It was The Simpsons that first introduced me to Albania.
An episode from the early ‘90s golden period, where an exchange student called Adil Hoxha arrives in Springfield and hosted by the cartoon family. He’s friendly and polite – the opposite of Bart – but it turns out that he’s actually a spy sent by the Communist government of a secretive small European country to gather information on American nuclear power plants.
Six- or seven-year-old me almost certainly thought the country was made up.
Fast forward thirty years, and a lot more people know an awful lot more about Albania.
During the Cold War half of the 20th century, the small Balkan country was a hermit kingdom of sorts, self-reliant by choice and closed to the outside world. Ruled for forty years by the increasingly paranoid dictator Enver Hoxha (the namesake for Adil), it was the world’s first atheist state and extremely isolated due to ideological disagreements first with the Soviet Union and then with China.
Think of it as a European North Korea, just across the water from Italy.
Tourism was virtually non-existent, with any visitor closely monitored and often required to get a conforming haircut at the border.
When Hoxha’s statues were pulled down and democracy arrived in 1991, a significant number of citizens took the opportunity to leave the poverty and potential chaos behind, escaping to Italy and Greece.
Since then, migration has remained a common theme for Albanians and this – along with the darker side of its economy – continues to shape most outside perspectives.
One suspicion merely replaced another.
But, in recent years, travellers have been clamouring for an adventure in Albania. Tempted by viral TikTok videos, promises of a ‘cheap’ Italy or Greece, or curious about the reality behind the headlines focussed on small boats, car washes, grow houses, and organised crime, there was a moment when it felt like the only place to have your Euro summer was in the country more known for people leaving.
We headed there on a road trip from the imposing peaks of the Accursed Alps to stone villages scattered across southern valleys, via a gorgeous array of beaches and bays along two seas, and are delighted to now share our favourite things to do in Albania.
Whether you’re Balkan backpacking and beach-hopping, heading out to hike and delve into the history, or wanting to craft an itinerary with wine, sunshine, castles and culture, you’ll find all the inspiration, ideas, and tips…
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