Photo: Exit News
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has formally requested that the Albanian government “urgently” halt all work on the Gjirokaster Bypass until a mission has assessed the impact of the project on the value of the city as a World Heritage Site. A draft resolution was published by UNESCO last week. It spoke of the “very worrying situation” in Gjirokaster as the bypass appears to already be under construction.
Photo credit: Erdem Sahin (EPA-EFE)
A covert tunnel, constructed during the cold war era in Albania has now turned into a major tourist hub. The 1,500-meter long tunnel was built in the year 1960s
Source: Albania: This secretly built Cold War era tunnel is a major tourist spot now – Republic World
From iconic Lake Ohrid and Lake Shkoder to Lake Butrint and the two Prespa Lakes, the lakes of Albania are gorgeous tourist destinations.
Source: 5 Most Beautiful Lakes In Albania | Balkan Travel Blog – Chasing the Donkey
Source: 15 Sizzling Tours to Wanderlust’s 2020 Hot List Destinations
Gjiokaster, Albania is one of the most beautiful towns in the Balkans. Here you will read about things to do in Gjirokaster, why visit Gjirokaster and more!
Tirana, Berat, and Saranda you already know, but this list of ideas for where to go in Albania includes some off the radar ideas that’ll get you excited!
Here are 10 newly-inducted World Heritage sites to add to your bucket list this year.
Source: 12 New UNESCO World Heritage Sites to Add to Your Bucket List for 2019 | SmarterTravel
Don’t go to Gjirokaster. You’ve never heard of it anyway, and who would want to give up a couple of weeks of their precious annual leave on a mountainous city in Albania? It’s impossible to get to, anyway – the only nonstop UK flights go from London to Tirana, and Tirana to Gjirokaster is a four-hour drive at best and a 12-hour drive at worst, using an unreliable public transport system and often impassable roads.
Looking for beaches, history, and things to do in Albania? Tourism is taking off and there’s some facts about Albania to know before you go!
Source: 19 Interesting Facts About Albania to Know Before You Go
Berat is more than just a UNESCO site! With its castle, food, traditional architecture, and close proximity to Ohrid, Berat Albania will blow you away!
Source: Berat Albania: The Coolest Mountain Town You’ve Never Heard Of
Butrint National Park in Southern Albania will transport you back in time as you explore this UNESCO site and the surrounding lake.
Source: Visiting Butrint National Park in Albania: UNESCO World Heritage Site
Rampant illegal logging in Albania’s biggest national park is ravaging primeval woodland protected by UNESCO, a BIRN investigation reveals. By Arlis Alikaj The driver shunted the Soviet-made truck …
Source: Chainsaw Gangs: The Plunder Of Albania’s Ancient Forests – Analysis
It is never too late to embark on an adventure and explore places you have never been before. If you are looking for a place to satisfy your wanderlust, National Geographic got you covered. The…
Source: Ten countries that deserve more travelers, according to National Geographic
The Lolomani dwelling, formerly the home of the Ottoman period family of that name, was once an impressive sight in the mountainside town of Gjirokastra in southern Albania.
Source: Steeped in history but crumbling, Albania’s ‘slanted city’
Albania – Butrint
If you are a history buff and always keen to explore some less known places than this the right article for you. Actually travelling makes more knowledgeable travellers learn the most about while visiting different parts of the world, it is history. After all, it is the many tales, the great deeds of men and the mysteries attached to a destination that often attract travellers to places that are ancient. Apart from the knowledge associated to them, another thing that attracts travellers to these amazing heritage sites around the world are the architectural finesse with which they were built. Right from the structures to the building materials, some of these sites stand out to be no less than marvels. Here is a compilation of such places; pick the one you like and travel.
Butrint, Albania
Albania – Butrint
Was the wall that I was sitting on really part of the oldest structure on Earth? Older than the Pyramids or Stonehenge? Did I really have it entirely to myself? There was no sound in the surrounding rocky countryside, save the bees buzzing and larks singing. In the distance, the azure Mediterranean shimmered around the island of Filfla, a few miles south of Malta.
The early morning sun burnt down from a cloudless blue sky to bring out the rich golden colour of the limestone that built Mnajdra temple. They certainly knew where to site a ritual centre, those Maltese builders, 5,000 years ago. But why? And how?
Fast forward 50 years. A car park now welcomes visitors to this Unesco World Heritage site. Barriers and walkways keep visitors away. A vast canopy provides protection against erosion. A tourist bus arrives every half-hour.
Albania – Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra
Karen Rubin travelled to Albania with BikeTours.com’s President Jim Johnson on a specially constructed “President’s Tour” itinerary that modifies the regular “Albania’s UNESCO Sites with Rivers, Valleys, and Gorges” trip.
