Going back this summer, or showing the kids where the family comes from for the first time? Here are the places worth the trip, from UNESCO-listed towns to mountain villages.
Albania’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Butrint: an ancient city near Sarandë, layered with Greek, Roman and Venetian history. Listed in 1992.
- Berat and Gjirokastër: two Ottoman-era stone towns. Gjirokastër was listed in 2005 and Berat joined it in 2008.
- Lake Ohrid: one of the oldest lakes in Europe, shared with North Macedonia. Albania’s side, around Pogradec, was added to the listing in 2019.
- Ancient beech forests: the Gashi River and Rrajca forests became part of a Europe-wide listing in 2017.
Tirana and the north
- Tirana: Skanderbeg Square was redesigned as a pedestrian space and reopened in 2017. Bunk’Art, inside a Cold War bunker, tells the story of the communist years.
- Krujë: Skanderbeg’s fortress, which held out against Ottoman sieges, now houses the Skanderbeg Museum. Read his story first.
- Shkodër: Rozafa Castle sits on a hill above the Buna and Drin rivers and comes with one of Albania’s most famous legends.
- Theth and Valbona: mountain villages in the Albanian Alps, linked by a classic hiking trail over the Valbona Pass.
The south
- The Albanian Riviera: Himarë, Dhërmi and Ksamil on the Ionian coast.
- The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër): a vivid blue karst spring between Sarandë and Delvinë, protected as a natural monument.
- The Vjosa: declared Europe’s first wild river national park in 2023.
Kosovo
- Prishtina: the Newborn monument was unveiled on 17 February 2008, the day Kosovo declared independence, and is repainted every year.
- Prizren: a beautiful Ottoman-era old town with the Sinan Pasha Mosque and the Stone Bridge. The League of Prizren was founded here in 1878.
- Rugova Canyon: a dramatic gorge west of Peja, popular for hiking and climbing.
- Gadime Cave: the Marble Cave, about 20 km south of Prishtina.
Before you go
Brush up on a few Albanian phrases, check the holidays calendar so you know what will be open, and pack something with the eagle.
Sources: UNESCO: Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra · UNESCO: Ohrid region · Wikipedia: Butrint · Wikipedia: Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests · Wikipedia: Skanderbeg Square · Bunk’Art · Wikipedia: Rozafa Castle · Albanian National Tourism Agency: Blue Eye · IUCN: Vjosa national park · Wikipedia: Newborn monument · Britannica: Albanian League · Visit Kosovo: Gadime Cave