Albania: Between Murals and the Hammer

Day 1 – Arrival in Tirana

Meeting in the afternoon, during which we will visit the city, in particular Skanderbeg Square, the Etëhem Bey Mosque, the Palace of Culture, as well as traditional neighborhoods in search of traces of the communist era, statues, murals, and architecture. Overnight in Tirana.

Day 2 – Tirana – Elbasan – Lake Ohrid

A very special atmosphere will unfold in the vast metallurgical site of Elbasan, the jewel of Albanian industry in the 1960s, which has since become an evocative ghost town. In the late afternoon, we will arrive in the Lake Ohrid region. Overnight on the lakeshore in Tushemisht.

Day 3 – Voskopoja – Erseka (Rehove)

We will discover the historic center of Korça and visit a typical local livestock market. The next stop is Voskopoja, one of the most flourishing towns of the Balkans in the 17th century, adorned with remarkably decorated churches. Overnight in Erseka (Rehove).

Day 4 – Pindus Mountains – Gjirokastra

We will cross the Pindus Mountains, stretching from Epirus to southeastern Albania, and their traditional villages where traces of the communist past are still very present. Thousands of bunkers were built after the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. The effect on the landscape is impressive. Overnight in Gjirokastra.

Day 5 – Gjirokastra

The day will be entirely dedicated to the city of Gjirokastra, a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town surrounding the 18th-century citadel and the birthplace of Enver Hoxha and Ismail Kadare. We will visit Kadare’s birthplace, some churches, the fortress, and, if time permits, the prison transformed into an arms museum. We will enjoy a coffee with the local population. Overnight in Gjirokastra.

Day 6 – Butrint – Dhermi

A spectacular mountain road will take us to Butrint, a magnificent UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site located opposite Corfu. This city, remarkable for its setting and the quality of its monuments, is said to have been founded by Andromache, wife of Hector and prisoner of the Greeks after the fall of Troy. We will then follow the coast to the beautiful village of Dhermi, where swimming in the sea is possible. Overnight in Dhermi / Llogara.

Day 7 – Vlora – Orikum – Berat

Vlora, one of the oldest cities in Albania, later became a hideout for Soviet submarines. We will visit the former naval base of Pashaliman and the archaeological site of Orikum, whose port was the stage of the battle between Caesar and Pompey during the civil wars. Arrival in Berat and overnight stay.

Day 8 – Berat

We will discover Berat, the UNESCO museum-city of a thousand windows (its fortress, traditional Muslim quarters, medieval center, and churches) and take an excursion into the Tomorr Mountains valley with its various remains. Overnight in Berat.

Day 9 – Tirana and Departure

Return to Tirana and departure.