Located in the Shijak region of central Albania, around 45 minutes drive from Tirana, Agroturizem Gjepali is one of 14 certified agrotourism business in the country. Owned by the Gjepali family and built on land that has been worked by them for six generations, they bring decades, if not centuries of expertise. Prior to communism, […]
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The Monastery of Shen Vlash, or St Blaise, is located in the Shijak District of Durres. It comprises a number of white buildings with terracotta roofs, sprawled across one of the highest hills for miles around. I was lucky enough to be able to visit, thanks to the hospitality of Fr. Emanuel Lapanxa, his wife […]
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The Castle of Himare and Old Himare sits on top of the hill of Barbakas. Dating back over 2500 years, it is surrounded by the Ceraunian mountains, the hill of Skurata, and the canyons of Kole Midharit and Visha. Once home to several hundred families, now only 20 or 30 remain. In 1945 at the […]
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Himare is a town in south Albania and is a part of Vlore County. A part of the Albanian Riviera, it is neighboured by Dhermi, Drymadhes, Borsh, Qeparo and various other small villages. A popular holiday destination it offers stunning beaches, history, wonderful food, and unsurpassed views. Roughly 3-4 hours drive from Tirana, it is […]
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This year was supposed to be Albania’s year. After years of build up, appearing on several, prominent ‘must visit’ lists, and being designated the home of a number of impossibly cool music festivals, 2020 was set to be the best for tourism. Until the pandemic. Now, as we approach the middle of June, the beaches […]
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Dreaming of visiting Albania? I don’t blame you, it’s beautiful. If you are planning a trip but you want to find out a bit more before you click “book”, I hope this will be the article to motivate you. It is impossible to condense everything Albania has to offer into just one article, or even […]
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Albanian artist, Aida Llukaj is taking part in this year’s Paris Fringe Festival. This year, for the first time ever, due to COVID-19 it will take place entirely online. Aida will be presenting a dance-theatre performance entitled “Turp” (Shame) which features a mix of dance, monologue, poetry, and music. Her work is inspired by what […]
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A photograph taken from outer space of Lake Shkodra has been featured on the NASA Earth Observatory website. The lake caught the attention of astronauts due to the way that sediments had formed in a spiral. These are caused by the flow of water from the various rivers that deposit into the lake. They could […]
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Besnik Veliu, the head of the Albanian University Sports Federation said he hopes that more students take up sports and that the sporting sector in the country continues to grow. The Federation was formed in December 2017 and supports some 6000 students across the country who are involved with sports at University. Veliu said he […]
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Albania’s very first Terek Sandpiper has been spotted in the country, according to the Albanian Ornithological Society. What is a Terek Sandpiper, I hear you ask? Otherwise known as a Xenus cinerus, the Terek Sandpiper is a small wader bird and it takes its name from the Terek River that flows into the west Caspian […]
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