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15 Gut-Wrenching Dark Tourism Destinations for 2024

Having just finished the new Netflix series ‘ Dark Tourist ’ it compelled me to write an article on the subject of dark tourism and list some of my favourite dark tourism destinations around the world. So, let’s find out, what is dark tourism.

Examples of dark tourist destinations include sites of natural and man-made disasters from Pompei to Chernobyl. Places like Auschwitz and the killing fields in Cambodia, the Unit 731 Museum in China and the Karagana gulag in Kazakhstan.

As someone with a curious interest in all things dark and spooky, I’ve been visiting dark tourism sites ever since I first start travelling. I’ve visited Iraq, North Korea twice and spent the night at Chernobyl. I’ve explored museums around the world and even use to volunteer at Highgate Cemetery in London.

*Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links, which means should you click and purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Quick Summary of Dark Tourism Sites Covered

• Albania – BunkArt Museum
• Armenia – Memorial of the Armenian genocide
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – Old front line, Mostar
• China – Unit 731 Museum
• England – Cold war nuclear bunker
• Hungary – House of Terror
• Iraq – Erbil
• Kazakhstan – Karaganda gulag
• North Korea – DMZ
• Northern Ireland – Belfast murals
• Romania – Bran “Dracula” Castle
• Transnistria – Europe’s last communist regime
• Turkey – City of Diyarbakir
• Turkmenistan – the “Door to Hell” at Darvaza
• Ukraine – Chernobyl

My Top List of Dark Tourism Destinations

Wherever I travel I am always looking out for dark tourism destinations, and below are some of my top picks from all around the world.

1. BunkArt, Albania

If there is one thing that former Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha loved, it was concrete bunkers. One of the most interesting of these is now a museum under the streets of the capital, Tirana. Th BunkArt Museum is a must-visit ark tourism destination for visitors to Albania.

Situated next to the parliament buildings in the centre of the city is a small grey bunker that descends into a dark underground tunnel. Inside is a museum detailing the country’s recent history as one of the harshest and most reclusive regimes in the world.

As well as the interesting history and cold war stories contained below, the bunker is home to conceptual sculptures created by local artists. Located on Fadil Deliu Street near the main square. View my BunkArt guide or visit the official website for more information.

Address: Street Abdi Toptani, Tiranë, Albania. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours Website : bunkart.al

2. Genocide Memorial Complex, Armenia

The Genocide Museum Institute in Yerevan , also known as the Armenian Genocide Museum, is a museum dedicated to educating visitors about the Armenian Genocide that took place in Western Armenia (modern-day Turkey) at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The museum is located on a hill overlooking the city and houses a collection of artefacts, photographs, and personal accounts from survivors of the genocide. The exhibits guide visitors through the history of the genocide, including the events that led up to it and the aftermath.

The museum also features a memorial garden and a monument dedicated to the victims of the genocide. The Genocide Museum Institute serves as an important reminder of the atrocities committed against the Armenian people and a tribute to those who lost their lives.

Address: 8 Tsitsernakaberd Highway, Yerevan 0028, Armenia. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours Website: www.genocide-museum.am

3. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar in itself is a beautiful town and deserves to be appreciated on its own merits as a tourist destination. However, given tragic events in its recent history it seems appropriate to include in this list. One of the defining features of old Mostar is the famous Stari Most bridge.

The bridge was shelled in 1993 during the Bosnian War but has thankfully been painstakingly rebuilt using the same stone quarried nearby. Evidence of the war is not hard to miss and the old front line has been preserved as a terrible reminder of what happened here during the early nineties.

You can reach Mostar by train or bus from Sarajevo in Bosnia or by bus from Split an Dubrovnik in Croatia. I’ve been to Mostar twice now; in 2010 and 2022, and it’s still one of my favourite places to visit.

Address: Dr Andre Starcevica, Mostar, BiH. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours

4. Unit 731 Museum, China

One of the darkest chapters of recent human history is Shiro Ishii’s Unit 731. The unit was set up to research chemical and biological weapons and the Japanese Imperial Army tested these on unwitting and unwilling subjects in far northeast China.

The museum, located in China’s coldest city of Harbin , houses a grim collection of artefacts, confessions, experiment reports and photographs (the most extreme of which are not on display). There are also disturbing dioramas detailing some of the sick experiments.

This is truly one of the darkest of dark tourism destinations and it’s surprising that the horrors that went on here are not more widely known. The museum was closed for renovation when I lived i Harbin in 2016, but I went bak to visit in 2021 and I’m glad I did.

You can read more or see my short film taken at the museum.

Address: Xinjiang Street, Pingfang District, Harbin, China. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: unit731.org

5. Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker, England

Ever wondered where the UK government would go in the event of an all-out nuclear war? Wonder no more as this “secret” nuclear bunker is now open to the public. I visited on a trip back from China and loved the experience.

Tucked away beneath the Essex countryside, Kelvedon Hatch would have housed up to 10,000 people, including the Prime Minister, who would have managed the response to a nuclear attack and run the country from the confines of the bunker.

The nearest rail station is Brentwood. You can take a tube from London to Epping, Debden or Theydon Boice and then a taxi (approx 7 miles).

Check out my list of 10 dark tourism destinations in London .

Address: Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA. See location on Google maps . Entrance: £7.50 ($9.20) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: secretnuclearbunker.com

6. House of Terror, Hungary

One of my favourite museums is the House of Terror in Budapest. This is one of the top dark tourist sites thanks to the building’s dark history as a prison and interrogation centre for both the nazis and communists.

Address: Budapest, Andrássy út 60, 1062 Hungary. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 400 HUF ($1.10) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: www.terrorhaza.hu

I had always been intrigued to visit Iraq as my grandfather used to work at Baghdad University in the 1950s. He inspired my own travels by driving all the way from England , and in late 2022 I arrived in Iraq after travelling overland myself.

Lik Mostar, Iraq is a beautiful place with friendly locals and a history dating back millennia. I visited the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq and was blown away by the place. Cities like Baghdad, and especially Mosul still show the scars of conflict and safety remains a concern in the region.

8. Karaganda Gulag, Kazakhstan

I visited the Karaganda Gulag (Karlag) whilst travelling from Kazakhstan’s capital Astana to Almaty. This fascinating complex includes a museum with photographs, exhibits and dioramas reflecting the history of the place under Stalin and during the time of the USSR.

Explore recreations of the officer’s quarters, dungeons and transport vehicles used to move prisoners. The camp is located in the heart of the vast Kazakh steppe, once part of the Soviet Union.

Address: 39, Dolinka 101604, Kazakhstan. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 1,000 Tenge ($2) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours

9. The DMZ, North Korea

Like Turkmenistan, North Korea is an equally reclusive and paranoid country, but one we hear a lot more about in the media. For the curious, it can make a fascinating holiday destination.

I’ve been to North Korea twice and visited different cities across the country from Sinuiju in the north to the capital Pyongyang and Kaesog in the south. Not far from Kaesong is the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which separates North Korea from South Korea.

10. Belfast Murals, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has a long and tragic history culminating in 30 years of violence from the 1970s up to 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement put an end to the “Troubles”. The north of Ireland has a population made up of two distinct groups; Irish republican/catholic and British loyalist/Protestant.

The Catholic/republican side want to be reunited with the rest of Ireland and this led to the formation of the IRA (Irish Republican Army). The loyalist/protestant side want to remain a part of the UK and set up different paramilitary groups like the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) and UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) to take on the IRA.

The cities of Belfast and Derry are home to many brightly coloured murals depicting the years of struggle on either side of the divide. I took a three-hour political walking tour which included many of the murals and a history of the troubles from ex-prisoners. Book the tour with Get Your Guide .

11. Bran Castle, Romania

Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Impaler was born in 1428 in a charming old house in Sighisoara that now serves as a restaurant. Tepes was the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula and it’s possible to visit Bran Castle in Transylvania which has long been associated with the Dracula story.

Bran Castle is worth a visit for its beautiful gothic architecture, but there is’t a great deal to do i the village aside for that. I spent two days there, but it’s better to take a day trip from nearby Brasov .

