Albania
ALBANIA
After Jordan, I have to admit that my thirst for adventure had been quenched, at least for the time being. That said, having decided to prioritise travelling, I had made it a point to try to go somewhere new every two months or so.
Being short on both money and time, I needed to choose somewhere relatively close to Malta. Having heard wonderful things about Albania, I had had my eye on the country for quite a while. In the weeks leading up to the trip, I tried my best to squeeze as much as possible into a single week. Albania, however, has so many highlights that trying to cover everything would have been ridiculous.
I therefore chose to focus more on the land than the sea, despite the coast being one of the country’s biggest attractions. The Albanian Riviera would have to wait for another trip!
Small Country, Serious Range
So, a little about the country… Albania is a small but incredibly diverse country in the western Balkans, known for its dramatic landscapes, complex history and warm hospitality. From the Albanian Alps in the north to the turquoise waters and beaches of the Riviera in the south, the country packs mountains, canyons, rivers, lakes and coastline into a remarkably compact space.
Conquerors, Communists and Comebacks
As beautiful as the country is, its history is just as astounding. Its history has been shaped by ancient Illyrian communities, Greek colonies, Roman and Byzantine rule, medieval principalities and centuries of Ottoman influence.
Albania’s early history is closely associated with the ancient Illyrians, a collection of tribes who lived across much of the western Balkans. Over the centuries, the territory passed through Roman and Byzantine rule, absorbing layers of Mediterranean and Orthodox Christian influence. During the Middle Ages, the region became a patchwork of competing principalities before the Ottoman Empire began expanding into Albanian territory during the 14th century.
The great national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg united several Albanian nobles through the League of Lezhë and led a remarkable resistance against the Ottoman Empire from 1443 until his death in 1468. After his death, Ottoman control gradually tightened, and most Albanian lands remained under Ottoman rule until the beginning of the 20th century. Those centuries shaped everything from religion and architecture to cuisine, language and the layouts of many towns and cities.
Albania declared independence in 1912, but its early decades as a state were marked by political instability, disputed borders and periods of foreign occupation. Following World War II, communist leader Enver Hoxha established one of Europe’s most isolated and repressive dictatorships. Religion was outlawed, the borders were heavily restricted, political opponents were imprisoned or executed, and an extraordinary number of concrete bunkers were scattered across the landscape as the regime prepared obsessively for a foreign invasion.
The communist government did expand education and sharply reduce illiteracy, but these achievements came within a system built on indoctrination, surveillance and repression. Meanwhile, Albania remained impoverished and increasingly cut off from the rest of Europe. Communist rule collapsed in 1991, and Albania entered a turbulent transition marked by mass emigration, political unrest and economic hardship. The collapse of nationwide pyramid investment schemes in 1997 brought the country close to complete social and political breakdown.
Since then, however, Albania has steadily reinvented itself. Tirana has transformed into a colourful and energetic capital, tourism has grown rapidly, and the country has become both a NATO member and an EU candidate engaged in active accession negotiations. Today, Albania blends ancient traditions, Ottoman heritage, traces of Italian influence and the legacy of its recent isolation into a culture that feels both old and new at the same time.