Strange, ancient and beautiful, there’s much to discover amid the cultural crossroads of a country that provides a real adventure…
Source: On the trail of the unexpected – a road trip around Albania
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12 New UNESCO World Heritage Sites to Add to Your Bucket List for 2019; Noemi De La Torre; SmarterTravel
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
Why Gjirokaster is Albania’s best-kept secret; Holly Baxter; Independent
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…
19 Interesting Facts About Albania to Know Before You Go; Brigitte & Jake; Nothing Familiar
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 Albania: The Coolest Mountain Town You’ve Never Heard Of; Brigitte & Jake; Nothing Familiar
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
Visiting Butrint National Park in Albania: UNESCO World Heritage Site; Brigitte & Jake; Nothing Familiar
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
The Best Places to Visit in Albania; Catherine; CheeseWeb
From lively cities to National Parks to the stunning beaches of the Albanian Riviera, we share the best places to visit in Albania and the very best things to do in Albania.
How to spend a mystifying week in Albania; Thomas Hussey; Matador Network
Ethereal mountains, deep caves, and empty beaches.
Albania’s latest tourism campaign has raised a few eyebrows; Sasha Brady; Lonely Planet
Tourism beyond the beaches in Albania; Clare Nuttall; Intellinews
In Albania, age-old traditions and Mediterranean beaches on the cheap; Mary Winston Nicklin; NY Times
One tiny country offers epic road trips, high mountain passes and the Ionian coastline.
Source: In Albania, age-old traditions and Mediterranean beaches on the cheap
Chainsaw Gangs: The Plunder Of Albania’s Ancient Forests – Analysis; Arlis Alikaj; Eurasia Review
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
Ten countries that deserve more travelers, according to National Geographic; Aye Duran; Positive Outlooks
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
Steeped in history but crumbling, Albania’s ‘slanted city’; BRISEIDA MEMA & NICOLAS GAUDICHET; AFP
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 offers visa-free entry to attract GCC tourists; Arab News
- Albania has a rich historical and cultural heritage recognized as part of the world’s cultural heritage that warrants special protection
- Hospitality is an old Albanian tradition and foreigners are always treated with special respect
JEDDAH: Its natural beauty, geographical position and enjoyable Mediterranean climate make Albania an attractive European destination the whole year around.
These factors increased the number of foreign tourists visiting the country in 2017 to more than 5.2 million.
Recently, Albanian tourism has grown, resulting in the offer of travel packages that allow its most precious traits to shine, such as “sun and sea tourism,” “history and culture tourism,” “mountain tourism,” and other growing fields.
According to Albanian Ambassador Sami Shiba, “The citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar can enter Albania without a visa from April 1 to Oct. 31, 2018.”
Albania has a considerable coastline, 450 km long, which extends along the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea, where within minutes tourists can experience the mountain climate of Llogara and the warmth of the coast of Dhermi. Besides the beaches, the Adriatic coast is rich with lagoons and natural ecosystems.
Read more from source: Albania offers visa-free entry to attract GCC tourists
Explore Albania with special guest John Stapleton; Telegraph
This memorable journey to a beautiful, lesser visited part of the Balkans will allow you to discover Albania, as well as one of the most breathtaking sites in neighbouring Macedonia. On this 11-day tour, you will take in the area’s magnificent Adriatic coastline, visit four Unesco World Heritage Sites, and delve into the fascinating Communist-era heritage of the region. The acclaimed broadcast journalist and broadcaster John Stapleton will join us for two nights of the tour, offering valuable insights into Albania and the broader region. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit one of Europe’s most beguiling and least known destinations before the crowds arrive.
Tour highlights
- Undiscovered Albania
With a long Adriatic coastline, Albania is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe , yet still one of the least visited where the mystique of its Communist past is beguiling to visitors from all over the world. This superbly crafted tour will allow you to discover Albania and a part of Macedonia before volume tourism prevails (new tourists from The Far East and USA are the largest number of new visitors).
- John Stapleton
Balkan Sites Feature Among Europe’s Endangered Heritage; Mariya Cheresheva; Balkan Insight
Four historic landmarks around the Balkans have been shortlisted for the Most Endangered Programme, which aims to raise awareness of neglected monuments and sites across Europe.
An Albanian archaeological site and post-Byzantine churches, Bulgaria’s UFO-like communist monument and an abandoned casino in the Romanian city of Constanta have been selected among the 12 finalists for the pan-European “7 Most Endangered Programme 2018”.
The programme is a joint initiative by Europa Nostra, a leading European heritage organization, and the European Investment Bank Institute, aimed at raising awareness and mobilising efforts to save endangered heritage sites across Europe.
The final list of the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe will be selected by the board of Europa Nostra on 15 March.
The 12 finalists, determined by a panel of experts in history, archaeology, architecture, conservation, project analysis and finance, were announced at the opening of the European Year of Cultural Heritage on January 16.
Source: Balkan Sites Feature Among Europe’s Endangered Heritage
Balkan highlights – your ultimate list of what to see in the Balkans; Kami & The Rest of the World; My Wanderlust
Are you wandering what to see in the Balkans? Then this ultimate list of Balkan highlights is for you! All the best destinations in the Balkan countries in one place!
As you probably know very well the Balkans is one of my favorite regions in the whole world. I keep returning there as often as I can, at least few times each year and I always keep finding new Balkan highlights there. That is why I’ve decided to create the ultimate list of what to see in the Balkans so you will have a great cheatsheet for your next trip to south-east Europe.
Since my personal bucket list for the area is still neverending I’ve asked few fellow bloggers and friends to help me with those highlights so you can see here as many awesome and worth visiting places as possible!
Explore some ancient, less known yet incredible sites around the world; Richa Sharma; News Track Live
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
The big read: Rambling the Riviera in Albania; Ellie O’Byrne; Irish Examiner
Albania’s coastline has grown in popularity as a budget sun destination for Italian families. We should follow their lead for a unique, culturally distinctive travel experience, says Ellie O’Byrne.
“ARE you from Cork? I recognised your accent. I used to live in Wilton. My wife is Irish.”
Living up to the ultimate cliché of the Irish abroad in the vertiginous UNESCO world heritage city of Gjirokastër, 70km inland from the Albanian Riviera, as dusk falls on the cobbled streets, is a satisfying feeling.
Stopping for a chat, chairs are gathered around and our near-neighbour joins us for a coffee.
