster board outside a restaurant in Albania. At last! Just what I need. Now we can see at a glance what is where. Click on it to zoom in. first, the capital Tirana. 

Tirana, the Capital, Colourful, Captivating, Pedestrian Friendly

That's where huge numbers fly in on WizzAir, of the national carrier, Air Albania.

Others do a grand tour of adjacent countries, eg flying from New Zealand or Australia, taking in Croatia, and maybe other countries.

Very near our hotel, The Crown, was the castle, basically and stone arch gateway into a winding short alley of restaurants and souvenir and clothes shops. I bought two lace necklaces. Asking price 10 Euros each. I negotiated two for a total of 15 dollars. Our Crown hotel receptionist confirmed that you can bargain. 

Theth - Remote, old Albania

I visited Theth in the north, a remote area for hiking. We had rain in June. You do expect that the gren trees on west coasts of mountains get rain, especially in Spring. But we have had good weather in Romania, Bulgaria, Madeira, Greece, and Greek Cyprus. Our hiking orgnizer was so diappointed in the weather he vetoed return trips hiking to any of the adjoining countries. I suggest that short hikes of a couple of hours are always possible. But those who want all day 6 hour hikes should check the weather for the week or month they are visiting over the last three or more years. In August it might be too hot. In June it might be too wet. In July fares ight be too high. Make columns until you find the coutnry, city, and so on. 

The road north of Tirana to Theth has isolated car show rooms, unfinished buildings with ground floors only, and scaffolding, or two empty floors. Are they being built, abandoned because of the reession caused by Covid?

Theth Visits

The blue eye (lake). The waterfall. (You can walk along the riverside from 'The Bridge' where hikes start at the two restaurants with a fish farm canal around the three sides of one, and  a small food and drink mini-market.

The huge white palace-like wedding event palaces pop up Disney-like. Big weddings are big, one hundred to five hundred people. One recption on the day, one the night before. One for the groom's family. One for the bride's family

 

Mountain Driving

Up in the mountains, I found the Z bends alarming. I liked the trees. Not arid like my memories of France and Spain in high summer. 

Food and Flies

But still, flies landing on your food plates. They should have folding net plate covers.

Packing Success

We packed two pairs of poles each. Bought on other trips. Or camping shops in the UK or your home or online in advance, if you don't mind carrying them on board a plane.

As we left checkin and went towards the escalator at Tirana, a pair or parading seurity guys walked past and shouted to us that we had to check in our sticks. (My husband shouted, 'This did not happen at Luton.' He replied, 'This is not Luton.' We are in our seventies. My huband shouted, we need our sticks to walk.') 

Security marched off. We carried on walking with our sticks. We were not stopped at Security.

Packing extras

 If I were to hire a studio flat for a week for my family, I would pack, 

1 Folding net plate covers, 

2 Mustard to go on the meats at restaurants. 

3  Toilet roll or kitchen towel holders for the bedrooms in the Theth hotel, 

I would print out in large type a guide to pronunciation, and the four or five names of the cities and hotels I was visiting.

What to bring back? Towels or caps in red with the double black eagles symbol of the flag. Small red milk jugs at the airport about 12 Euros, if you have money to use up. 

 I like old Albania, the small groups of three or four cows wandering on the road, the single cow being marched along by an old man and his smiling wife wearing a headscarf and a long thin stick to direct the cow away from traffic.

Dhermi Beach Hotels

My other major stop was a couple of nights at Dhermi, a strip of hotels along a beachfront from blaring beach bars. The beach is gravel, the promenade is cobbled. You need beach shoes. Not a Croc in sight, not even imitation crocs. You can buy thongs 9flip flops) in the lobby of La Brisa. Kiosks sell plastic backlesss shoes, and lace up thin sneakers at high prices. I asked the price of some nasty black and white plastic sandals with no sides or backs or adjustment. 70 Euros. What! I would have paid 7. No bargaining.

We stayed three nights at the luxury hotel. My husbands birthday week, our treat. 

What is you are in Albania for a cheap holiday? Further along, at the end of the beach, is a public area. Uphill are cheaper hotels, a kosher hotel, and guest houses. 

