Visit Berat and Ksamil
Albania is not simply the land where everyone has a Mercedes
In recent years this small country on the Balkan Peninsula is slowly approaching tourism. More and more Italians decide to visit Albania and some decide to move there (many retirees are attracted by the very low cost of living).
Albania as well as being a "cheap" country is also an interesting destination for those who speak only Italian (more than half of the population is able to speak the language of Dante, this is essentially due to the spread of television programs in Italian language).
Yet, despite Albania's efforts to open up to tourism, many Italians still remain skeptical about this destination. Some have even asked me: what are you going to do? But is it a safe country? As for security, it is a quiet country , an excellent destination for solo travelers (except for some "cascamorto" on duty).
What does Albania offer? Crystalline sea, rugged mountains, excellent cuisine with local products and beautiful villages set in the rock.
There are numerous places worth visiting: Vlora, Girocastra, Berat and Ksamil. I will tell you my experience in these last two.
Visit Berat
Reach Berat by bus from Tirana
Reaching Berat from Tirana is quite simple: several buses leave for a few euros. A bus leaves every hour from Tirana central station and takes about 3 hours to reach the destination. Important to know that even the buses for Skrapar and Polican stop in Berat, just ask the driver 😉
Traveling on an Albanian bus is a unique experience: you will always find someone with whom to exchange a few words ...
The Berat bus station is located quite far from the center of the town, but there is a bus that connects the two areas for a few cents (the currency is the Albanian lek).
Where to sleep
I advise you to stay at the Mangalem Hostel (for two nights I paid sixteen euros in a shared room with breakfast), in addition to being in the old town, the welcome is warm. The owner's father, Costantin, a grisly granny, a retired professor, loves to delight guests with his theories and poems about love (as a young man he studied French self-taught).
The streets of the old city are quite inaccessible, so I do not recommend carrying large and heavy suitcases with you.
Berat is known for being the city with a thousand windows and where Muslims and Orthodox coexist peacefully. As proof of this, the mosque is located next to the church.
Berat is a city to get lost in, among its narrow streets and the smells of the local cuisine that come out of the houses.
Do not miss the "Citadel", with its fortress, beautiful churches and houses that are still inhabited by the older population. Reaching it is a bit 'difficult for the steep climb, but from there you can enjoy a splendid view over the valley.
Where to eat
For those who love to eat well, a good address is the restaurant "Muzaka": very friendly staff and good food at a good price (a dish of lamb, fresh grilled vegetables, dessert and a drink for only eight euros). If you are satisfied with the service, it is a good idea to tip.
What to eat
There are many gastronomic specialties to try in Albania, among them the lokum (a gelatinous sweet from Turkey: it is flavored with orange, lemon, rose water, pistachios and various spices), byrek, tave dheu (meat specialties) and many other delicacies.
Saranda
Albania is not only characterized by picturesque villages perched on the mountains, but also by emerald sea.
So after my stay in Berat, I decided to continue my journey towards the coast: towards Saranda (from Berat there is a bus that connects the two cities and stops also in Girocastra). Saranda is a city that is the result of property speculation, in my opinion quite insipid. But in Saranda there are the main hotel facilities, shops, restaurants and bars (prices are slightly higher than inland): it is an excellent point to reach Ksamil and Butrint national park .
Visit Ksamil
Ksamil has a few small hotels, small restaurants overlooking the beach and a sea to be envied by the Caribbean. I visited Ksamil in early October: the beaches were almost deserted, the climate was pleasant and I also managed to make a regenerating swim this season !!
Albania is a land of a thousand contrasts, a land still in some virgin ways, but which has a hard past behind it: a past made of suffering and deprivation.
Although the economy is struggling to take off, the Albanians are a warm people who tend to help others.
Unfortunately, in Italy, there is a wrong idea of ​​Albania, but above all of the Albanians. I would invite you to visit it to discover a welcoming, surprising nation and where tomatoes still ripen in the sun.