Book a tour of Bran Castle with Get Your Guide

Address: Strada General Traian Moșoiu 24, Bran 507025, Romania. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 40 Lei ($8.70) Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours

12. Transnistria

Like Mostar above, it seems a little unfair to include Tiraspol on a list of dark tourism sites, but as charming as this small city is, it gets a place due to Transnistria being a country that doesn’t exist according to the rest of the world (it is recognized only by Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia; themselves also unrecognized breakaway republics).

Stuck in a soviet time-warp, the KGB is still active here, posters of Lenin adorn the streets and tanks and troops guard the demilitarized zone separating it from Moldova.

You can take a bus to Tiraspol from Chisinau in Moldova and get a VISA/permit at the border. Journey time is approx 2 hours including border crossing and costs under 5 Euros.

Need somewhere to stay in Transnistria or looking for a tour guide? Check out Mars Hostel !

13. Diyarbakir, Turkey

Diyarbakir is a city in southeastern Turkey close to the border of Syria and Iraq. The city is home to Turkey’s largest Kurdish population ad has something of a troubled history. During the 2016 Seige of Sur, many houses were destroyed by Turkish forces.

I spent six weeks living in Diyarbakir in 2022 and although the city has suffered (most recently in the 2023 earthquake), it is also a fantastic destiation with lots of history dating back to Roman times.

14. The Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan deserves a place all of its own on any dark tourist’s list thanks to the strange city of Ashgabat and the bizarre laws still in place in this reclusive former soviet republic. The country is made up of 90% desert, and hidden deep within is a huge flaming sinkhole that has been burning for over 40 years.

I visited the Darvaza Gas Crater (also known as the Door to Hell) in 2017 on my way overland from England to China and spent the night camping next to the crater.

Arrive as the sun is setting and camp next to the roaring crater, but don’t get too close as there are no safety barriers and the fumes can be quite toxic! Definitely one of the top dark tourism destinations in the world!

15. Chernobyl, Ukraine

Chernobyl is one of the top dark tourism destinations in the world and is well worth a visit for anyone interested in not only dark tourism, but also the cold war and the former Soviet Union.

Wander around the deserted city of Pripyat where nature has well and truly reclaimed the town. Pripyat was once a bustling metropolis of 50,000 nuclear power plant workers and their families.

Travel through the exclusion zone with a Geiger counter to see how dangerous the radiation can be. Marvel at the massive Duga Radar Station hidden deep in the radioactive forest. Ironically, it was used by the soviets to detect incoming nuclear missiles from the West.

What Exactly is Dark Tourism?

According to the Wikipedia page, Dark Tourism “has been defined as tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy.” But goes on to state that “The main attraction to dark locations is their historical value rather than their associations with death and suffering.”

Dark tourism can mean different things to different people. For me it is the exploration of places with a dark or similarly interesting aspect. From Dracula’s castle in Transylvania or Salem in the USA to the Darvaza ‘Door to Hell’ gas crater in Turkmenistan or North Korea and Chernobyl, these are all places I have recently visited that could be considered dark tourism spots.

The University of Central Lancashire is conducting studies into the rise of dark tourism which makes for some interesting reading.

Most people equate Dark Tourism with human suffering. But although many such places on the dark tourist’s map will have been witness to such horrors, it can equally include creepy abandoned places (Chinese abandoned cities), cold war bunkers or just the outright weird (Ashgabat in Turkmenistan).

Dark Tourism can include sites linked to genocide (Auschwitz, the Killing Fields etc), nuclear catastrophe (Chernobyl, Fukashima etc), war or disaster tourism (Iraq, Afghanistan etc) and much more.

It is up to the individual to visit what they feel comfortable with. If you go with the aim of increasing knowledge and a better understanding, then that can’t be a bad thing. If you are going to simply gawp at misfortune or tragedy, then better stay at home and turn on the TV!

Is Dark Tourism ok or Ethical?

It’s important to remember that many dark tourist sites have seen tragic events and as with travelling anywhere, respect is key to coming away from the experience a better person.

Dark tourism should not be about voyeurism, but for those with a morbid fascination, or even a healthy curiosity, seeking out such places can be extremely educational as well as humbling.

Check out this great list of 50 crazy destinations for lovers of the weird and macabre.

Below I list 10 of my favourite dark tourism destinations. You can find details of how you can visit them too if you dare!

The best resource for travellers interested in dark tourism is the site dark-tourism.com. The site is home to hundreds of articles on dark tourist locations across the globe.

Now you know the answer to the question: what is dark tourism, which sites would you like to see?! Comment below with your favourite dark tourism destination!

Dark tourism is popular around the world and most countries have dark tourist sites. From Pompei in Italy to Auschwitz in Poland and Chernobyl in Ukraine, these places see many visitors every year.

Dark tourism places include Bran Castle in Romania, the House of Terror in Hungary, Chernobyl, Fukushima, the Uit 731 Museum in China and many more. Countries on the dark tourist map include Syria, North Korea ad Iraq.

Dark tourists are people that search out the macabre, spooky or places with a dark history.

Final Thoughts

With so many interesting dark tourism destinations from Albania to Armenia and North Korea to Northern Ireland, which of these sites are you interested in seeing? I will continue to search out ore fascinating dark tourist sites on my travels.

About the author: Steve Rohan is a writer from Essex, England. He has traveled to over 60 countries, lived in Armenia, China and Hong Kong, and is now living the digital nomad life on the road.

Steve prefers “slow travel” and has covered much of the world by train, bus and boat. He has been interviewed multiple times by the BBC and recently featured in the documentary Scariest Places in the World . See the About page for more info.

Where I am now: Yerevan, Armenia 🇦🇲

5 thoughts on “ 15 Gut-Wrenching Dark Tourism Destinations for 2024 ”

These are some very interesting places and a few I didn’t even know tourists could go visit (NK) but it’s awesome that you shed a bit of bright light on places that are known as quite “dark” to the average person.

Thanks Dom, yes North Korea is open to tourists and makes a fascinating destination!

I love Dark Tourism and find most of the sites fascinating. This is a great list and I want to travel to so many of these places!

I would also suggest the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum in Cambodia

Hi KS, thanks for the heads-up. I will be visiting Cambodia later this year and will definitely be visiting the Killing Fields and adding it to this post. Best, Steve

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Albania’s Dark Tourism to Aid Remembrance and Healing 

posted on August 8, 2019

TIRANA, August 8

In a region shaped by centuries of conflicts, wars, and between nice beaches and troubled history, a new trend of sombre tourism is yearning to hatch from the egg-bunkers of Albania.

This is about the past. Although our past is our heritage, nobody seems to talk about a certain part of it unless there’s a bunker involved. Bunkers, hundreds of thousands of bunkers that totally failed to meet their purpose are now successful attractions to travelers, bloggers, vloggers, and curious tourists. What they indicate is maybe dark tourism can be a way to help Albania deal with its past and heal the people that were affected by it.

To those who have seen Netflix’s Dark Tourist series, the concept is familiar, and now Pripyat is the Holly Grail for dark tourists thanks to HBO.

Often referred to like the places that we don’t talk about, due to the various feeling they convey, this alternative type of tourism is for those who want to take a journey in the dark past of a destination related to destruction, tragedy, and death. Dark tourism is not a recent trend. Sites of remembrance such as concentration camps opened for visitors as early as 1947. In the meantime, places like Pompeii have attracted curious visitors for centuries. Travel writers and journalists were among the first to speak about their experiences in such places referring to them as black-spot tourism and ‘milking of the macabre’.

Other definitions have been used, but most of them are related to the subcategories of dark tourism. However, Lenon and Foley from the University of Glasgow, who coined the ‘dark tourism’ term, say that the phenomenon was strongly driven by modern media. Therefore, they say that anything older than modern media falls under the category of history tourism, but it is not unconditional.

Many countries around the world are using the memory of ancient and modern conflicts and disasters for the needs of contemporary tourists. This sounds unethical, and it can be, even though the main purpose is to not forget and to keep memories alive. The motivations of dark tourists vary from educational to reasons that can raise ethical questions. Commercialization of dark sites, voyeurism, inappropriate behavior, safety, wrong support, and misuse of values for entertainment are among the ethical issues related to dark tourism.

If there’s dark tourism there will be ethical issues.

The growing demand for new experiences and alternatives to traditional tourism make such places kind of fascinating for a lot of people. Millions of people flock to Europes every year because and many of them are interested in its wars and past conflicts. On the other hand, communism no matter how infamous it was has a certain appeal to many. But those who want the frozen-in-time feeling of communism can go to Cuba.

