Albania is known to be an unpolished diamond. As full-time travelers, we decided to explore this unpolished diamond for almost 3 months. We stayed here during the fall of 2021 and gathered the 5 must-see places in Albania for you!
When we arrived in Albania, we were 95% unprepared. The 5% that we did arrange was our accommodation in Tirana. The rest? We had no idea what to do, or what to expect. We picked Albania to be our next travel destination in 2021, purely based on other people’s opinions. As you can imagine, during our 3-month-stay we explored breathtaking places. Let’s dive in, what are the 5 must-see places in Albania you can’t skip?
Must-see places in Albania: #1
The first must-see place is a combined destination: Korçë & Dardha. We stayed in Albania during the fall (October, November, and December 2021). At the end of December, we longed for an Albanian winter experience. When speaking to locals about our wish, we were constantly advised to go to Korçë. And so we did! Because Korçë is about 3 hours southeast of the capital Tirana, many travelers don’t make it here.
Here’s tip #1: Dedicate time to go to Korçë, only the ride there will take your breath away.
Korçë was formerly known as Episkopi. With a rich mix of culture, history, and cuisine, Korçë started flourishing! We stayed in the city center and deeply enjoyed the Christmas vibes. There was only 1 thing missing for our Albanian winter experience: SNOW!
Tip #2: What to do when you’re looking for something specific in Albania? Ask the locals!
We asked and were advised to go from Korçë to Dardha. Our host arranged a taxi (which in our belief was her friend with a car) for us, since there’s no connection with public transport to Dardha. After a mesmerizing ride from approximately 30 minutes, we left ‘Christmas Korçë’ to ‘Snowy Dardha’.
Dardha gave us exactly what we were looking for. Fully covered in snow, we constantly stopped to take more pictures & videos. We wanted to hike around Dardha. Quickly we learned that the knee-deep snow made this too big of a challenge. We decided to sit down at a local restaurant instead and enjoyed tasty foods & drinks. Because Dardha is unknown, it’s even more fun strolling around here, and therefore definitely deserves a spot in the 5 must-see places Albania.
Must-see places in Albania: #2
Hike-fans, this must-see place is for you! Mount Dajti is the most accessible mountain of Albania, so getting here is easy. If hiking isn’t for you, from Mount Dajti you have incredible views. All you need to do is take the cable car, Dajti Ekspres, all the way up. If hiking is for you, we encourage you to hike from Mount Dajti to Maja e Tujanit. In approximately 1 hour you reach an impressive viewpoint. Make sure to bring some water & food yourself, since there aren’t any shops along the way. By bringing your own, you treat yourself to a beautiful lunch break with stunning views!
Tip #3: Download maps.me for offline navigation to the top! All the must-see places in Albania are found here.
Must-see places in Albania: #3
Already read into Albania? You’ve probably come across Theth. This small village has been declared a Protected Historic Center by the Albanian Government. What mostly stands out about Theth is the wide, natural, landscape with stunning mountain peaks. Theth its surrounding is the reason we placed Theth in the 5 must-see places Albania. We reached Theth by a 4-hour drive from Tirana (with a diner break in between). We were told that the road to Theth wasn’t paved before, which made most people went to Valbona instead. However, not even with a 4×4, we made it to Theth in our rental car perfectly!
From Theth, we hiked to the Blue Eye. The hike itself and the Blue Eye are absolutely beautiful! On our way back, we hiked via Cascada de Grunas. And exactly this is the third must-see place in Albania. We didn’t know the option to hike alongside this beautiful waterfall, which made it even more surprising. Because it was so beautiful, we want to make sure you include Cascada de Grunas as well!
Must-see places in Albania: #4
Again, 2 must-sees in 1: Gjirokaster and Berat. We talked to some travelers who decided to go for 1 of the 2. Our advice: create time to visit both. Both cities have a different atmosphere, with different highlights. In Berat we took an off-grid road to the castle (keep reading for the must-see places in Albania: #5). In Gjirokaster we wandered through the Cold War tunnel. Both complete opposite experiences, both experiences you don’t want to skip. Good to know: both Gjirokaster and Berat are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Must-see places in Albania: #5
As mentioned in must-see places: Albania #4, this place is located in Berat. A quick Google Search about Albania shows information about Berat Castle (Kalaja e Beratit). From the city center of Berat you walk up here via the main road Rruga Mihal Komnena. As mentioned at the beginning: we were only 95% prepared. Also, when we arrived in Berat. This resulted in us taking an off-grid, unpaved, road up to the castle. And guess what? It was amazing! This road takes you among beautiful viewpoints on the old city center of Berat. Halfway during the hike, you reach St. Michael’s Church. This is a Byzantine church from the XIII century and again gives you a spectacular view of the old city center of Berat.
Writing this blog article has been so much fun! It made us appreciate our experience in Albania even more. Because wow! Albania is such a unique, and diverse country. From UNESCO World Heritage Sites, to breathtaking mountain peaks, to ocean sites. Albania has it all. We experienced Albania being very authentic, simply because it hasn’t been fully discovered for mass tourism yet.
Let us know in the comments which of these Must-see places in Albania you visited!
Written by: Carmen Castricum
