Usefull information for traveling in Albania.
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Golem in Albania and the resort town of Mali and Robit - a special place. It is not like the crowded, noisy and car-filled big famous resorts. Here the tourist will find a real rest! Rest from the hustle and bustle, and clean sea air. Therefore, carefully select a place where to find a rental in a hotel or apartment in the city of Golem. While on vacation in Mali and Robit, 7 things must be done and the memories of the days spent gave rise to a desire to return.
This is an ideal place for curious tourists who want to see all of Albania. The city is located in the heart of the country, close (40 minutes drive) to the airport and the capital, on the main highway of the country, connecting the north with the south. You can rent a car and drive around numerous sights from the mysterious Teth to Ksamil and Saranda, see Korca, Vlera, Berat, Girokastra and much more.
This is an ideal place for curious tourists who want to see all of Albania. The city is located in the heart of the country, close (40 minutes drive) to the airport and the capital, on the main highway of the country, connecting the north with the south. You can rent a car and drive around numerous sights from the mysterious Teth to Ksamil and Saranda, see Korca, Vlera, Berat, Girokastra and much more.
- Rest on the sea in Golem beaches for the sake of them we go to the sea! There are many of them and they are all different. They are shallow and sandy - the best for children. This beach is simply designed for families with children: the sea of the Durres Riviera is shallow, sand, an abundance of entertainment for children and a variety of places where you can eat deliciously and drink plenty. The beaches of Durres and its continuation beaches Golem and Qerret stretched a chain of apartments and hotels along the coast for 11 kilometres, this wide sandy area is called the Riviera of Durres. A real paradise for hiking along the water's edge and collecting shells! For example, Plazhi i Gjeneralit - an endless strip of fine sand beach, clean clear water and a real pine forest. Entering this forest is like entering a cozy home. Overhead is a roof of dense fluffy branches. Underfoot is a soft carpet of long pine needles, a dizzying smell of pine needles and ringing silence! Or Karpen beach. A wide sandy beach with a unique wooden long walkway on stilts, more like a bridge. This bridge connects the coast with a small island in the sea. There are also campsites here. Spille Beach is a very long, wide sandy beach with plenty of inexpensive sunbeds and umbrellas. Plenty of bars and restaurants. The variety of food is somewhat limited, but always freshly prepared. The pine forest behind the beach provides a welcome break from the sun when it gets too hot. Beach for families.
- You should spend a romantic evening admiring the sunset with a glass of light wine. And taste the freshest seafood straight from the sea, prepared by a skilled chef. This must be done at the restaurant Peshk i freskët XENI https://goo.gl/maps/268pTwXGrbG8nssi9 It is located right on the beach, in a pleasant environment of a caring owner and his family. The sun goes into the sea sunset, the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea, the still warm sand, the music of the breeze...
- The next thing you should do in Golem, Albania is to go to the Aquapark in Mali I Robit https://goo.gl/maps/imTmRWY4djyaddU36https://goo.gl/maps/imTmRWY4djyaddU36 even if you are an adult. And if you have a family vacation, and you came to rest with children, then do it for sure! It is located very close, entrance fees are inexpensive, and children have a 50% discount. For an adult, this is a jump into childhood, an opportunity to carelessly have fun and enjoy life.
- Golem in Albania is also unique in that the sun here rises from behind the mountains and sets into the sea. Another sunset can be seen sitting at the rooftop bar of the Klajdi hotel https://goo.gl/maps/hqbfPeu1c1VK4vmRA in the Mali area and Robit in Golem. This is truly a unique sight: glass barriers give a thrill of freedom, and if you are in the pool, with a cocktail in your hand, the sunset is painted with new unfamiliar colors.
- We also recommend visiting the local market in Kawai on Sunday https://goo.gl/maps/fQi7fBedBVERUT4v5 . The color of the traditions of communication, character, clothing, local humor and that unique atmosphere of the uniqueness of the people of this mysterious country will surround you. Buy fruits, vegetables, herbs, olive oil, homemade wine and a large watermelon here. And throw a feast!
- When you get tired of lying on the beach in Golem, go to Durres. This is the most ancient city in Albania, because this city appeared in 627 BC. The city was founded by the Greeks, was part of the Roman Empire, then Byzantium, the Kingdom of Venice, was destroyed by the Turks, in the 20th century became the center of the people's liberation movement and, finally, the residence of the last king of Albania, Ahmet Zogu, was located here. And here you will see with your own eyes what remains from ancient times. Antique Roman amphitheater https://goo.gl/maps/Vk1Y4LXUzYd4vUEy7 (2nd largest in the Balkans) in the center of the old city. The surviving architectural parts and household items of the ancient city can be viewed at the Archaeological Museum on Taulantia Avenue https://goo.gl/maps/nXcDtcQyaxWXWpjF9 . See the Fortress Walls that once surrounded the ancient city. Cicero, who lived here for a long time in seclusion, walked along them. Here Julius Caesar prepared for the battle with Pompey. Visit the Byzantine Forum and the Rotunda https://goo.gl/maps/41swFEEKfMxiNVTi8 (what little is left of them). Walk near the wall and tower of the ancient Venetian castle https://goo.gl/maps/LXkjqsuLNY6VijFZA. See the Villa of King Zogu https://goo.gl/maps/de9Ky4tsZR7uzYUK8, which has retained its luxury. And just wander through the streets of this ancient city, breathe in this air of 3000 years of history.