To some degree, each of us is a dark tourist. If you have been or want to visit sites like the House of Terror in Budapest, Ground Zero in New York, the Catacombs of Paris, or the Berlin Wall you are or can be a potential dark tourist.

Can Dark tourism help Albania Heal?

There is no travel writer, website, blogger, magazine, who wrote about Albania, (IIA included) and didn’t mention the following: isolated for half a century; total isolation; one of the most isolated countries on earth; ruled with an iron fist; Bunkers, bunkers, bunkers Land of mystery Fierce dictatorship

These are some of the ingredients of the Albanian recipe to influence tourist attraction (along with natural attractions, beaches, and cultural heritage), but with the current lack of a strategy on sustainable tourism, it would cause more harm than good.

While travelers avoid overcrowded destinations, countries affected by mass tourism are taking measures to reduce the number of visitors. Hence, Albania and its past offer an interesting option (if done ethically) for different types of tourists, especially dark ones. Instead of considering it a honeypot for travelers, dark tourism can be a way for education and atone both Albanians and visitors.

The Germans use Vergangenheitsbewältigung, which stands for public debate within a country on a problematic period of its recent history. Hence even in Albania, dark tourism can spark the debate on the real communism terror and cruelty all over the country.

So far…

An annual event that promotes remembrance tourism in Albania is the Strait of Corfu crossing race. Experienced swimmers from different countries engage in a two miles race from Pema e Thate to Corfu Island. The event pays special tribute to the Albanian citizens that dared to escape the country during communism from this part of the Albanian coast. Many were caught, or shot, or drowned in the attempt. Lukova and Pogadec are other sites from where Albanians tried to escape by boats or swimming.

Currently, in Tirana, where you can pay Lek 500 – 700 to read more on how your grandfather was tortured, there are a few ‘artistic’ bunkers to visit. But the real horror happened in prisons, labor, and internment camps that nobody mentions where they are.

And there is also Shkodra , a long sad chapter of suffering, repression, and prosecution.

To a large extent, Dark tourism in Albania is connected to communism. With the attempt of creating a ‘new world’ the establishment of the communist regime in Albania following World War II set in motion a chain of events that would kill thousands of Albanian citizens.

Prison and persecution sites, internment and labor camps

During the 50 years of the communist dictatorship, Albanians served 914,000 years in prison and 256,146 years in internment camps.

There were 23 prisons and 48 internment and labor camps across Albania. Forced labor camps were detention facilities where inmates were forced into penal labor including wetland drainage, river modification, residential and industrial construction, mining, agriculture, etc. In most cases, labor camps were temporary. They consisted of barracks built by the labor site. In many other cases, the camps were permanent. The inmates were tortured, deliberately left to die of hunger and sickness, or executed.

Rinas Airport

The only civil airport in Albania, currently Tirana International Airport (TIA) was constructed by political inmates in 1955-1957, but nothing is mentioned on the official website of the airport or anywhere else.

Qemal Stafa Stadium

The former main stadium in Albania, which is now transformed into a new stadium, was completed by the political prisoners in 1945. The construction of the stadium was started by the Italians, but it was interrupted by WWII. Over 300 political inmates worked every day in the construction site. The new stadium preserved the historical facade, designed by the Italian architect and urbanist Gherardo Bosio, but nothing was said so far about the memory of the political prisoners.

Agimi Residential buildings in Tirana Over 600 inmates worked for two years for the construction of Agimi Palaces, in the former bloc area.

Juba canal in Durres More than 800 inmates worked for the construction of the Juba canal in the Rrushkulli area. The canal was five km long, ten meters wide, and six meters deep.

Maliqi Marsh draining

Hundreds of prisoners worked in Maliqi marsh, Korca area between 1947- 1952. The inmates were divided into three camps in the villages of Vlocisht, Orman-Pojan, and Nishavec.

Kucova Airport

The construction of the Kucova Air Base was started by the Italians in the 30s and it was completed between 1948 and 1952 by political prisoners. The labor camp was built in Ura Vajgurore.

Other works built by prisoners include: Bedeni irrigation canal, in Kavaja, 15 km long Peqin-Elbasan railway and Bishqemi rail tunnel Gramsh – Lozhan road Bulqiza Mine Peqin – Kavaja canal, 50 km long Vlashuku canal in Myzeqe Torovica labor camp in Lezha area Terrace farming in Saranda coastline Construction of the salt plane in Skrofotina in Vlora, the partial draining of Narta wetland, and the pumping station in Pishporo Construction of the oil refinery and residential buildings in Ballsh Spaci Prison and Minne in Mirdita The Copper Mine in Puka, Munella mountain The copper mine in Rubik Laci labor camp

Currently, there is no official research on the internment camps, prisoners, mass graves, or other crimes committed during the communist dictatorship. Labor campsites, internment camps, and prisons from the communist era are located all over the country. Most are completely unknown while a few gained little attention as places of remembrance. Spaci Prison and the notorious Labor Camp of Tepelena are among them. See below the virtual museum of Tepelena Camp

Meanwhile, in the capital city, the National Historical Museum has a Communist Terror Pavilion. One of the most disturbing items one can see there is a pair of trousers made of small pieces of clothes patched together with human hair instead of thread.

Other sites that are currently considered tourist attractions are the Bunk’arts and the House of Leaves. Read below.

Relicks of the old regime

Bunkers in Albania

Bunkers or the concrete legacy of the paranoiac Communist regime in Albania. Once built to face any possible foreign attack and also to keep Albanians busy with work, they are considered a symbol of the country. There are three types of bunker structures in Albania, mountainside, fortified structure, and underground. The huge number of cement and steel mushroom-shaped structures that range from 175,000 to 750,000 gets a lot of attention from international visitors. On the other hand, Albanians are used to the presence of bunkers all over the country, and they try to reuse the bunkers somehow by turning them into cafes, restaurants, beach bars, and as a form of public memory. Two large bunkers in the capital city Tirana were turned into museums and opened to the public.

The atomic shelter opened for visitors in November 2014 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Liberation. It was built secretly between 1972 and 1978 to protect the elite of the People’s Republic of Albania in case of a nuclear attack. Located in the northwest periphery of Tirana and dug 100 meters under a mountain, this 2,685 m² shelter is composed of 5 levels and 106 rooms, a real “five-star” complex. The idea for this extravagant building came to Enver Hoxha after he visited North Korea in 1964. Bunk’Art exhibition is a strong symbol, bringing together creativity and free expression of artists within a structure that represents dictatorship and censorship. Visitors can have a coffee in a real communist-era canteen. Location: Tirana How to get there: Porcelani Blue Bus or by taxi

The former nuclear tunnel of the Interior Ministry was built between 1981 and 1986 and it was one of the last major works made during the communist era in the frame of bunkerization project. It consists of an underground structure of 24 rooms and an apartment for the Minister of Interior and a communication room. The structure never served its initial purpose as a nuclear shelter, even for training reasons. The current entrance and exit were added to the structure when it was adopted for public visitors. Previously, the bunker was accessed only through the Interior Ministry. Location: Tirana How to get there: Bunk’Art 2 is situated close to Skanderbeg Square and the Clock Tower.

The Pyramid of Tirana

One of the most recognized landmarks of the Albanian capital falls under the communist tourism category. The 11,800 square meters monolith was built as a museum dedicated to former communist leader Enver Hoxha. The structure will be revitalized and transformed into a multi-functional center for education, tech, art, and culture. The building seen from the front looks like a pyramid, but from an aerial view, it can be associated with the double-headed eagle symbol.

Grave Tourism

Yes, grave tourism is a subcategory of dark tourism and it’s quite common in Albania. Memorial cemeteries of historical, archeological, and cultural importance are visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year.

Skenderbeu Memorial in Lezha The memorial is the burial place of National Hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu and the site of the League of Lezha, where Skanderbeg unified all the Albanian feudal princes against the Ottoman empire. The memorial was designed by renowned sculptor Odise Pascali and architect Latif Lazimi. The Memorial is situated at the central part of the ancient city of Lisus and it includes the walls of Saint Nicolas Church. Skanderbeg died on 17 January 1448, 551 years ago, but rumor has it the tomb was raided years later by the Ottomans who took the remains and used them as lucky charms.

