SPOTLIGHT Amazing Albania

By Chris Robinson

Albania, perhaps Europe’s least-known country, is opening like a flower to welcome adventurous travellers and cruise ship passengers. Beat the crowds, before it becomes the next trendy European destination hot spot.

RUINS OF BERAT CASTLE IN ALBANIA

Albania is tucked between Greece, Italy and the Balkans, with the shores of the Adriatic Sea on one side and ringed by mountains on the other. I had long wanted to visit the land whose symbol is the double-headed eagle. Now here I was, standing amongst the enigmatic ruins of Byllis, an ancient mountaintop town built amidst spectacular views to distant peaks and misty valleys below. The golden sunlight on the stone columns suddenly disappeared as a dramatic Illyrian storm swept in and lightning bolts crashed all around. The gods were throwing their weight around! I retired with my guide, Nesti, to a nearby mountain inn to feast on local produce as the world outside disappeared into the storm.

UNEXPECTED DELIGHTS

The food everywhere in Albania is an unexpected delight. Because of isolation and economic impoverishment in the last century, the country’s agriculture was not transformed by fertilizers and pesticides. The countryside is full of bees and birdsong, flowers and meadows. And, in turn, the farm-to-table food is generally organic and full of flavours that remind you of how food used to taste. It is also, like everything else in Albania, remarkably good value.

A STORIED HISTORY

History is writ large in Albania, ruled by kings, princes, emperors, dictators – the evidence is everywhere, but gloriously uncluttered by crowds. I stood alone in the great Roman amphitheatre in Durrës which, anywhere else, would have been packed. There were perhaps half a dozen other visitors in the UNESCO World Heritage nominated site of Apollonia, where Julius Caesar and Augustus once trod. And, in the living museum that is the hilltop fortress city of Berat (another UNESCO World Heritage site), I strode the ancient battlements alone as the sunset and the lights of the medieval hostelries glinted invitingly.

RUINS OF ANCIENT BYLLIS, ALBANIA

UNSPOILED COAST

The Adriatic coastline boasts undiscovered jewels of beaches and rocky coves. In Greece and Croatia, on either side, such delights are developed resorts. Here in Albania, most remain almost untouched save for local restaurants and small-scale accommodations. At the Cape of Rodon, a little north of Durrës, my guide took me to a glorious beach of packed golden sand and crystal waters that was almost deserted except for the local fisherman (who also served up the freshest fish imaginable). Further south, lucky cruise ship passengers can explore the beautiful beaches of what has been christened the Albanian Riviera.

EXPLORING ALBANIA’S MOUNTAINS

Perhaps the greatest attraction of all, however – more than the pleasures of the gorgeous beaches, the city sights of the capital Tirana, and the many stunning archeological and historical wonders – are the mountains that make up much of the country. I drove the tiny winding roads up into Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park near the border with North Macedonia. It’s a world of simple and pristine beauty that is very hard to find these days. After a magnificent guided hike on which we saw not another soul, we descended to a tiny mountain village surrounded by alpine flowers and pastures and enjoyed a dish of local lamb cooked overnight in a milk churn. Our lively meal was punctuated by spontaneous dances with some local schoolteachers on an outing to celebrate the end of term. As my guide rightly said, “This is what makes my country so special.”