Albania Travel Blog

When I write an article or a blog, I very rarely show it to anyone before I publish it. Maybe it’s stubbornness on my part but I also don’t like people editing my books. Anyway, on this occasion, my partner Gill, who was with me in the Balkans, said she enjoyed the article but that I didn’t tell the full story. Also, a mate of mine, who has lived in the Balkans, reminded me about the Mercedes.’ So, here is the fully expanded version:

People say that if you want to get the best out of any country or region, ask a local. I had that experience on my first visit to South Africa some years ago. After two days, I met a woman in a guesthouse who asked me for my itinerary. She proceeded to effectively tear it up and advised me of numerous other places which were better and she was totally correct. So, when we decided to visit the Balkans recently, I suggested we try Albania. I had been there once before but briefly and I had an impression of beautiful coastlines and long beaches. After consulting with someone who lives there but is not a local, we agreed we would travel to Shkoder (only a short drive from Montenegro) and from there, travel up country to the mountainous central region. There were two options, Theth and Valbona. As Theth was closer, we settled on it; what followed was one of the most exciting and scenic drives you could imagine. Having recently completed the Kotor Serpentine in Montenegro, we couldn’t believe that this was even higher, more beautiful and the roads even narrower.

After a scintillating two and a half hours of winding mountain roads, we arrived in Theth, which is a little gem of a place, nestled between two huge mountain ranges and containing a fast flowing river which is so blue, it is almost dazzling to look at. Apparently until relatively recently, the road was only a dirt track but since it has been paved, Theth has become a mecca for tourists seeking adventure, mountain hikes, zip-lining and just communing with nature. Some of the old houses are still standing but they’ve been added to by a large number of newer dwellings. These have stayed with the traditional design and have been tastefully incorporated into the landscape so you still get the impression that you are in a very remote place. There are a few restaurants and bars but most guesthouses offer dinner with bed and breakfast and we took this option. Our hosts were a charming young couple with a two-year old girl. The food was local, traditional and thoroughly delicious. The highlight of the visit though was the hike to the waterfall hidden high in the mountains. It was autumn time and the colours of the landscapes were stunning – contrasted with the blue of the rapidly flowing river, it made for a spectacular vista.

Road from Shkoder to Theth.

Returning to my theme of asking a local, we almost didn’t do the waterfall hike as we were advised that it might be too far or too difficult a climb by an American tourist guide. Luckily we then met a lovely local couple who assured us that it was quite achievable and actually walked the entire hike with us, there and back. Their assistance and friendliness was something we were getting used to in the Balkans where everyone was so welcoming. We had a long conversation about Albania and life in general. Eva works in marketing and her fiancé Rinaldo (referred to by everyone as Ronaldo) is a beekeeper. Neither of us knew anything about bees or beekeeping so it was an interesting new experience. Rinaldo runs his own small business keeping beehives and selling honey. We were fascinated to hear that he brings his beehives to different parts of the country at different times of the year in order for them to take the flavours from the different flora which grows in each sector. This enhances the quality and tastiness of his product. As we walked along, he could identify each plant we encountered and could tell us how his bees extracted the nectar from them. Communication was a little difficult because he could understand English but doesn’t speak it. Eva, on the other hand, was fluent and she became our interpreter and interlocutor. After two hours together, we shook hands and wished each other well – a fleeting but really satisfying encounter.

Albanian Alps in Theth.

Throughout Albania, we found that while English is widely spoken, not everyone can speak it; nevertheless, you will always be able to communicate. On our first night in Shkoder, the hotel manager was fluent but when he went off duty, we had to use hand signals to order drinks, but we managed.

That brings us to our next adventure – back at our guesthouse, we made friends with another couple, from North Macedonia, who had spent six hours that day hiking over the mountains from Valbona to Theth. This is apparently one of the most popular hikes in the region and is seen as a ‘must do’ for anyone seriously interested in this pastime. This couple spend all their free time doing hikes and have walked all over the Balkans. We had wanted to visit Valbona but it could not be done by car (directly from Theth) and would, at that stage, have necessitated a six hour round trip. It was, we were assured, largely similar to Theth anyway.

Instead, our new friends advised us to drive to Vermosh. If the Theth drive was more exciting than the Kotor one, then the drive to Vermosh was the highlight of the entire trip. It is impossible to exaggerate the beauty of the landscape on this route. To add to the pleasure, the roads were wider and could accommodate two cars in most places so it was more relaxing. I know the BBC program, ’Top Gear’ recommended places in Romania and South America as the world’s greatest driving routes; they should definitely add this one. Come to think of it, I don’t think they ever visited Albania.

Autumn colours near Vermosh.

Vermosh itself is a small village in the mountains, very pretty but probably not as exciting as Theth. Nonetheless, it did provide something we weren’t expecting in that it snowed when we were there, transforming the mountains overnight into snow-capped peaks. From there, we re-crossed the border back into Montenegro, but we agreed that the Albanian sector was definitely the best part of the trip.