Other memorials include the Martyrs’ Cemeteries. Albanians have always paid tribute to the sacrifice of those who have fallen for the country. Every city in Albania has a martyrs’ memorial cemetery (Varrezat e Deshmoreve). Albanians visit the martyrs’ cemeteries on May 5 and on November 28 or November 29 depending on their political party identification.

Frasheri Brothers, Faik Konica, and Mid’hat Frasheri memorials at Tirana Lake Park The cemeteries of the British and German soldiers fallen in Albania are located at Tirana Lake Park. When the cemetery of the German soldiers was inaugurated, the then Ambassador said: “We will not stop fighting for peace and against oblivion.”

Currently, a memorial dedicated to the Holocaust victims is under construction at Tirana Lake Park.

Yet hundreds of politically prosecuted families still haven’t found the remains of their loved ones, and no memorial was built for them.

Sources: Kujto.al   ISKK

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written by Lottie Gross

updated 17.12.2019

Albania often doesn’t get the kudos it deserves. The country still suffers from the echoes of its Communist past: few people travelled in or out for decades during Enver Hoxha’s dictatorial rule, and as travel in Europe developed, Albania got left behind.

1. Have the beach to yourself

2. eat superb seafood, 3. hike through the alpine countryside, 4. explore underground nuclear bunkers, 5. see a living citadel, 6. drink homegrown wines.

It’s now somewhat overlooked by tourists, who would rather opt for Greece ’s famously pretty islands, Italy ’s gorgeous countryside or the romance of Croatia . But Albania’s low visitor numbers are no reflection of its offering for travellers . Here are a few things you probably didn’t know you could do in Albania.

Think of Albania and you probably don’t think of the beach – but you should. The country has around 476km of coastline lapped by the warm Mediterranean sea. There are lively resort towns like Durrës in the north and Saranda in the south, but it’s the almost-untouched parts that will impress the most.

Hire a car and drive the coastal road from Durrës to Saranda stopping off in any of the remote fishing villages and towns along the way – the likelihood is, you’ll find a stretch of sand all to yourself somewhere.

Albanian food takes its flavours from a variety of influences: the Ottomans, the Greeks, the Italians… But it’s the ocean that gives the country some of its best dishes. All along that gorgeous coastline, you’ll find fish and seafood fresh off the boat.

For a perfect antidote to the meaty cuisine further inland, try a shellfish pasta or risotto, or have the catch of the day grilled with the ubiquitous white cheese dip Albania does so well.

© Lottie Gross

In the far north, only accessible by boat across Lake Koman or via the motorway that runs through neighbouring Kosovo, the valley of Valbona is a picture-perfect wilderness. Thanks to its remote location, tourist numbers here are pretty low, but those that do come are greatly rewarded with panoramic views of the looming mountains and superb hiking in one of the most biodiverse places in the country.

There are hikes of varying lengths for all abilities, but they’ve all got one thing in common: each offers an insight into the seriously rural lifestyle of the locals in Valbona. You’ll walk through orchards, forests and farmsteads that defy gravity on the steep slopes of the Dinaric Alps, and can stop off in one of the valley’s stans (shepherd’s huts) for lunch with a local family.

There’s ample camping and a few excellent lodges along the one road through the valley, but most of the activity centres around Hotel Rilindja, where Alfred and his American wife Catherine have been marking up trails and making their own maps for visitors for years.

Albania is often defined by its relatively recent affair with communism: specifically the reign of Communist dictator Enver Hoxha. From 1944–85 he ruled the country with a heavy hand and was responsible for the deaths of thousands of politicians, academics and civilians who were persecuted as “enemies of the people” due to their political beliefs.

While Albania is very much moving on from some of its hardest times, small concrete bunkers all over the country serve as a reminder of that dark past, and a few larger structures remain.

Bunk’Art, in the capital Tirana, is a 106-room nuclear bunker turned museum and art gallery. Built by the military to house the dictator and his highest-ranking officials in the event of an attack, today there’s a permanent exhibition on the Communist period, plus changing art exhibitions and a theatre showing films.

A similar but far more eerie bunker lies beneath the picturesque city of Gjirokastra – untouched for decades, it’s now just a damp warren of rooms suitable only for the brave.

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Stroll around the hilltop kalasa (citadel) in Berat after dark and you could be forgiven for thinking you’d travelled back in time. During the day, Berat’s old city is a labyrinthine network of cobbled alleyways and confused tourists in search of an Ottoman church or a pretty viewpoint.

But at night, when the visitors retreat to their hotels, this fourteenth-century town falls quiet save the few residents that still inhabit its ancient structures.

With no street lighting, you’re left to walk around near-darkness, the warm glow of the houses your only guiding light. If it weren’t for the occasional hubbub of a television, you might think you were in medieval Albania.

Once described as the third best wine in Europe by Ancient Roman writer Pliny, today Albanian wine doesn’t have much of a reputation – apart from that much of it can be likened to vinegar and might give you a stonking hangover.

But there are a few grapes native to Albania and its geographic elevation means the climate is just right for a spot of viticulture. Made right, the wines can be a perfect pairing for your meal.

The most common varieties are Shesh i bardhe and Shesh i zi, which are used for most traditional Albanian wines and are grown all over the country. The former is a floral white that pairs nicely with the soft cheese common in Albanian cuisine, and the latter makes for a solid accompaniment to the meaty main courses.

If you’re keen to learn (and drink) more, make a stop at the Çobo Winery, conveniently located along the main tourist route between the pretty inland towns of Gjirokaster and Berat.

The Çobo family have been making wines since the early twentieth century using only Albanian grapes. You can take a tour of the winery, have a tasting and then make off with some of their best bottles. There’s even a campsite next door if you find you can’t tear yourself away at the end of the day.

Just outside the capital, the town of Kruja is famous for being the stronghold of Albanian national hero Skanderbeg during his resistance against the Ottomans in the fifteenth century. Today, an old castle remains with a few good museums inside, but the most entertaining activity by far is bartering for goods in the old bazaar just down the hill.

While the word “antique” may be bandied about a little liberally here, there’s a whole host of oddities on offer worth an hour or two’s browsing. Old coffee pots, soldier’s helmets, musical instruments and traditional Albanian dresses make for some interesting souvenirs.

Kruja castle © Shutterstock

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22 Travel Tips for Albania: Useful Things to Know Before You Go

My top travel tips for Albania to save you money, time and stress. Read this before you go travelling in Albania.

When I embarked on my 6-month overland journey through the Balkan countries, Albania was definitely the country I was most nervous about visiting.

I had read all about the rugged beaches , high mountains and historic towns and castles – so I had no trouble deciding where to go and what to do . But the people, the culture, the food and all the practical details such as transportation, WIFI and accommodation – well, I had absolutely no clue what to expect.

On the ground, I discovered that most negative stereotypes about the country are untrue. In my experience Albania is safe, affordable, friendly, diverse, tolerant and above all else, incredibly beautiful .

At the same time, I learned that Albania does present some particular challenges , even for those well-practiced at travelling in the region.

Without spoiling any of the country’s special secrets or revealing too many of the quirky things about Albania that are fun to figure out as you go, I want to share a couple of things that will make your travel experience smoother and more fulfilling.

Here are 22 practical travel tips for Albania that I think every traveller should know.

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What is travelling in Albania really like? 22 useful travel tips for Albania

Albania is quite unlike any of its neighbours.

It’s tempting to think of the Balkans (particularly the western Balkans) as a monolith. But I don’t need to tell you that every country is its own entity. Within this tapestry, Albania is perhaps the most distinct nation in terms of both its culture and history.

An obvious example: The Albanian language, Shqip , is unlike anything else spoken in the region (or anywhere else in the world for that matter). It’s thought to be descended from an extinct Illyrian tongue, but its exact origins are still a mystery to linguists.

After months of being able to follow the rough contours of a shared speech in Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina , hearing the curious chatter of Albanian on the streets of Tirana was quite a contrast.

Albania’s cultural and religious traditions are also very distinct. And although you can find local variations of cevapi and burek, the cuisine is totally different too!

With the exception of Kosovo where almost 93% of the population are ethnically Albanian, it’s hard to draw a comparison between Albania and any of its neighbours. In many ways Albania feels more like Georgia – slightly chaotic but imminently beautiful, with the furgon the local equivalent of the marshrutka.

