//TIRANA - ALBANIA//

Closed to outsiders for much of the 20th century, Albania has long been Mediterranean Europe's enigma. Until fairly recently its rumpled mountains, fortress towns and sparkling beaches were merely a rumour on most travel maps. But, with the end of a particularly brutal strain of communism in 1991, Albania tentatively swung open its gates. The first curious tourists to arrive discovered a land where ancient codes of conduct still held sway and where the wind whistled through the shattered remnants of half-forgotten ancient Greek and Roman sites. A quarter of a century after throwing off the shackles of communism, Albania's stunning mountain scenery, crumbling castles, boisterous capital and dreamy beaches rivalling any in the Mediterranean continue to enchant. But hurry here, because as word gets out about what Albania is hiding, the still-tiny trickle of tourists threatens to become a flood.

Visiting Albania’s capital you’ll delve into the past and present of a country that has seen intense turmoil since it was founded in the 1600s. Tirana has disintegrating soviet-era buildings, brand new projects and proud historic monuments side-by-side, while the wonderful upland scenery that bounds the city to the east calls for exploration.

Each monument has its own complicated and emotionally-charged story to tell, whether it’s about 20th-century oppression or daily life in Tirana in Ottoman times. And if things get too hot in the summer you’re free to cool off in the Adriatic sea, which is an easy drive away.

7 NIGHTS HALF BOARD
DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM ALICANTE
4* HOTEL INCLUDING TRANSFERS
DEPARTURE 12TH AUGUST 2023