- And you also need to see the legendary Apollonia - Archaeological Park in the open air https://goo.gl/maps/4avcD9CdwUBynfBf8. Drive about 80 km (1.5 hours) towards Vlora to the town of Fier. This is an ancient city known as the Illyrian Apollonia, which appeared here in the VI century BC. The city developed rapidly and at the peak of its heyday 60,000 people lived in it. Trade, navigation, agriculture and the slave trade successfully developed here. Culture, science, education, crafts flourished. Here Octavian Augustus and his close friend Mark Vipsanius Agrippa studied philosophy at the Academy, Cicero gave lectures. And now you can see the ruins of Greek and Roman temples, the city council, the ancient theater, the Library, and the villas of Roman nobles in the park. The buildings of the monastic complex of the Bishopric, located here in the 9th century, have been perfectly preserved. The ancient city of Apollonia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
1 day in Tirana
We advise you to start your walk in Tirana directly from Skandenberg Square. The free and loyal nature of the Albanian people is manifested here: next to the monument to Skandenberg, who renounced Islam and the hero-liberator in the fight against the Ottoman Empire, there is the magnificent 18th century Efem Bey Mosque, and on the other side of the square, the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is adjacent, and a little further on Jeanne d'Arc street - St. Paul's Catholic Cathedral. Here on the square there is the National Historical Museum, the Opera House, the Clock Tower, and a whole ensemble of government buildings built in different architectural styles of the 18th-19th-20th centuries. There is also a traditional bunker in which the exposition of the art museum is located. Then continue your journey in the same direction towards Rinia Park. And between the square and the park you will see what is left of the Kaladzha castle - the ruins of a medieval fortress. Further, your way to the Blocku area, all consisting of cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops and street vegetable tents. Your walk along the Block in the Great Park of the University of Tirana will end. It is really very large, it is located around an artificial lake. Therefore, we advise you to take a bicycle or a scooter, or ride a pleasure train, the children will be delighted. This is the best place for rest and picnics in Tirana.
And there is another place for a cool holiday in Tirana: the Daity Express cable car. But you should start with the Bunker Museum. It is located directly below the cable car station, a 5-minute walk. In total, 700 thousand bunkers were built in Tirana during the period of the tyrant Khoja, and they can be seen everywhere, both at sea and in the mountains, and in the most unexpected places. But this Bunker Museum is worth a visit, here is the whole history of the revolutionary and warring Albania with exhibits and in the interiors of an underground bunker that boggles the imagination in size. Coming out of the ground, with special pleasure, climb Mount Daiti by funicular. A grandiose view of the city and the mountains surrounding it, the purest air, trills of birds and crickets, the aroma of herbs and flowers, and here you are on the top of the mountain. And here is a well-maintained recreation area: playgrounds, cafes, restaurants, viewing platforms, recreation and picnic areas, walks along the picturesque paths on foot or on horseback. You will be reluctant to leave here.
If you still have time to see Tirana, then you can go to the Zoo, it opened only last year and is located next to the Big Park. And we advise you to go to the local market, it is called Bazaar, local products, national souvenirs are sold here, and there is a spirit of the unique atmosphere of simple Albanian life.
We advise you to start your walk in Tirana directly from Skandenberg Square. The free and loyal nature of the Albanian people is manifested here: next to the monument to Skandenberg, who renounced Islam and the hero-liberator in the fight against the Ottoman Empire, there is the magnificent 18th century Efem Bey Mosque, and on the other side of the square, the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is adjacent, and a little further on Jeanne d'Arc street - St. Paul's Catholic Cathedral. Here on the square there is the National Historical Museum, the Opera House, the Clock Tower, and a whole ensemble of government buildings built in different architectural styles of the 18th-19th-20th centuries. There is also a traditional bunker in which the exposition of the art museum is located. Then continue your journey in the same direction towards Rinia Park. And between the square and the park you will see what is left of the Kaladzha castle - the ruins of a medieval fortress. Further, your way to the Blocku area, all consisting of cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops and street vegetable tents. Your walk along the Block in the Great Park of the University of Tirana will end. It is really very large, it is located around an artificial lake. Therefore, we advise you to take a bicycle or a scooter, or ride a pleasure train, the children will be delighted. This is the best place for rest and picnics in Tirana.
And there is another place for a cool holiday in Tirana: the Daity Express cable car. But you should start with the Bunker Museum. It is located directly below the cable car station, a 5-minute walk. In total, 700 thousand bunkers were built in Tirana during the period of the tyrant Khoja, and they can be seen everywhere, both at sea and in the mountains, and in the most unexpected places. But this Bunker Museum is worth a visit, here is the whole history of the revolutionary and warring Albania with exhibits and in the interiors of an underground bunker that boggles the imagination in size. Coming out of the ground, with special pleasure, climb Mount Daiti by funicular. A grandiose view of the city and the mountains surrounding it, the purest air, trills of birds and crickets, the aroma of herbs and flowers, and here you are on the top of the mountain. And here is a well-maintained recreation area: playgrounds, cafes, restaurants, viewing platforms, recreation and picnic areas, walks along the picturesque paths on foot or on horseback. You will be reluctant to leave here.
If you still have time to see Tirana, then you can go to the Zoo, it opened only last year and is located next to the Big Park. And we advise you to go to the local market, it is called Bazaar, local products, national souvenirs are sold here, and there is a spirit of the unique atmosphere of simple Albanian life.