Learn a bit about the history before you go

Of course this runs much deeper than just food and minivans. Albania wasn’t part of Yugoslavia and doesn’t have the same ‘baggage’ as its northern neighbours. That’s not to say the nation wasn’t impacted by the Balkan Wars and genocide – it certainly was – but in a different way. No fighting took place on Albanian soil.

Instead, Albania was subjected to its own private horrors, namely 45 years under an oppressive political regime including 30 years with despotic communist dictator, Enver Hoxha, at the helm. Hoxha’s ideology was so hardline, he viewed Yugoslavia and the USSR as too lax. It’s very difficult for an outsider to try and comprehend how this period of history impacted Albania and its people. But I felt compelled to at least try.

One of the most interesting things I found is that Albanians embrace their whole history – the good and the bad. The communist regime only fell in the 1990s so for the majority of the population, it’s not a distant memory but something that’s still very fresh. But it’s never glossed over. Most people we met were happy to chat politics and share their experiences.

For example: There are 173,000 disused nuclear bunkers sprinkled around Albania, each a monument to Hoxha’s paranoia. Instead of destroying them, people decided to either leave them be or repurpose them as museums or galleries. (Now there’s even a Cold War military base that’s being rebranded as an island destination .) Tirana’s collection of Communist-era statues and busts are displayed in a courtyard behind the National Art Gallery. And Blloku, once an exclusive neighbourhood where the party members lived, has been reclaimed as a vibrant cafe and street art district. Even Hoxha’s old house is still standing.

Some might think of Albania as a dark tourism destination. To me, this is a nation of light and colour. While visitors have an obligation to familiarise themselves with the nation’s recent history, it’s important to do so in a respectful, thoughtful way. The Bunk’Art museums in Tirana are a great place to start and will enrich your experience immensely. 

The man atop the horse is General Skanderbeg

On a lighter note, here’s a bit of trivia for you. If Hoxha is Albania’s villain, then the nation’s hero is definitely Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, AKA General Skanderbeg. 

It took me far too long to learn who Skanderbeg is and why he’s so beloved in this part of the world. As I travelled around the Balkans, I kept seeing the same statue of a warrior – including in squares in Skopje and Prishtina – and started referring to him simply as ‘the man atop the horse’. It wasn’t until I got to Albania that I was finally able to put a name to the face.

Skanderbeg was an Albanian military commander who lived during the early 15th century. He’s famous for leading a campaign against the Ottomans which freed Albania and several neighbouring countries from being vassal states. His penultimate battle was launched from the town of Kruja north of Tirana, now the location of Skanderbeg’s castle-museum. It’s a popular day trip and the place to go if you want to learn more about this chapter of history.

The only other person held in similar esteem is Albania’s heroine, Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, AKA Mother Teresa. Born to Albanian Kosovar parents in Skopje – then part of the Ottoman Empire and now the capital of North Macedonia – she’s beloved in all three countries (though each claims her as their own!).

Albania is overwhelmingly a safe country for tourists

One of the biggest misconceptions about Albania is that it’s unsafe for tourists. In reality, foreigners are very rarely the target of violent crime, and although pickpocketing and scams do happen, they’re not as widespread as in other countries in Europe.

Generally speaking, Albania is overwhelmingly safe for travellers of all types (including solo females) provided you exercise common sense and caution.

My one negative experience in Albania was being fleeced by a taxi driver in Gjirokaster . It was my mistake for not doing my research – I was unfamiliar with the location and agreed to a price without understanding just how short the distance to my hotel was. To avoid misunderstandings within the cities, it’s best to download a taxi app .

The biggest thing to watch out for in Albania is road safety. (Here we find another similarity to Georgia: The driving style.) More on that later.

As a side note: It’s not advisable to drink the tap water in Tirana or other cities/towns.

Avoid visiting in July or August

The best time to visit Albania in my opinion is any time except summer. I travelled during June. As the month went on and my trip was coming to an end, I found most places were getting a little too warm and dry – and much too crowded – for my liking.

Albania has a Mediterranean climate, thus winters are mild but wet. The best time to visit Albania is shoulder season (late March to early June or September through October) when the weather is pleasant both on the coast and in the mountains.

July and August are hot and busy, especially on the riviera, and should be avoided. That’s unless you plan to stick to the mountains, in which case summer is the best time for trekking.

Consider flying into a neighbouring country

Most people arrive in Albania via the country’s main international airport, Tirana Airport Nënë Tereza. This makes sense if your itinerary starts in the capital or in the northern part of the country.

A second international airport opened in July 2021 in Kukës (KFZ), 150km north-east of Tirana (and just 45-minutes from Prizren in Kosovo ). It’s a suitable starting point for the Albanian Alps, but international arrivals are so far limited to flights from Zurich and Istanbul.

If you’re travelling around the south of Albania, it might be more convenient (and more affordable) to fly into a neighbouring country instead. Corfu International Airport in Greece is a short ferry ride from Saranda, for example, and a logical place to arrive/depart if you’re mainly focusing on the Albanian Riviera.

Also read: My top tips for visiting Montenegro .

Lek is the official currency, but Euros are widely accepted

The official currency in Albania is the lek. Although Albania is not part of the EU, the Euro is widely used as well.

Lek is common currency in convenience shops, at restaurants and among taxi drivers – i.e. for small purchases. You’ll find that most hotels and guesthouses list their prices in Euro, and it usually works out far better to pay for big-ticket items such as hotel bills and rental cars in Euro rather than lek. If you try to pay in lek, you risk losing a big chunk of cash due to the conversion rate.

At the time of writing, 1 Euro is equivalent to 121.5 LEK.

Always have cash on you

Albania is very much a cash society so you need to make sure you have plenty of bills on you at all times. You can get by in Tirana using card only, but outside the capital, cash is still king.

Lek is a closed currency so you’ll have to wait until you arrive in-country to get your hands on some. Remember that lek is only good for small purchases and meals, so only withdraw as much as you need.

ATMs are easy to find in Albania (even in rural areas). Most banks charge a 300-700 lek withdrawal fee, but Credins Bank and Alpha Bank are among those that are fee-free (at the time of writing). Remember to check for any extra charges issued by your home bank.

Albania is extremely affordable – even by Balkans standards

Accommodation, restaurants and activities in Albania are all extremely good value for money. We easily got by on 40 USD per person per day – and you could spend a lot less by taking advantage of the hostel scene and sticking to free activities. One of our biggest expenses was museum tickets, something we don’t tend to skimp on.

A generous meal in a restaurant in Albania might cost you 500-1000 lek per person, while cheap snacks such as burek are perfect for breakfast and will only set you back around 100 lek.

Expect to pay 1,600 lek for a local sim card with data, around 200 lek for a cup of coffee, and anywhere from 400-1,000 lek on average for an intercity bus fare.

Buy a sim card when you arrive

Majority of hotels, bars and restaurants in Albania have WIFI, while many beaches and archaeological sites are now serviced by a free public network. Still, if you want unfettered access to the internet for things like booking taxis and navigation, you will need a sim card.

ALBtelecom is the preferred mobile provider in Albania. It’s very easy to buy and register a sim card at one of their shops in Tirana using your passport/ID card. A sim card and internet package (20 GB with 30 days validity) will set you back 1,600 lek.

While coverage in Tirana is good enough to support a burgeoning digital nomad community, reception is still fairly limited in remote areas and non-existent in the mountains.

Don’t put your faith in Google Maps

If you’re getting around Albania with public transport and only using Google Maps for general navigation within the cities, then you have nothing to worry about. But if you’re driving in Albania and using Google Maps to plan your road trip route , you need to watch out for a couple of things.

It seems Google Maps hasn’t quite been able to keep pace with Albania’s rapid infrastructure developments. Missing roads and non-existent turn offs are common encounters, and you’ll find you’re constantly being forced to re-route. Take directions with a grain of salt and always budget extra time to account for detours.

The same goes for finding addresses – street names and house numbers often don’t correspond to what’s on the map. Even major landmarks are sometimes pinned in the wrong spot.

Furgons are your friends

Albania has a limited railway network connecting Tirana with Shkoder in the north, Durres and Vlore on the coast, and Pogradec on Lake Ohrid in the east. Domestic flights are now available from Tirana to Kukës, and flying can certainly save you time getting from the capital to the far-north.

