Europe: Albania

Albania, a developing country of note, is situated in South Eastern Europe, neighbouring Montenegro, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo and distanced less than 100km from Italy from Otranto's Strait. On its Southwest visitors can enjoy the Ionian Sea and on the West the Adriatic Sea and 362km long coastlines. Most of Albania is mountainous and famous with mountain climbers for Korab (over 2,700 metres).

The Albanian climate is continental at these high altitudes with hot summers and freezing winters.

Albanian Cuisine is historic with Greek, Italian, Turkish and Ottoman influences. Lunch is the main meal of the day with meat or fish (especially in coastal areas), salad and/or vegetables such as cucumbers, green peppers and tomatoes, olives/oil, salt and vinegar.

Albanian Art is seen as socialist realism with situations and people in everyday life at its core and influenced greatly byf expressionism and impressionism.
Other famous contemporary Albanian artists include :
Genc Mulliqi, Shyqri Nimani, Simon Rrota,Anri Sala, Ismet Jonuzi and Adrian Grezda, Ndoc Martini, Ibrahim Kodra and Agim Zajmi - to name a few.

Albanian Public Holidays are :
January 1-January 2 New Year's Day
March 7 Teacher's Day or Dita e Mėsuesve (not official)
March 8 Mother's Day or Dita e Nėnės (not official)
March 14 The Summer Day or Dita e Verės
March 22 Nevruz Day or Nevruz
March 23 Catholic Easter pr Pashkėt Katolike (date varies)
April 27 Orthodox Easter or Pashkėt Ortodokse (date varies)
May 1 May Day or Njė Maji
October 19 Mother Teresa Day or Dita e Nėnė Terezės
September 30 - Next day after the end of Ramadan or Big Bayram Bajrami i Madh (date varies)
November 28 Independence Day or Dita e Pavarėsisė
November 29 Liberation Day or Dita e Ēlirimit
December 08 - 69 days after Big Bayram Kurban or Bayram Kurban Bajrami date varies, al-Eid Adha in Islamic countries
December 25 Christmas Day

Popular Albanian cities for tourists are:
Butrint - a UNESCO World Heritage site
Durrės - Dyrrhachium
Krujė - Adriatic sea
Gjirokastėr - Gjirokastėr
Lezha - Albania
Pogradec - city
Tirana - capital
Vlorė – Vlora

Albanian Counties and their Capital Cities are:
1. Berat Berat Berat with capital Kuēovė
2. Dibėr Peshkopi Bulqizė with capital Dibėr
3. Durrės Durrės with capital Durrės
4. Elbasan Elbasan Elbasan with capital Gramsh
5. Fier Fier Fier with capital Lushnjė
6. Gjirokastėr Gjirokastėr Gjirokastėr with capital Pėrmet
7. Korēė Korēė Devoll with capitalKolonjė
8. Kukės Kukės Has with capital Kukės
9. Lezhė Lezhė Kurbin with capital Lezhė
10. Shkodėr Shkodėr Malėsi e Madhe with capital Pukė
11. Tirana with capital Tirana
12. Vlorė Vlorė Delvinė with capital Sarandė

The Travel-Informed Team

You are welcome to send us comments or suggestions of what you would like us to cover on this page (), we always enjoy hearing from you.