The gravel beach shelves steeply and alarmingly. I sank into gravel up to my ankles. I would not even step out into the fast current. The hotel told me it was dangerous for children who are non swimmers.

La Brisa told us the pool closed at 7 pm.  So I missed a swim after my long day's drive from Tirana. The swimming pool does not close. The fresh towel service stops. You can take your hotel towel and hotel bathrobe up to the rooftop pool.

Artuer\s restuarant is Balinese style. We tried one other place and came back to Artur's. The breakfast buffet is for hotel guests so you give your name and room number. But lunch and evening it is just open to everyone and you cannot charge the bill to your room as the hotel is under different management.  

In Artur's the main courses of meat have no vegetables or potatoes, which annoys me. Three huge pieces of chicken and no vegetales which have to be paid ordered speaaarately and paid for in addition. (Quite a relief to be back in London where a one course lunch is meat and 2 veg in a Italian restaurant.) However, our helpful waiter gave me chips with my chicken. We ordered one salad as a starter. The salad was easily enought for four. A good place for  family or group of four or more, where you each order a different plate and share. Desserts were also enough for two to share. 

No wonder, with such huge portions, the Albanians are like the Duch, the men not unusually near 6 foot tall, with broad shoulders. Since many are bald, mouths hidden by black beards and moustaches, black eyes sometimes hidden by sunglasses, at first they all look alike, and like the mafia. However, find one to make your friend and they are all smiles, eagerly call another if you speak only English and French and they speak only Albanian, Greek and Italian.

Why is so much Italian spoken? Italy is across the sea going west. Italian tourists come here to holiday or study because it is cheaper. Albanians go to Italy to work because they get  better paid jobs.  Lots of Italian restaurants and bars,

Super, Sloping Sarander

A cheaper option is Sarander. The name should have a double dot above the last e, making the e sound like er. If you want to type it correctly, copy from another article (eg Wikipedia) to get the double dot, or hold down the e, and move your mouse along and release it on the correct e of your choice. to see Sarandë.

Another beachfront place is Vlore. This is nearest Tirana, accessible by a fast four lane motorway, hence the popularity. The beachfront is separated from the hotel strip by a road and we had trouble parking. The two bars we tried had no food and seemed astonished when I asked for a menu. 

Ask For Menus When  Making Stops When Touring

it is always worthwhile asking for a menu. Not just to see the prices. You can photograph the name of your bar and if you like it find it again. I spotted Turkish coffee which I prefer. Otherwise you end up with just the one choice of coffee which the waiter suggests. They might have freshly pressed juice, flavoured teas, and other alternatives. By week two I had discovered that when you are driving and dont want park at a bar for an hour or so like most of their local customers, but just want five ninutes for the toilet and a coffee for the driver, it is quicker to run to the bar, grab a menu, and look for the toilets which will be by the bar, or you can ask and find them beyond the bar, outside, or upstairs.

Berat Scenery

Berat is a town on the mountainside inland. The main attraction is the scenery, and a rooftop castle for walks taking views, more like a walled city containing two churches. 

The pretty bridge below can be seen if you simply drive through the city in a hurry on your way back from Dhermi to Tirana airport. You can drive up to the castle complex entrance.

Berat has wine tours. Two big places take coach parties. 

Luani

In the city centre is Luani cellars, a mock castle hotel with wine cellars below and a vast hall where I saw coach parties were sitting all eating the identical dessert. Assorted prices depending how many wines you want to try. Must book. When we arrived, the day's tours were already all full. So said the girl in the small lobby, who was busy on the phone with another potential customer. 

Cobo Winery

On the outskirts is Cobo winery, rustic, family-run, all beams and beaming family members. Pictures of the family include a painting of grandfather playing a table game with his wife (pre mass TV days) and the grandfather on a bottle label.  As usual, a choice of prices depending on how many wines.  (You need to be on a tour, or have a driver used to tasting, which means only sipping, and/or spitting out, into a spittoon,) not drinking. You get olives, hot bread and olive oil, and two kinds of Albanian cheese, one hard, one softer. 

Dorres is on the coast from  with a Roman ruin and tower, which you can see online. We did not divert because we were busy with hiking. However, Shroder is a pleasant little town with an apparently pedestrian centre with lots of pretty cafes and ice cream shops. Watch out for bicycles and local cars which come along behind you. 