Travelling around the centre and south of Albania, you’ll be relying on road transport. Renting a car is a great option if you’re a confident driver. Otherwise, furgons are your friends.

Furgons are intercity minivans similar to marshrutka vans used throughout the former Soviet countries . They run on a flexible schedule, stop on demand, and are extremely budget-friendly. The downsides: Road safety is not exactly a priority, luggage space (and legroom) is very limited, and you can forget about AC. Furgons depart when full so it’s important to always arrive at the bus station well ahead of schedule.

An upgrade on the furgon is the coach bus. You’ll find large air conditioned coaches running on most popular routes during the warmer months, including between Tirana and Berat , Kruje, Gjirokaster, Korca , Durres, etc.

Gjirafa Travel is a terrific website for checking bus schedules and timetables online in English. Whenever possible, I recommend cross-checking times locally at the station.

Speaking of bus stations – there are multiple bus terminals in Tirana and trying to figure out which one you need can be extremely confusing! Pogradec and Shkoder have their own stations, while other buses depart from the Regional Bus Terminal – North and South Albania.

Take extra care on the roads

Albanians have a reputation for their maniacal driving style and for flouting the rules of the road. Combined with poor road conditions in many parts of the country (although the major highways are in good nick) and the proliferation of old and worn-down cars on the road, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Be careful when crossing the road, especially in the city. Take precautions whenever you travel by road, and only hire a car if you’re very confident. Try to avoid being out on the road after dark, and never get into a car with someone who’s been drinking. I also recommend capping your road journeys to a couple of hours per leg.

Albanian cuisine is a revelation

Albania is not exactly known as a foodie destination , but it should be. Regional cuisine, traditional Albanian dishes and the country’s super-popular farm-to-table fresh food movement all combine to create a fascinating culinary scene.

Albanian food is so diverse, you can find something new to try every day. I was quite satisfied eating only Albanian food for the entire duration of my stay. I found Albanian food fresher and less meat-oriented than in some other countries in the region. Most restaurants have plenty of vegetarian options.

Northern, central and southern Albania all have their separate culinary traditions , and within that towns and villages have their own specialties. Balkan, Italian, Turkish, Greek and even ancient Roman influences can all be identified, while you’ll find many similarities to other Mediterranean cuisines (especially Greek and Italian).

Seafood reigns supreme on the coast, while in the south, food choices reflect the pastoral landscape: Dairy, citrus and olive oil are all prominent. Garlic and onions are ubiquitous.

Some of my favourite Albanian dishes include: Tavë Kosi , a meal of lamb, eggs and yogurt traditional to Elbasan; Gjirokaster qifqi (arancini-like rice balls flavoured with mint and black pepper); ‘Berati schnitzel’ (pork stuffed with hard cheese) and pispili (spinach pie with a cornbread base), both traditional to Berat; and Korca’s famous savory lakror pie.

Watch out for raki

One thing Albania does have in common with its Balkan compatriots is the proclivity for alcohol. Sipping spirits in particular is a huge part of the culture.

The drink of choice in Albania is raki or rakia , a potent clear spirit distilled from grapes. Commercial versions are up to 45% proof, but homemade raki is much, much stronger. If you’re at a small restaurant or guesthouse and a recycled plastic soft drink bottle comes out, brace yourself.

It can be difficult to get out of these drinking sessions. I found it much easier to decline as a woman. Remember you can always step away if you feel uncomfortable. Otherwise, take small sips and make sure there’s always something left in your glass to avoid unwanted top ups!

Raki isn’t all bad. In Northern Albania in particular you’ll find lovely varieties of fruit raki made from cherries.

Every day ends with a xhiro

The xhiro is an Albanian tradition and the perfect way to put a full-stop on your day. Essentially a xhiro is a sunset stroll: It involves heading to the nearest pedestrian street and walking laps.

For locals, it’s a way to catch up with friends and neighbours, learn the latest goss and socialise. Ice cream stalls and popcorn vendors set up to cater to walkers, and sometimes entire streets close to traffic for a couple of hours to accommodate people.

This is the ultimate people-watching activity and a terrific opportunity to mix and mingle. But don’t be surprised if people let their glance linger a little bit too long – staring is not considered impolite in Albania, neither whilst out on a xhiro or in everyday life (at restaurants, at the supermarket – I’ve experienced it all). It can be awkward but try not to take it personally – in most cases, people are just curious.

Albanian people are incredibly hospitable

Hospitality is serious business in Albania (yet another point of similarity to Georgia). In Albania, people are bound by Besa , a code of honour that dictates how others – especially strangers – should be treated. According to Besa, if someone approaches you for help, you accommodate them. If someone comes to you hungry, you feed them. This creed has shaped Albania into an immensely tolerant and welcoming nation.

After WWII, Albania was one of the few nations to emerge with a larger Jewish community – the nation protected its own and offered sanctuary to families fleeing from elsewhere in Europe. In the 1990s, Albania sheltered refugees from Kosovo displaced by conflict.

Today that same kind of generosity is extended to tourists. Kanun , the customary law of Albania, says that the master of a house should always have a spare bed ready for unexpected guests. While I wouldn’t recommend showing up on someone’s doorstep unannounced (Albania has Booking.com for a reason!), the takeaway is that Albanians will extend you a helping hand if and when you need it.

English is widely spoken, but not ubiquitous

Albanian is the official language in Albania but many people – especially those born after the fall of communism – speak a second language. As one person described it to me, Albanians are ‘thirsty to know the world’, and learning a foreign language is seen as a pathway to knowledge, experience and more opportunities.

English is the most popular second language and is taught in schools. At last count, around 40% of Albanians speak English. In my experience, anyone working in tourism or hospitality has at least a basic understanding of English. We got by in all the major cities and tourist destinations without any issues.

Albania is one of those countries where the language is so much more than a means of communication, it’s part of the culture and identity and a massive source of national pride. Learning a few words of Albanian will earn you big props.

Here are a few basic words:

• Hello – Përshëndetje (per-shen-det-ye)
• Bye – Mirupafshim (mi-ru-paf-shim)
• Yes – Po (po)
• No – Jo (yo)
• Thanks – Faleminderit (fal-e-min-der-it)
• Cheers – Gëzuar (ge-zu-ar)

There is a strong Italian and Greek influence

Albania is just across the pond from Italy and very close to Greece (especially Corfu). There were Italian colonists in Albania from 1926 onwards, and the country was actually invaded by Italy in 1939. Italy especially has a big influence in Albania – to such an extent that I noticed it right away.

You’ll see Italian cars, Italian coffee culture – and yes, pizza on almost every restaurant menu! Pizza is so popular in Albania, if you ever tire of local fare there’s always a Napoletana to fall back on.

Almost a third of Albanian people speak Italian and a quarter of the population speaks Greek. Many areas are officially bilingual Albanian-Italian, with road signs in both languages. If you know either of these languages, communication will come even easier to you.

Tirana is one of the coolest cities in Europe – so don’t rush it!

Unlike a few other capital cities in the Balkans that are all cold concrete, Tirana is a warm, green, welcoming city that’s bristling with creative energy. I’ve said before that it’s probably the most liveable capital in the region in my opinion. There’s a park, dining precinct, cool museum or street art district around almost every corner.

One day in Tirana is enough for the must-sees, but I really recommend slowing down and spending a couple of nights here, getting into the rhythm of the city with morning markets and nightly xhiros.

We stayed in Tirana for a full week and still didn’t see everything.

Hiking in Albania is a must

I fell in love with Albania’s cities and towns, but even I agree that the country’s natural beauty is its biggest asset.

Albania has 15 national parks, each offering incredible scenery and hiking opportunities. As I recently discovered, Albania has more than 3,200 species of plants, accounting for a whopping 30% of the flora in Europe. One of the best places to appreciate this ecology is Llogara National Park, known for its wildflowers. Others, notably Butrint National Park, combine surreal landscapes with valuable archaeological sites.

Even if you’re an anti-hiker like me, there is one day trek in Albania you at least have to consider: Valbona to Theth . Walking between two alpine villages across two jaw-dropping national parks in the country’s far north, the trail takes you through the heart of the picturesque Albanian Alps or Accursed Mountains as they’re also known. The hike is tough going in spots, but it’s absolutely the best way to experience this side of Albania.

