Cultural highlights in Southern Albania

Hello everyone!
This cultural tour is for people who are interested in discovering and experiencing the culture of a hospitable country. Albania is an emerging travel destination that has much to offer, especially when it comes to cultural sites and natural beauty. In this tour we will visit some of the most interesting UNESCO world heritage sites, enjoy the beauty of the Albanian Riviera, and uncover Albania's rich history and way of life.


Here is what a tour can include:
- Guided historical tour at the cities that you want to visit
-Entrance fees (if any)
- Transportation to, around, and from the sites
- A stop and a beverage at a local coffee/bar.
- Hotel recommendations (as a local resident I know the best and most affordable hotels in the area)
-  I can also recommend the best local restaurants.


 Some of the most important archaeological sites of Southern Albania are:
  
Butrinti

The site is on a hill next the Butrinti Lake connected to the Ionian Sea by a  Vivari Canal. Has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The earliest settlement at Butrint was probably restricted to the acropolis hill: a small nucleus of the Late Bronze Age may have occupied the saddle and high eastern peak of the hill. The city eventually become one of the focal points of a local tribe, the Chaonians, that coalesced around the seventh to sixth centuries BC. Their tribal center was Phoinike (Finiq). During the subsequent Hellenistic age, when Butrint and Chaonia were an integral part of Epirus, the city was the focal point of a self-governing koinon, or state, called the Prasebs. At this time it was enhanced with buildings: a theatre, agora and a circuit of defensive walls encircling the acropolis hill and the shrine of Asclepus on its southern slope. By the early second century BC, Rome had secured control of Corfu and dominated Chaonia from 168BC, when Macedonia was finally defeated and its territory ultimately made into a Roman province.  Roman occupation prompted the development of the city and during the Christian era it became the seat of a bishopric. Many religious structures were built by the Christians. From the time the Slavs came to the Balkans (7th century) until the founding of the Epirus despotate (after the taking of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204). The city underwent great trials. Its last era of prosperity was under Byzantine administration (Epirus). After a short period of occupation by the Venetians (late 14th century). The city under Ottoman administration was threatened by the marshes that formed around the lake and was abandoned by the population. Other monuments that we can visit near Butrint are Diaporit, Malathrea and Cuka e Aetojit (archaeological small sites).

                                                   
 Saranda

For the first time in the 2nd century B.C., ancient sources mention the city as Onchesmus. It seems the city became relatively important in the Pax Romana period. In the 4th century A.D., the city was encircled by defense walls as much as two metres thick. The hinterland of this territory reveals ruins of dwellings, as well as a Palaeochristian basilica of the 6th century, featuring a floor decorated with mosaic. The city experienced an important flourishing period in the 10th century, when it turned into an important harbor. A famous Albanian ruler, Ali Pasha Tepelena, ruled it for the last time. In the 19th century, Saranda had a customs office, quarantine, a sailing agency office, an inn, and a number of bars and restaurants offering services. The name of the town derives from the dedication of the ruined church and monastery on the hill above, the ' the Church of the Forty Martyrs: Saranda, means '40' in Greek. -Other monuments that we can visit in Saranda are: the Church of the Forty Martyrs, the Castle of Lekures, Mesopotam ( the monastery of Shen Koll/ St Nicholas) and the Blue Eye.

                                               The Church of the Forty Martyrs 

                                                              The Castle of Lekurs

                                                                        Mesopotam

                                                                    The Blue Eye 

Ksamili

Ksamili is famous for its beautiful beaches and incredible clear water. We can stop here to have lunch with sea and lake products like: fresh mussels, fish, octopus, eel, squid, etc.
There are four little islands that create an incredible view.
Ksamili is a great place to stay. I can recommend good, affordable hotels in the town.

Phoinike

The site of Phoinike is located on a long narrow hill, Mali i Finikut (282 m above sea level). 

Phoinike was an ancient  city in Epirus and capital of the Chaonians, as well as one of the wealthiest cities in Epirus until the Roman conquest. During the early Byzantine period, Phoinike was the see of a bishopric. From the second half of the 5th century BC, an acropolis was erected, which hosted a number of public buildings, while at the end of the next century the fortifications of the city were expanded as part of Pyhrrus, leader of united Epirus, defensive strategy.The walls of Phoinike consisted of massive blocks up to 3.60 meters thick.

Gjirokastra

Gjirokastra, the stone city, is the most important city in a rich area of Albania, with a variety of rivers, lakes, mountains and ancient monuments. It is a starting point for many expeditions to a number of impressive tourist villages, sites and locations. The city has certainly not changed over time, and it is now clearly divided into two parts: the old city up on the mountain slope, and the new city in the valley below. The magic emanating from the old houses and the citadel can hardly be challenged by anything else.  

Gjirokastra is one of the most favorite tourist destinations in Albania. Its impressive Citadel full of stories and mysteries, its Old Bazaar dating back to the 17th century, its stone houses of rare architecture, its old typical neighborhoods, its tekkes and churches, and its museums and monuments make up the many-century-long and original context of a lifestyle and social structure that has been preserved to our days. Because of such values, Gjirokastra was inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 29 July 2005. Gjirokastra still remains a center of vivid cultural life and it is experiencing a balanced tourist development where you can find hotels providing excellent services.

Antigonea

Antigonea was founded by King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 297 BC and was named after his first wife, the step daughter of King Ptolemy of Egypt. The city is located on the east side of the Drino valley close to the village of Saraqinishte. The regular arrangement of the city and its fortifications make it a model of a good Hellenistic city planning. The fortifications themselves are 4 km long and date to the fourth and third century BC. The life of the city lasted no longer than 150 years. It was destroyed by the Roman Empire. On the hill are the remains of the Triconch Basilica from the 6th century AD. 

                                                          Hadrianopolis

How to arrive

By air: Through Mother Teresa Airport in Rinas, 285 km away. From the Corfu Airport, and then take the boat to Saranda, 30 min.

By sea: From other parts of Albania through the Durrës and Vlora Sea-ports, and from Greece through the Corfu and Igoumenitsa Sea-ports.

On land:  Those driving from the north and north-east of Albania, the Durrës Sea-port and the whole of Central Albania, have a couple of options to consider once they arrive in Fier: either follow the national road to Saranda through Ballsh, Tepelena, Gjirokastra and the Muzina Pass, or drive through Vlora, the Llogara Pass, and then, along the Ionian Coastline (past Dhërmi, Vuno, Himara, Borsh and Lukova).
Those driving from Greece may choose to cross the border checking-points at Kakavija, Tri Urat (Three Bridges) (near by Përmet), or the Bota Pass (the southern corner of Albania, close to Konispol). Past Elbasan and Rrogozhina, those driving from eastern Albania, Macedonia or northern Greece (crossing the border check-point at Kapshtica) may either follow one of the two roads branching off at Fier, or choose to drive through Korça, Erseka, Leskovik, Përmet, Këlcyra Gorge, Uji i Ftohtë (Cold Water) at Tepelena, Gjirokastra and the Muzina Pass.

The prices of the tours vary from 30 - 90 euros depending on what you want to see  

- Please do not hesitate to contact me for any information that you want!