Lezhë, Albania: Skanderbeg’s Burial Town and the League of Lezhë
Lezhë is a small northern town with an outsized place in Albanian history — it is where Skanderbeg united the
Day Trips
Tirana is a good base: the coast, castle towns like Berat and Kruja, lakes and mountains are all within a day’s drive. My guides say plainly how long each trip takes and whether it’s worth the road. If you’d rather not drive, our tour partner Esther plans day trips from Tirana.
Start with: The best day trips from Tirana · Gamti Mountain and Bovilla Lake · Komani Lake in a day
Day Trips
Tirana is a good base: the coast, castle towns like Berat and Kruja, lakes and mountains are all within a day’s drive. My guides say plainly how long each trip takes and whether it’s worth the road. If you’d rather not drive, our tour partner Esther plans day trips from Tirana.
Start with: The best day trips from Tirana · Gamti Mountain and Bovilla Lake · Komani Lake in a day
Elbasan, Albania: The Castle Quarter, Bazaar, and Thermal Baths
Elbasan is a central Albanian city built around one of the best-preserved Ottoman castle quarters in the country — a
Pogradec, Albania: A Local’s Guide to Lake Ohrid’s Quiet Shore
Pogradec sits on the shore of Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, shared with North
Valbona Valley, Albania: A Local’s Guide to the Accursed Mountains
Valbona is the jewel of the Albanian Alps — a glacial valley of pale riverbed, pine forest, and jagged peaks
Korçë, Albania: A Local’s Guide to the Old Bazaar City
Korçë is the elegant cultural city of southeastern Albania — wide boulevards, a grand Orthodox cathedral, the country’s beloved beer,
Himarë, Albania: Beaches, the Old Town, and the Riviera
Himarë is the Riviera with a slower pulse — a string of pebble coves and a hillside old town along
Vlorë, Albania: A Local’s Guide to the City and Its Beaches
Vlorë is where Albania declared its independence in 1912 — a big coastal city that marks the meeting of the