The lakes are just as impressive as the beaches

Albania might be famous for its beautiful beaches, but the unsung heroes of the landscape are the country’s lakes. Komani Lake, Lake Ohrid (shared with North Macedonia) and Skadar Lake in the north (shared with Montenegro ) are all beautiful and worth visiting.

Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans. Boat trips on the marshy wetlands are popular on the Montenegrin side; on the Albanian side, you can cycle around the periphery from the lakeside city of Shkoder, visiting Rozafa Castle at the same time.

Albania’s share of Ohrid Lake is similarly smaller and with fewer points of interest to the North Macedonian side, yet charming villages such as Lin – a little red-roofed settlement on a natural peninsula – make it worth a visit. Lake Koman is my favourite. The ferry ride through the dramatic river gorge to reach Valbona and the starting point for the aforementioned hike was one of the highlights of my time in Albania.

There are more stunning water features around the country, including cascades and river canyons in the centre (Osumi and Begove near Berat are great), hot springs, and of course the famous Blue Eyes. All offer some much-needed reprieve in the hot summer months.

Have you been to Albania? Are there any extra travel tips for Albania you’d like to add? Leave your best advice in the comments below!

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Take a journey through Albania's wild, blue heart — a triumphant symbol of habitat protection

A new generation of passionate locals is putting the bucolic southern regions of Albania on the map, offering opportunities to dine with shepherds, dip into hot springs and raft in Europe’s first wild river national park.

At the end of a long, dry summer, presided over by cloudless skies, the rapids of the mighty Vjosa have calmed and quietened. Which suits me just fine, sitting as I am in a kayak navigating the ancient sweep of Këlcyrë Gorge.

The corridor of gushing waterfalls that earned it the moniker ‘Paradise of a Thousand Springs’ is equally languorous: rivulets rake the stone walls, trickling down to the water basin through gravity-defying profusions of vegetation and resolute, twisted trees. This is one of Europe’s last wild rivers — practically the only major waterway on the continent unsullied by dams — and a long battle to preserve its natural rhythm and important ecosystems from developers has finally been won. I dip my paddle into the Vjosa’s turquoise meltwaters, part of an unbroken rush from Greece’s Pindus Mountains to the Albanian coastal city of Vlorë. And as I steer the nose of my kayak through picturesque channels, I start to understand why this virgin river, eulogised in poetry and songs over centuries, matters so much to locals, and why a multi-year campaign to preserve it resonated with the likes of clothing brand Patagonia and even actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The 168-mile Vjosa was declared Europe’s first wild river national park in March 2023. Today, the forward-looking travel guides who rallied to help save the country’s ‘blue heart’ wear this victory like a badge of honour. “A politician once challenged me: ‘Who do you think you are, the father of the river?’” rafting guide Zamo Spathara says earnestly the next day, recounting his part in the fight. “I replied truthfully: ‘No, rivers aren’t mine or yours. They’re for everyone.’” I’m back on the Vjosa, part of a five-night active adventure itinerary in southern Albania organised by Much Better Adventures, and this time the fierce campaigner — and the father of Albanian white-water rafting — is at the rear of an inflatable craft.

Suntanned and stocky, he’s throwing his weight into steering, and shouting directions as our crew of eight clumsily attempt to paddle in-sync. One of hundreds of thousands to leave Albania after the fall of the communist regime in 1991, Zamo found he couldn’t stay away. In the late 1990s, he returned from running rafting tours in Italy to introduce the sport to his home country. He established routes through unexplored waterways, founded an adventure company, opened a hotel and eventually created the Albanian Rafting Federation. “People thought I was mad, but I didn’t listen,” Zamo admits. “I knew my country was beautiful; I wanted to build something here. I wanted to convince foreigners we were more than the dark things people talked about.” As our raft ricochets down a grade three rapid and scuttles into a shaft of glorious sunshine, we all whoop and raise our oars to the middle in a clunky high-five. His work seems to be paying off.

It may be the tail end of a busy high season, but Zamo and his team of young rafting experts exude energy on our small-group tour of Albania’s mountainous backcountry, which kicked off and will end in the capital, Tirana. The guides have a lot to be happy about, too: visitor arrivals to Albania are soaring. Figures for the first half of 2023 show a 30% increase in travellers from the same period a year before. Outdated stereotypes of criminality and blood feuds are being replaced with viral social media posts showing pristine Adriatic beaches, gorgeous Ottoman relics and fresh Mediterranean food. If Albania was once Europe’s best-kept travel secret, word is now spreading.

Travelling between little-known beauty spots in the country’s south is one of the joys of the itinerary. While Albania has invested heavily in new infrastructure over recent years, my guides prefer tackling the old back roads in hardy, open-sided Land Rovers. Ali Spathara, a relative of Zamo’s in his early 20s — and a member of Albania’s national rafting team — is at the wheel later that day as we careen north along a dirt road, one of many built by Italian occupiers during the Second World War. “I’ve been rafting since I was four, and driving since I was 12. I sometimes don’t know which I’m better at,” he says with trademark swagger as he expertly brings us round a sharp, precipitous bend, sending a spray of dust and gravel into the warm, pine-scented air.  

The valleys out here are lush, vast and unspoiled, with rows of serrated peaks misty on the horizon. Small, flowering villages punctuate the hours spent bumping through the mountains. It’s only when we pass the ruins of a communist-era labour camp that I understand the isolation I’m currently enjoying would once have sealed in prisoners, prohibiting any thought of escape. The reign of dictator Enver Hoxha — who ruled the country from 1944 until his death in 1985 — still casts a long shadow over modern Albania. The guides are happy to explain his paranoia-induced construction of up to 750,000 military bunkers, which still litter the landscape, and his bizarre criminalisation of men’s beards. But the human cost is skirted around more gingerly: the execution of over 25,000 people, the confiscation of all property, the banning of religious worship, the mass surveillance, the torture.  

As dusk falls, we pile out of the 4WD convoy, stretch, and take in our surroundings. Ali’s forded a low tributary of the Vjosa to park in the shadow of the high-arched Ottoman-era Kadiut Bridge. We’re in the town of Bënja, close to the sleepy holiday resort of Përmet where we’ll stay the night — it’s known as the ‘City of Roses’ for being Albania’s cleanest and greenest community. There’s a faint smell of sulphur on the breeze.

We use the glow of the headlights to shuffle into our swimwear and grab local Korça beers from the car before sinking into the silky waters of a geothermal pool, backed by forest. Steam rises into the night, bats swoop overhead and a group of a dozen disparate travellers, who just a few days ago were strangers, together watch the moon rise from the dark tree line, moving through twinkling constellations towards the banner of the Milky Way.

City of a thousand windows

It’s in the UNESCO-inscribed city of Berat, where a spectacularly preserved Ottoman old town tumbles down two steep banks to meet the curve of the River Osum, that I learn about Albanian hospitality. The tradition of besa holds strong , affable historical guide Bona Xhafa explains as we ascend through higgledy-piggledy lanes towards the lofty crenellations of Berat Castle. It’s an oath of tolerance and generosity, baked into the culture over millennia of occupation and assimilation. “We were the only [occupied] European country to have a larger Jewish population after the Second World War,” she says. “In Berat, many families and officials risked their lives to hide refugees.” Nowhere can the layers of Albanian history be seen more clearly than in this hilltop citadel. Remnants of important churches and mosques are testament to the co-mingling of Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman cultures over 2,400 years. Today, a community of 300 people make this one of Europe’s last inhabited fortresses; cobbled alleys reveal ancient stone houses, guesthouses and cafes wrapped in flowering vines. “There’s so much history, we could spend days here and it would still be a whistlestop tour,” Bona says apologetically. Early 14th-century frescoes are among the many treasures housed here, and from the highest rampart, over 600 feet up, the view stretches for miles. It’s here I linger longest, taking in the old town below and the hulking massifs framing it — which local legend says were once warring twin giants, now immortalised in mountain form.

The next morning, our group drives out for a day of hiking in the foothills of the highest peak, Mount Tomorr, whose saw-tooth crown threatens to pierce the blue sky at over 7,900 feet. “This has always been a holy mountain. A place to ask for what you need,” Zamo tells me, as the group scrambles downhill towards a grassy saddle, some hours into the trek. The sight that meets us elicits murmurs of joy: sheepskins and woven blankets have been laid out for a picnic amid the heather, and sizzling cuts of lamb are cooking on a campfire. For a moment, tired as I am from the hike, I wonder if I’ve wished it into being.

