Albania Tour

Albania Tour – Reliving the First Three Days of an Unforgettable Journey

This week, we are travelling through Albania on a one-week guided tour. In this blog post, we'd like to take you back through the first three days of this fascinating journey.

Our group of 27 travellers departed from Madrid early on Tuesday morning, accompanied by our tour leader, bound for Albania. As of June 2024, Spanish and other European Union citizens do not need a passport to enter Albania; a valid national ID card is sufficient. Albania has been an official candidate for European Union membership since June 2014, and accession negotiations officially began in 2020.

We arrived at Tirana International Airport just before midday, where our local guides and coach driver were waiting to welcome us. At present, Albania's road network is still developing and struggles to accommodate the increasing number of residents and visitors, so we experienced the country's typical traffic congestion on our way to the hotel.

First Stop: Fllad Resort & Spa 5★ – Durrës

Our first accommodation was the Fllad Resort & Spa 5★, located in Golem, approximately 40 km from Tirana Airport and close to the city of Durrës. The hotel overlooks a beautiful bay on the Adriatic Sea.

From the terrace of our fourth-floor room, we enjoyed lovely views of the sea and the beachfront promenade—perfect for a relaxing evening stroll.

After checking in, we headed to the buffet restaurant for lunch, where there was an excellent variety of dishes to suit every taste. We then had free time to enjoy a refreshing swim at the beach and relax in the hotel's spa. Beach towels were conveniently provided by the hotel reception.

Along the shoreline, guests can enjoy sun loungers and a beach bar serving drinks included in the all-inclusive package.

The spa features several wellness areas with different temperatures designed to relax the muscles and revitalise the body. We enjoyed the pebble foot massage path, hydrotherapy jets for the feet and legs, contrast showers with the traditional cold-water bucket to stimulate circulation, and the indoor hydromassage pool. Although we didn't have time to try the Turkish bath or the sauna, the facilities were impressive.

Dinner was a memorable experience. Tables had been beautifully arranged beside the swimming pool, where we enjoyed not only an outstanding meal but also a spectacular 50-minute Albanian folk performance.

One thing quickly became clear: no one leaves the table hungry in Albania!

The meal began with a selection of appetisers including fresh salad, mussels, local cheese, bread and breaded king prawns. The main course featured freshly prepared fish served with potatoes. A third course of roasted lamb followed, although by then many of us were already completely full. Dessert was simply delicious—a smooth white cream topped with finely chopped nuts that blended perfectly with every spoonful.

Personally, this dinner elevated my opinion of the hotel to a perfect 10 out of 10.

Discovering Krujë

The following morning, after enjoying breakfast at the hotel's buffet restaurant, we travelled to Krujë, one of Albania's most important medieval towns.

Krujë is famous for the Skanderbeg Museum, dedicated to Albania's national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, as well as the Ethnographic Museum, which offers visitors an insight into traditional Albanian culture and daily life.

Located around 20 km from Tirana, Krujë is a fascinating destination with a charming pedestrian area filled with souvenir shops, artisan workshops, cafés and traditional restaurants.

After the guided visit, we had free time to explore its picturesque cobbled streets. We highly recommend wearing comfortable, non-slip shoes, as the stone pavements can be quite slippery.

Before leaving, we enjoyed lunch at a traditional Albanian restaurant. The menu included soup as a starter, followed by a small portion of meat with a chicken skewer and vegetables. Dessert consisted of delicious seasonal fruit, including watermelon, melon and cherries.

Second Hotel: Colombo Hotel 5★ – Berat

Our journey then continued with a scenic 130 km drive to Berat, where we stayed at the Colombo Hotel 5★, located approximately 122 km from Tirana.

This elegant hotel, formerly a university building, has been beautifully renovated. It offers spacious corridors, wide staircases, two lifts and 118 comfortable rooms.

The hotel also has a spa. Although access to the spa circuit was not included in our package, we enjoyed the outdoor swimming pool, whose cool water was ideal for refreshing our legs after a day of sightseeing. Several members of our group also booked massages and enjoyed the spa facilities. During our visit, the outdoor pool was undergoing renovation.

Our room was spacious, with large windows that filled it with natural light, and the bathroom was equally generous in size.

Dinner once again highlighted one of the strengths of Albanian cuisine: its healthy, fresh and flavourful ingredients. The meal consisted of three courses—vegetable soup, stuffed peppers with rice, stuffed aubergines, and chicken with potatoes—followed by seasonal fruit for dessert.

Breakfast was served buffet-style and offered an excellent selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereals, muesli, bread, pastries, biscuits, butter, jams, honey, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, fried eggs, and both hot and cold beverages.

The hotel's lobby and restaurant are spacious, bright and welcoming, combining modern comforts with a relaxing atmosphere.

Exploring Berat – The City of a Thousand Windows

Our visit to Berat, often called "The City of a Thousand Windows," was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the tour.

We explored the Onufri Museum, located within the impressive Berat Castle, whose origins date back to the 4th century BC. The museum houses an extraordinary collection of Byzantine icons painted by the renowned Albanian iconographer Onufri.

We also visited the Ethnographic Museum, which offers a fascinating insight into the city's traditional urban lifestyle and local customs.

Berat is recognised as an exceptional example of peaceful coexistence between different religious and cultural communities over many centuries.

The city is divided by the Osum River, creating two distinctive historic quarters. On one bank, visitors can admire numerous Byzantine churches, many dating back to the 13th century. Across the river lies the Ottoman quarter, home to several historic mosques dating from the early 15th century onwards.

If the previous day allowed us to enjoy the beautiful Adriatic coastline, today we discovered an entirely different side of Albania: a spectacular mountain setting with breathtaking panoramic views that make Berat one of the country's most unforgettable destinations.