Tourist Attractions in Albania

The most interesting and beautiful tourist sites in Albania

Photos, reviews, descriptions, and links to maps

About Albania

Albania is located in the most cosy part of Europe – in the Balkans, on the shores of the warm Ionian and Adriatic seas. Nearby are much more popular among tourists Greece and Montenegro, but Albania is gradually beginning to take away from its neighbours the glory of the best place for recreation.

The advantages of holidays in Albania include affordable prices. The country is not yet spoilt with crowds of tourists, here are very inexpensive products and accommodation. Albania has everything for a holiday – clean beaches, picturesque canyons, untouched nature, a lot of interesting historical places and attractive corners.

Service is at a high enough, really European level, and locals are very hospitable and respectful to travellers. What you should definitely do in Albania is to get acquainted with the local cuisine and wines. Believe me, Albania in this respect is not inferior to France, will please you with its culinary delights and a huge selection of different varieties of noble drink.

We also advise you to visit not only the capital Tirana, but also such cities as Berat, Pogradec and Saranda, where there is also something to see. On the plus side, Albania is also relatively modest in size – you will have time to see almost all of its beauties in one trip.

Top-10 Tourist Attractions in Albania

Ethnographic Museum

 4.5/5

216 reviews

The museum in the city of Berat was opened relatively recently – in 1979. The building itself, built according to traditional Berat architecture, attracts attention, as does the amazing immovable furniture literally built into the house. The National Ethnographic Museum allows you to get acquainted with the life of local people, their traditions and crafts, in particular, the process of olive oil production. The museum’s collection includes more than a thousand exhibits.

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Çobo Winery

 4.7/5

218 reviews

This is a family business, whose owners are happy to show tourists all the peculiarities of wine production and let them taste different varieties of the noble drink, which is the pride of Albania. Visitors to the Chobo family winery are first introduced to the production itself, and then to the wine collection, where bottles from each year’s harvest are kept. There are both white and red wines to choose from, and the selection is eye-opening. The wine cellar itself is also quite picturesque, with mosaics and ancient amphorae for storage. The winery is located near the town of Berat.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Skanderbeg Square

 4.5/5

7873 reviews

If Tirana is the main city of Albania, Skanderbeg Square is its centre, the heart of the city, where the most important buildings and sights are located. The centre of the square is occupied by the monument to Skanderbeg, the national hero of Albania. Around it are such interesting buildings as the Haji Ethem Bay Mosque, the Opera House, the National Museum and the Saat Kuda Clock Tower, built in 1822. Skanderbeg Square is comparable in size to Red Square, and all its buildings are in the style of Italian classicism.

Open time

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

National Historical Museum

 4.1/5

1873 reviews

This museum was founded in 1981 and is located in Skanderbeg Square in the centre of Tirana. It is the largest of all Albanian museums and has a collection of more than five thousand exhibits. In the museum you should definitely visit the Pavilion of Antiquity, where exhibits from the Palaeolithic period are collected. There is a separate Pavilion of the Middle Ages, as well as departments of iconography, Renaissance, anti-fascism, independence and ethnography. Everything is located very conveniently for tourists, allowing them to get acquainted with all stages of Albania’s history.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Shkodra Lake

 4.7/5

485 reviews

It is the largest lake of the entire Balkan Peninsula, located both in Albania and Montenegro. Skadar Lake attracts tourists with its picturesque shores, rich flora and fauna, clean water and unspoilt natural areas, which are protected by the state. Navigation on Lake Skadar is well developed, so it is better to travel on it by boat. Moreover, the reservoir is known for its islands, on which churches with tombs were built.

Hotel Adriatik Ksamil

 4.8/5

25 reviews

This is the most famous resort in Albania, which will amaze tourists with its clear water and amazing beach. At first it seems that on the beach you are met with ordinary, but incredibly snow-white and too coarse sand. However, a closer look reveals that it’s not sand, but stones that have been grinded to such a fine state. The water at Xamil resort, located near the town of Saranda, is an incredible blue colour, exactly like a swimming pool. There are also several uninhabited islets that can be reached by swimming.

Open time

Berat Castle

 4.7/5

5636 reviews

Berat, which is located 123 kilometres from Tirana, is not called a museum city for nothing. It is indeed a real museum of ancient architecture and history. Berat Castle is one of the most famous places in the city, located in the very centre, as it should be – on a hill. The citadel was erected in the XIII century, towers over the whole city and the river bed. Not only tourists, but also honeymooners come here. The views from the citadel are amazing, and inside there are several ancient temples and a collection of historical artefacts.

Open time

Rozafa Castle

 4.6/5

3523 reviews

The Rozafa Fortress is located near the town of Shkoder, in the most picturesque place – on a rocky hill, surrounded by two rivers – the Drin and the Boyan. Scientists believe that the fortress was built in the 3rd century BC. It survived the Roman conquest, the Ottoman siege and the war with the Montenegrins. Thanks to a local legend, the Rozafa Fortress has become a pilgrimage site for young women asking for a happy motherhood. Honeymooners often come here too, attracted by the beautiful views. And tourists are first of all attracted by the antiquity and amazing history of this place, although the fortress itself has not been completely preserved. A museum was created in one of the preserved buildings.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

The Blue Eye

 4.5/5

8150 reviews

This spring, located in the south of Albania, is so named for a very simple reason – its waters are indeed an amazing blue colour. The Blue Eye Spring is now part of a national park and is protected by the state. You can get to the spring only on foot, walking several kilometres. “Blue Eye” can scare tourists with its uncharted depth – it seems literally bottomless. We do not recommend swimming – the water here is icy and even in the hot summer does not get warmer than 13 degrees Celsius.

Open time

Monday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Butrint National Archaeological Park

 4.6/5

9273 reviews

This museum-reserve is located in the southern part of Albania, near the town of Saranda, close to the Greek border. It is famous for its excavations and medieval Venetian fortress. Archaeologists have managed to excavate on the territory of Butrinti the walls of the acropolis, the sanctuary of Asclepius, the theatre of the III century BC, the remains of many residential and public buildings, including thermae decorated with mosaics. The archaeological museum of Butrinti can be visited on the way to the sea beaches, just two kilometres from the coast.

Open time