Our host is local shepherd Durim Azizaj, whose pastures lie not far from us in the lower valley. He gives us a toothy grin as we settle down and whips out an unlabelled bottle of the local moonshine, raki — an eye-watering brandy that we’re encouraged to swig in the name of friendship. Plates are piled mountain-high with all manner fresh salads and vegetables baked with spices and stuffed with cheese.

In truth, I’m still full from breakfast. Earlier that morning at Zamo’s hotel, the stately Castle Park in Berat, his wife Alma had told me about the network of producers they’d fostered. “Everything you’ll eat with us is local and fresh, the opposite of fast food,” she said, plying me with hot bread, jams, eggs and olives. She explained how, even in the early days of tourism to Berat, she and Zamo wanted to include and uplift local villagers. “When I first asked people from the mountains to help feed and entertain our guests, they said we only have simple things — they thought foreigners wanted expensive chocolate and Coca Cola!” She added, “I told them you wanted to hike, to hear their stories and songs. At first, they couldn’t understand. They’d lost pride in what they had.”

Zamo and Alma have been hosting travellers in Berat for two decades and working with Much Better Adventures since 2017 — and in that time Durim has certainly got in the swing of hosting on Mount Tomorr. A speaker is produced and tinny Albanian folk music floods our picnic clearing: it’s time to dance. Following Durim’s lead, we all lock arms in a circle and kick and step to the drumbeat, which gets faster and faster. Highly amused, he breaks away to offer up a toast, translated by guide Endri Hoxha: “He thanks you for coming to his part of the mountain, and he hopes you enjoyed this mountain food. He’s thanking Zamo, too, for bringing so many people to this beautiful place. Gëzuar ! ”

We trek on, through sun-dappled woodlands, to a soundtrack of distant goat bells, until we reach the remote village of Qafë Dardhë and rest on the grassy terrace of a small cafe. After 25 years working in Greece, owner Batjar Koci returned to his childhood home in 2021 to restore the dwindling rural community; stone cottages, abandoned during the post-communist exodus to the cities or abroad, are being turned into smart guest rooms for visiting hikers. “Abroad, you can only work, only be a number,” he tells me as we tour the beehives, vegetable gardens and the small primary school where he learned to read. “But in Albania, you can start something of your own.”

I leave with two giant tomatoes in my backpack, gifts Batjar insists I enjoy; they join the jar of honey Alma pressed into my hands earlier. On the drive back to Berat, bumping through wild orchards, Zamo pulls over to pluck plump pomegranates from a bough, passing them among his passengers. “We just want to share what we have,” he says.

Tides of change

Our final days are packed with more action, more flavour and more fresh air than most months back home. We tour deep into the dark belly of Black Cave in Pëllumbas, our torches lighting up glossy stalagmites and colonies of bats; and explore the town of Tepelenë in the footsteps of Lord Byron, who stayed at the Ottoman court of Ali Pasha near here in the early 19th century. And a memorable evening is spent discovering Albanian wines at Çobo Winery on the outskirts of Berat. “When my father and uncle wanted to focus on reviving native Albanian grapes, on rebuilding what their grandfather lost when the family vineyard was confiscated by the communist cooperatives, people said: ‘Don’t bother, Albania is only good for making raki,’” Ermira Çobo tells us, pouring out the first vintage in her family’s large farmhouse tasting room. A rich red from the Vlosh grape, aged for three years in French and Italian oak barrels, swirls in my glass. There are heady notes of rhubarb and cinnamon. It’s divine.  

To round off the evening, she pops the cork on a sparkling white, made from the local Berat grape Puls. “We named this Shëndeverë, the most beautiful Albanian word. It speaks of summer, that feeling when you’re so healthy and happy you’re almost dizzy.” I’ve come to learn there’s poetry woven into so much of Albanian life and lore; it seems apt the country would coin a term to express a joy nurtured by the seasons, felt deep in the soul.

Pouring passion into the business since 1994, Ermira’s family produces 100,000 bottles a year. And although the market remains mostly domestic, she says Albanian wines are finally starting to gain recognition abroad, too. “Winemaking has been here since before the Romans, our terroir is perfect. It’s just been neglected,” she adds as she bids us goodnight.

The itinerary’s headline attraction has been left until last: the three-million-year-old Osumi Canyon, which tears into southern Albania for over 16 miles and plunges to depths of up to 400 feet. It’s a place Zamo had earlier described as looking like “Lord of the Rings, Tarzan and Avatar combined”. Under the leadership of Endri, another protégé of Zamo’s on the national rafting team, we don wetsuits, life jackets and hard hats and descend on rough paths into the rift. At the bottom, I splash into icy, knee-deep water and absorb the sheer scale of the striated limestone walls, before wading towards the nearest island.

During the winter rains and spring thaw, the canyon floods, drawing whitewater rafters until the early summer. But later in the year, when the parched river runs low, this particular three-mile course is perfect for an aquatic hike, with rocky outcrops to dive off and pounding waterfalls to swim beneath. “Zamo went to war to save this place,” Endri says. “Before the Vjosa was threatened and the world got involved, Zamo was here fighting against dam projects that were popping up like mushrooms. He got politicians, broadcasters and journalists involved in any way he could to halt the development plans,” she continues. “He was worried everything beautiful in Albania would be ruined, and that tourism here would be killed.” Knowing this, the timeless beauty of the place takes on new resonance — it conceals the hard struggles of locals to keep it this way.

Part of Zamo’s life’s work has been convincing Albanians of the value of their natural assets, and selling them on his belief that tourism can restore the country’s economic prospects more equitably and sustainably than allowing industry to take over the countryside. “People thought rivers were just a place to throw rubbish. That’s really changing now,” he had told me, back on Mount Timorr. “When communism ended, we felt we had nothing. But tourism has improved our relationship to nature — and brought us pride, too.”

His passion for sharing the wild interior has proved utterly infectious over the past week, and I doubt I’ll ever look at a waterway the same. As I clamber up a ledge and leap into the clean, eddying currents below, it strikes me that Albania may be one of the last places left in Europe where discovery feels truly unscripted — where the charm of the country and the generosity of its people can take your breath away, as sure as diving into a river.

Related Topics

• ADVENTURE TRAVEL
• CULTURAL TOURISM
• CULTURAL CONSERVATION

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A guide for lgbtq+ travellers in albania, a guide for black travelers: what to expect when visiting albania, insider’s guide to tirana.

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No fluff, just honest travel stories

If you’re a Black traveler considering a trip to Albania, you may be wondering what to expect. As a local, I want to give you an honest and realistic perspective.

It’s important to acknowledge that Albania is not a particularly diverse country, and Black people are not very common here. So as a Black traveler, you may receive some curious looks from locals. However, I can assure you that Albanians are generally friendly and welcoming, and any attention you receive is likely to be out of genuine interest rather than hostility.

It’s also worth noting that Albania was closed off from the world for almost 45 years, from 1946-1991. Only a few limited people managed to leave the country to study abroad, and only a few people managed to get into the country. As a result, exposure to different cultures and races has been limited, but that is changing as more and more tourists visit the country. I have personally seen a Black person for the first time when I was about 18 years old, and that was 2018.

In Tirana, the capital and largest city, you will generally find it to be a safe place for Black people. The citizens of Tirana are typically well-traveled, especially the younger generation. However, even in Tirana, you may still encounter some stares and curiosity from locals. Outside of Tirana, in other major tourist cities like Durres, Vlora, and Saranda, you should expect less attention and curiosity as they are more used to having Black visitors.

But it’s also important to be aware that once you leave the big cities and venture into smaller towns and villages, you may attract more attention and curiosity. However, I would be surprised if you encountered any sort of hostility. Just be prepared for a country that may not be as diverse as what you’re used to, and remember that the curiosity you receive is likely out of genuine interest.

Albanians have a strong sense of national pride and cultural identity. Despite occasional complaints about politics and society, they remain deeply rooted in their traditions and beliefs. Changing an Albanian’s perspective can be a challenging task, as they are deeply committed to their own ways and opinions, which can sometimes lead to a lack of openness to other cultures.

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