Seven reasons I fell for Albania – and you will too

I didn’t expect Tirana to be one of Europe’s most colourful cities, but across the capital, brutalist buildings have been adorned with bright colours, patterns and murals. This vibrant transformation was the order of Albanian prime minister and former artist Edi Rama, who wanted to ‘revive the hope that had been lost in my city.’

And the city’s evolution doesn’t stop at a splash of paint – take Blloku, an area that was once the exclusive enclave of communist leaders and their family villas. It’s now the place to go for coffee in the day and cocktails in the evening, where young locals flock to for nightlife (or just to parade around in circles, crammed into luxury cars).

It didn’t take long after arriving in Tirana to find a great café to refuel – and a group of local men insisted we take their table in the sun before arguing over who would pay the bill (they all wanted to pay). This was just the start of the warm hospitality we would experience in Albania. Later, a man and his mother ushered us into their home from the street, just to educate us on the building’s history. There wasn’t a single restaurant or bar where we weren’t plied with complimentary servings of Raki, a fruit brandy and an Albanian favourite.

Stretching 450 kilometres along the Adriatic and Ionian seas, Albania’s coastline is home to much more than glorious beaches (though there are plenty of those, of course). There are countless traditional villages, abandoned war bunkers and caves to explore.

By boat, we visited one of its largest marine caves, the Cave of Haxhi Aliut. Like everything in Albania, the cave has history: it’s named after warrior and sailor Haxhi Aliu, who fled there with his son during ancient times. Passing through its magnificent 98-foot limestone entrance felt a bit like entering a cathedral, if cathedrals were home to cool, clear water perfect for swimming. There isn’t a much better way to spend an afternoon than by floating in the water and taking in the natural architecture.

Albania is one of only eight countries on the planet to be entirely powered by renewable energy. Almost all of the country’s taxis are electric, second-hand shopping is common in even the most affluent areas of Tirana, and the capital’s vast bicycle network is partly funded by the champions of two-wheel travel: the Dutch. And – despite some people on TikTok insisting Europeans don’t drink water – there are water fountains everywhere, so staying hydrated didn’t come at the cost of countless plastic bottles. 

As a country that was closed off to travellers until the late ’80s, Albania is enjoying its newfound popularity. Our local guide Elton Caushi – named Elton because in the Communist era religious names were banned, so Albanians looked to the next best thing, rockstars – is an advocate for a new wave of tourism, so long as it’s done the right way.

‘The country is making efforts to balance the increase of tourism with sustainability. Politicians want to do it well, but there is a lack of experience,’ he says. ‘We have constructed luxury infrastructure, but we didn’t grow up with it. It’s a modern problem to have, and a good one, so as a country we’re excited to learn how to face it.’

You can get a taste of the countryside and the coast here for a fraction of the price you’d pay in other countries in the Med. In Tirana, we dined on succulent veal and fresh sea bass in a ‘Restaurant me luge’ – which translates, literally, to ‘spoon restaurant’. These local restaurants are born out of traditional Albanian cooking, where staple dishes like hearty stews, soups and casseroles are best enjoyed with a spoon. 

My favourite dish, Lakror, was not suitable for spooning, but rather picking up and eating with your hands. We washed down this pizza-like tomato and onion pastry with dhallë, a yoghurt drink similar to Indian lassi, but without the added sugar. For a sugar hit, we tried local sweet treat gliko, which is fruit boiled in syrup in a traditional copper pot. Anything can be gliko: oranges, walnuts, cherries, even watermelon husk. 

A sunset hike up the mountains in Tragjas brought us to a shepherd’s hut, where hosts Sofo and Dhurata served us a refuelling dish of putella me mjalte (pancakes or donuts with honey) before a 100 percent locally sourced meal of fish, chicken and fresh salads – and don’t forget the Raki.

Despite its relatively small size, Albania has a huge number of protected areas, including national parks, nature reserves and heritage sites. There’s pinch-me scenery all over the country – in the north, Lake Komani could pass for Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay – but you don’t need to travel that far from the capital to see Albania’s natural beauty.

A two-hour drive from Tirana took us to Karavasta Lagoon and National Park, where kingfishers, flamingos and pelicans roam freely. There are 222.3 square kilometres of wetlands, woodlands, marshes and estuaries to explore (I recommend climbing to the top of the water tower for spectacular views over the whole thing). The park carries out huge conservation efforts for species such as the Dalmatian Pelican, which came close to extinction in the ’90s.

In the south of Albania, surrounded by mountains, hills and yet more national parks, is Berat, a place that’s known as ‘the town of a thousand windows’. It gets its moniker from the Ottoman-era buildings covering the hills, which are each adorned with characteristic large wooden windows, making for a striking sight on the Osum river.

We (wisely) stayed on the coach for the drive up to our accommodation, a hotel within the walls of Berat Castle. The evening was well spent enjoying the spectacular views from the fortress, then back to the cobbled hotel courtyard for more local wine and food.

The hike back down to the river the following morning was beautiful but treacherous. We rewarded ourselves with a beer at one of the numerous outdoor bars, with the pine forests on the slopes of the Tomorr mountains as our backdrop. And obviously, a perfect final day in Albania wouldn’t be complete without a final shot of Raki.

Time Out travelled as guests on Intrepid’s 9-day Albania Expedition via Wizz Air. For information on our policies around editorial independence, reviews and recommendations, see our editorial guidelines.