The Times: 10 of the best places to visit in Albania

22 Dec

22Dec

It’s got Maldivian-style beaches, spectacular mountains, and a fascinating history — here’s where to see in this dazzling country by Marianna Hunt.

It’s hard to top Albania when it comes to short-haul adventure. What kept the Romans, Ottomans and Serbs from conquering its mountains wasn’t just strategy; these peaks are so ferocious legend has it the devil himself clawed them into being. Isolated under Communist dictatorship until the Nineties, this once-secretive nation is now one of the continent’s most exhilarating frontiers, particularly in its creative capital, Tirana.

To the north, some of the last wild shores in the Med unspool in sun-bleached ribbons. In land, the Vjosa, one of Europe’s last undammed rivers, rushes past family farms while down south, birdlife gathers in the glittering Vjosa delta near the Narta Lagoon. Whether you’re here to raft, hike, feast or simply watch the light dance across the mountains, these are the places to make Albania your next great adventure.