My friends chose to eat pizza in a jolly Italian place nearer the car parking before the pedestrian area. Great decor. 

However, after eating the boring restaurant dessert with vanilla, we discovered that the multiple choices of delicious ice cream in the pedestrian area was cheaper and better. I tried a scoop in a wafer of zinging lemon. Others in my group had, flavourful red berries, assorted kinds of chocolate, pistachio or other nuts and so on.

 Vlore

Vlore is big and busy and nearest to Tirana. Vlore has a long straight main colourful coastal hotel and bar strip. I loved the modern and colourful hotels in Vlore, every one different, competing for attention in style with the next. 

Parking places were hard to find. We managed to make a coffee stop on our way to Dhermi, and on the way back.

My husband has reviewed the hotels in Tirana and Dhermi in booking.com through whom he booked.  I shall write some restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor.

From Vlore  going south you reach the mountains, long z bends, tiring. Nice views, occasional panoramic small restaurants or hotels at vantage points. 

Plus the occasional cross, portrait photo, and flowers, for some man who presumably died on the road, (or fell/drove off it? !) rather than being memorialised in one of the cemeteries which have crosses and flowers. I was tempted to stop and take a photo. But that's asking for trouble to stop at an accident spot. We did see signs warning of falling rock.

A tunnel being beult though one mountain towards Dhermi should cut the driving time by half an hour and by ready for the 2024 summer season, politicains have promised the Dhermi hoteliers.

Budget  Sarande

Sarande is furthest from Tirana. Less convenient for locals with weekend and summer homes, and guest houses and studio apartments for them. Also furthest for foreigers. But a budget option.

I liked Sarande. it has more character with its sloping to the sea main street. 

Saki Winery

Another advantage is the best winery, Isak winery. The name came from Isak, a Jewish vineyard owner, from whom the current family owners  bought the place. They have gardens or fields of white  tunnels containing tomatoes and other fruit and vegetables growing. They supply supermaaarkets and hotels. 

For tourists, it is a place suitable for families, not just wine drinkers A big gift shop with, in addition to many wines, fig jam, fridge magnets, souvenirs to look at and buy. 

Seasons

On the road to Dhermi you will see signs for snow chains, and poles which indicate snow depth. Is their a ski season ? Apparently not. So no need to worry that your family will decide to come back and drive on those z bend roads in winter. 

At our hotel in Dhermi, the luxurious La Brisa (The breeze), the receptionist told me that their busiest time, fully booked, is August. The holiday season is April to November They close in the winter, when the hotels, bars and beachside kiosks are shut. 

Useful Websites

https://www.tirana-airport.com/

albania.al

Tirana

Dhermi

Vlore

Sarander

Shkoder

Isak Winery Visit

Cobo winery visit

Luani winery visit

Feeding animals at Llogora tourist village, Park Kombetar Vlore, Albania

 

We drove from Dhermi beach resort  up winding road to the mountainside Llogora national park. The hiking trails are well marked. 

We parked opposite the hotel Alpin. We stopped for lunch. We sat under a tree which dropped pine needles. However, soon the beaming waiter, Alexandr, came out. He ceremoniously covered the wood table with a crisp, fresh, white paper tablecloth with a flower design printed like an inner frame. 

We ordered a mixed salad (mixed salad), and a moussaka (Musaka).

 Afterwards we had 2 cups of espresso coffee with cold milk on the side (Makiato), one glass of local red wine, (vere) to drink. 

For dessert we had one Revani. Revani was like a cross between sugary solid jelly and quince paste. We liked it. We looked up the recipe. He gave us cake for free, which was good because the Revani is a bit of an overload of sugar and goes well with a portion of cake.

Llogara is the mountainside area. Vlore is the area or region.

Alpin, Llogara, 9428 Vlore.

tel 042266768

He told us where to find the entrance to the Llogora tourist village. The so called village is really just a hotel with crazy golf, deer to feed and a few statues. If you are not staying at the hotel you have to buy two packets of crunchy maize for the door to eat.

Weird or wonderful white statues in Llogora tourist village.