I’ve mentioned the wonderful friendliness of the Albanian people. From our first encounter with the hotel manager at Shkoder to the couple in Theth, our hiking friends and the woman who cooked dinner for us in Vermosh, we received a really warm welcome. A small caution to travelers here though; when we visited, the main tourism season was ended and many places were closed. There were still plenty of guesthouses available in Shkoder and Theth but Vermosh was effectively closed for the season. Given its position at 1,500 metres above sea level, this is probably not surprising as few would venture there in early November. We were anxious to drive through Vermosh as it was the point to re-cross the border into Montenegro so we booked accommodation in the nearby village of Lepushe; unfortunately when we arrived, our guesthouse was inaccessible due to the poor state of the road. We continued to Vermosh and even though everywhere was closed, a very kind woman agreed to let us stay the night in one of her chalets and she also insisted on cooking us dinner; a delicious lamb casserole, accompanied by some local treats. As there was no bar or restaurant open in the area, we spent the evening playing a travel game we had brought with us and enjoying the local home-made wine, which was also delicious. The house we were staying in also seemed to be the venue for the local game of dominoes and after dinner, all the local men arrived in and started their games alongside us.

High in the Albanian Alps - waterfall near Theth.

To revert to the language for a moment, one of the highlights of our trip was our encounter the following morning just after breakfast with a local farmer. We had set out for Montenegro and we hadn’t gone far when we met an old man walking a cow along the roadway. We stopped to allow the cow to pass and the man wandered over to us. He said something in Albanian which of course we didn’t understand so we told him we didn’t speak his language; but that didn’t put him off at all; obviously he didn’t understand a word of what we had said either and he proceeded to have a long, one-way conversation (monologue?) with us. Even though we didn’t understand one word, it was a lovely encounter and we shook hands at the end and waved goodbye. In many ways, it reminded me of encounters in the west of Ireland maybe thirty years ago. Given the particularly strong accents in some parts, it is doubtful if I understood any of those conversations either. 

Albania is still very much at the developmental level in every sector, including tourism but they are catching up fast and all hotels or guesthouses we stayed in were modern, well equipped and very comfortable. They also offered excellent value for money. They are at the stage where hospitality is still at the core of their tourism offer. You will be warmly welcomed everywhere you go. I guess given Albania’s long time isolation as a communist state and even its remoteness from the established communist powers of the time such as Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, it is not surprising that they are embracing their new found freedoms and opportunities to mix with foreigners from many lands.

On this occasion, we didn’t travel further south as Bosnia was calling and we had limited time. However, on a previous visit to Albania, I have memories of a beautiful southern coastline, with winding mountain roads, crystal clear waters and endless beaches. I think it is called the Albanian Riviera and why not? Its climate is the same; the countryside is largely similar; the only difference is that it is far less crowded and offers much better value for money.

Albania has been ruled by so many different larger countries or empires over the years that it has a broad mix of cultures. Before the isolationist days of communism, it was once part of the Ottoman Empire and I think also the Hapsburg Empire. In fact, if you visit the ancient city of Butrint in the south, you will find it was inhabited by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines (Turks) and Venetians and is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

The colours in the landscape here are incredible.

Albania has been called the ‘hidden gem’ of Europe and it was difficult to find people who have visited there. I found Irish people reluctant when it was mentioned, thinking it was still under-developed. This is not surprising as Tirana is the only European capital which does not have direct flights from Dublin. Hopefully that will be corrected soon but in the meantime, it can be accessed from any of its Balkan neighbours or with a connecting flight through any of Europe’s major hubs. Flights are relatively cheap; there’s a lot to explore; English is widely spoken and you will be assured of a warm welcome and a wonderful holiday in this land so rich in culture, history and natural beauty.

P.S.: How to get there: There are flights to Albania from all major European capitals. As I mentioned, from Ireland, you will need a connecting flight. We flew from Dublin to Dubrovnik as we intended visiting Croatia, Montenegro and maybe Bosnia. We were certainly delighted that we added Albania to the itinerary.

P.P.S.: One other interesting thing we noticed in Albania was the very high number of older Mercedes cars, in proportion to other brands. There were also a high number of Volkswagens. I researched this when we came home and apparently there are a number of reasons:

• Under the communist regime led by Enver Hoxha, private car ownership was forbidden, so there were effectively no cars at all in the country. The state exclusively used a small fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, which made the brand a symbol of luxury and aspiration.

• After 1991, when private ownership was legalized, there was a sudden demand for cars, but no local dealerships or manufacturing. For many, a Mercedes-Benz became the ultimate status symbol, representing a new era of prosperity.

• As there had been no cars, the roads were very poor and older, robust Mercedes models were favoured as they could handle the rough surfaces.

• There were no motor dealers or no manufacturing but a huge demand so Albania apparently became the destination for stolen cars from Northern Europe, very many of which were Mercedes. These have now been handed down over the years and are still very serviceable. The tradition of Mercedes (and Volkswagen) continues and those who can afford new cars continue to favour them over Japanese or other models.