Travel - Albania 2024

September 2024, and it was time for our next adventure. On this occasion we ventured to Albania in search of wide open spaces, cold war memories, and authentic places which have not been created purely for the spectacle of entertaining tourists.

We planned a road trip that would cover 618km, so nothing huge, but enough to give us a good variety of experiences. Our route would start in Tirana and head to Durres en route to Berat. From here we headed back north to Kruje, and then on to the mountain region of Theth. Finally we headed to Shkoder before ending up back in Tirana.

There were many interesting sights and some truly beautiful scenery, but there was no getting away from the fact that this is a very poor country with many people living a fairly hand to mouth existence. But, despite people's automatic assumption that all Albanians are like those in the film 'Taken', that couldn't be further from the truth. The people are lovely and very friendly despite living a less opulent lifestyle than those of us who can afford to travel. On the whole, I could count the aggressive characters on one hand, and 2 of them were at the airport prior to departing the UK!

Other than the hideous stomach bug we picked up on the last day, the trip was absolutely fantastic and Albania certainly delivered wide open spaces, cold war memories and authentic places. So whilst I would thoroughly recommend Albania, I would add the caveat that it is probably suited to the more adventurous traveller. We saw areas of poverty that were simply staggering, especially considering that this country forms part of Europe. 

I have tried to do justice to this struggling yet wonderful country with my images, hopefully they give you a glimpse of the 7 days which have left us with many fond memories.

An elderly man in a red cap and blue polo shirt walks alone along a sunlit cobblestone street past a weathered wall with a fa...
Black and white street photograph of an older man riding a bicycle with a front basket along a wide stone promenade beside la...
Narrow sunlit alleyway between old plaster buildings with shuttered windows, potted plants, and a gated entrance, set against...
Black and white street scene of a lone man walking across an empty paved plaza in front of a large unfinished concrete buildi...
Sunny town square with cobblestone paving, lined with houses and a mosque with a tall minaret at the foot of a green hillside.
A tangle of overhead utility wires radiates from a central pole between old buildings under a clear blue sky.
Narrow cobblestone alley in Berat, Albania, lined with stone houses, potted plants, and hanging string lights on a sunny day.
Narrow cobblestone alley lined with old stone houses and climbing plants in a historic hillside town.
Floral patterned vintage sofa placed against a weathered stone wall in a narrow cobblestone alley.
Narrow cobblestone street with old stone houses and wooden doors in a historic hillside village under a clear blue sky.
Black and white night photograph of an illuminated modern pedestrian suspension bridge with railings and steps leading up to it.
Black and white night scene of people gathered around a brightly lit Turkish ice cream stand in a dark park.
An abandoned brick industrial building stands in an overgrown field under a gray, overcast sky.
Abandoned riverside building with graffiti stands beside a concrete bridge over a calm turquoise canal.
Industrial dam structure with colorful metal gates spans a calm green river in a rural landscape with distant mountains.
An abandoned roadside gas station with a large curved metal canopy and empty fuel pumps under an overcast sky.
Minimalist black and white photo of modern metal beams forming sharp geometric angles against a blank sky.
Row of colorful arcade machines and claw cranes lined up on a waterfront promenade with houses visible across the water.
Moody panoramic view of a hillside town with terracotta rooftops and apartment blocks under dark storm clouds and rugged moun...
Black and white photograph of a cityscape seen through an open arched window, framing buildings, hills, and cloudy sky below.
Old stone farmhouse with a steep wooden roof and overgrown garden set against green mountain hills.
Row of yellow and white beehives set in a grassy yard beside an old stone building in a mountainous rural landscape under clo...
Three horses forage for food in an overflowing roadside trash container set against a forested mountain landscape.
A rustic wooden gate opens onto a narrow stone path winding uphill through a grassy, tree-lined mountainside.
Rural mountain scene with a large haystack and the stone ruins of an old building set against forested hills and rocky peaks ...
Red and gray laundry hangs on a clothesline in a rustic mountain yard with green hills and rocky peaks in the background.
Stone church with wooden shingle roofs and a cross-topped bell tower stands against dramatic cloudy skies and forested mounta...
Old stone house with a tin roof overlooking a lush green valley and dramatic rocky mountains under a cloudy sky.
Rustic mountain cottage with a red roof surrounded by an overgrown garden, wooden fence, and a single bright yellow pumpkin i...
Rustic wooden cabin and fence along a gravel path overlooking dramatic green mountains under a cloudy sky.
Two hikers with backpacks walk along a dirt trail through a dense green forest of tall trees.
Lush green deciduous forest with tall slender trees and a leafy, sunlit canopy over a carpet of undergrowth and fallen leaves.
A small rustic wooden footbridge crosses a rocky stream in a mountainous forest landscape.
A lone hiker stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking a dramatic, forested mountain valley beneath a sky of dark clouds and scat...
Wooden cross standing on a rocky mountain trail overlooking dramatic, cloud-covered peaks and forested slopes.
Dramatic clouds hang over a rugged, forested mountain range with steep rocky slopes and distant misty peaks.
Construction workers build a brick house on a mountainside with dramatic forested peaks and cloudy skies in the background.
Remote white farmhouse nestled in a lush green valley surrounded by dramatic rocky mountains under a cloudy sky.
A red camper van drives along a winding mountain road with a dramatic forested peak and low clouds in the background.
Dramatic mountain ridge covered in dense forest under a hazy sky with scattered clouds at sunset.
A long concrete path marked with the word “STOP” leads through dense trees to an abandoned, partially ruined building by a la...
Framed by the dark interior of an abandoned concrete building, a weathered staircase leads the eye toward a calm sea and dist...
An abandoned concrete and brick seaside building covered in colorful graffiti stands under dramatic storm clouds overlooking ...
Moody black and white photograph of an abandoned concrete building interior with rough stairs and open windows framing a brig...
Quiet lakeside village at the base of a rugged mountain range under dramatic clouds.
Abandoned concrete building on a small lakeside island with calm reflective water, trees, distant mountains, and a cloudy blu...
Outdoor café tables and colorful chairs overlook a tranquil lake with straw umbrellas, small yellow boats, and distant mounta...
Empty lakeside promenade with modern street lamps, a small popcorn stand, and dramatic clouds over distant mountains.
Lakeside view of yellow boats pulled up on a rocky shore beside the Lembus waterfront café under a dramatic cloudy sky.
Minimalist black and white photograph of a sunlit white door casting strong geometric shadows on a modern architectural wall.