{"id":98892375,"date":"2018-02-07T18:49:17","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T23:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/?p=98892375"},"modified":"2020-05-01T08:04:12","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T12:04:12","slug":"6-things-you-have-to-do-when-in-albania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/6-things-you-have-to-do-when-in-albania\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Things You Have to Do When in Albania"},"content":{"rendered":"

While sending our travel experts to dig up the inside scoop on interesting destinations, we couldn\u2019t help but take note of Albania. This Balkan beauty astounded us with its natural charm, complex history, and friendly people. So if you want a trip that\u2019s really off the radar, why not make it your next destination? \u00a0If you don\u2019t know what to expect, don\u2019t worry. Here are some amazing things you can do, see, and experience\u2026 only in Albania.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the Architecture in the Capital City of Tirana<\/h2>\n

\"Colorful<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s the luridly colored buildings along the Lana river, the iconic 19th<\/sup> century Et\u2019hem Bey Mosque, or the curved contours of the TID Tower, Tirana is full of a colorful, ancient, and modern movement that\u2019s trying to erase the cold, grey concrete of decades under communism.<\/p>\n

Start Counting the Number of Bunkers<\/h2>\n

\"Cold<\/p>\n

As the Cold War was in its climax, the paranoid Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha carried out a massive \u201cbunkerization\u201d of Albania, peppering the country with steel and concrete bunkers. Nowadays, you\u2019ll notice them in the oddest places, sticking out like a sore thumb in green urban parks or in obscure hillsides in the countryside or on quiet beaches. Although they\u2019ve been left to\u00a0decay over time, some of them have been turned into works of art, cool caf\u00e9s, and even storage units<\/p>\n

Looking for flights to Tirana?\u00a0Click here to get some amazing deals!<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n

Eat Some Tasty (and Cheap) Burek and Trilece<\/h2>\n

\"Cheese<\/p>\n

Albania actually shares variants of the popular\u00a0burek<\/em> with the rest of its Balkan neighbors, but this pastry filled with meat, cheese, or spinach is a great meal for any time of day and is perfect for the backpacker on a budget. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, you won\u2019t be able to resist another local favorite: trilece<\/em> \u00a0\u2013 a soft cake soaked in milk and topped off with caramel.<\/p>\n

Pay Your Respects at the Home of the \u201cDragon of Albania\u201d<\/h2>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Just 20 km north of Tirana, you\u2019ll find the mountainous town of Kruj\u00eb, home to one of Albania\u2019s most famous historical sites \u2013 Kruj\u00eb Castle. The castle was the 15th-century garrison of national hero Gjergj Kastrioti, known widely as Skanderbeg. The \u201cDragon of Albania,\u201d along with just 3,000 men, withstood three massive assaults by the numerically superior Ottoman Turks over a span of 17 years. The castle only fell 10 years after his death in 1468. The Skanderbeg Museum on the castle premises also has many interesting artifacts, including a replica of Skanderbeg\u2019s signature goat-head topped helmet and sword.<\/p>\n

Get a Budget Euro Beach Escape on the Albanian Riviera<\/h2>\n

\"Beautiful<\/p>\n

If the French Riviera is just a financial fantasy, why not check out the beaches of Albania? The coastal towns of Saranda, Ksamil, Himara, and Dhermi are just some of the towns that offer plenty of clear waters, golden sand, and affordable seafood and wine. For the prices you pay, you\u2019ll forget you\u2019re in Europe! Also, don\u2019t forget to check out the gorgeous turquoise waves of the secluded Gjipe Beach (close to Dhermi), that\u2019s only accessible by a few kilometers trek on foot.<\/p>\n

Make Some New Friends<\/h2>\n

\"smiling<\/p>\n

Like most\u00a0places in the region, you won\u2019t find it hard to strike up a conversation with the friendly locals in Albania. In its cafes and bars, you\u2019ll find there are plenty of interesting stories that\u2019ll\u00a0 go down well over a coffee or a few beers!<\/p>\n

Have you been to Albania? Tell us what you experienced in the comments section.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While sending our travel experts to dig up the inside scoop on interesting destinations, we couldn\u2019t help but take note of Albania. This Balkan beauty astounded us with its natural charm, complex history, and friendly people. So if you want a trip that\u2019s really off the radar, why not make it your next destination? \u00a0If […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":98892386,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,141],"tags":[1473],"class_list":["post-98892375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-travel-inspiration","tag-tia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98892375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98892375"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98892375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98905623,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98892375\/revisions\/98905623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98892386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98892375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98892375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98892375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}