Top 97 places to visit in Albania
97 must-see places and attractions in Albania, from famous landmarks to hidden gems, each with a map and photos.
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97 places
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1Archaeological site
Butrint National Park
Ancient city with Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian remains amid wetlands; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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2Old town & city
Berat Old Town
UNESCO-listed Ottoman town known as the city of a thousand windows, spread across the Osum riverbanks.
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3Old town & city
Gjirokastër Old Town
UNESCO-listed hillside town of stone-roofed Ottoman tower houses and cobbled bazaar streets.
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4Nature & national park
Theth National Park
Remote alpine valley in the Accursed Mountains with traditional stone houses and classic hiking trails.
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5Coast & beach
Ksamil Beaches
Coves of white sand and turquoise water facing small islets near the southern tip of the Riviera.
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6Landmark
Skanderbeg Square
Tirana's vast central square, flanked by the national museum, opera house and Et'hem Bey Mosque.
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7Lake & river
Blue Eye Spring
Deep karst spring of vivid blue water welling up amid woodland between Saranda and Gjirokastër.
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8Castle & palace
Gjirokastër Castle
Hilltop fortress housing a weapons museum, a captured US jet and the venue of a national folk festival.
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9Castle & palace
Berat Castle
Inhabited citadel above Berat with Byzantine churches, cobbled lanes and sweeping valley views.
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10Nature & national park
Valbona Valley National Park
Dramatic glacial valley in the Albanian Alps, starting point of the popular hike over to Theth.
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11Museum & gallery
Bunk'Art 1
Vast Cold War bunker built for the communist leadership, now a museum of history and contemporary art.
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12Lake & river
Lake Komani Ferry
Boat journey through a fjord-like reservoir hemmed in by steep mountains in northern Albania.
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13Castle & palace
Krujë Castle and Skanderbeg Museum
Hilltop fortress where Skanderbeg resisted the Ottomans, with a museum dedicated to the national hero.
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14Castle & palace
Rozafa Castle
Hilltop fortress steeped in legend overlooking Shkodër, Lake Shkodër and the Buna and Drin rivers.
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15Archaeological site
Apollonia Archaeological Park
Ruins of an ancient Greek and Roman city with a restored monument facade and a medieval monastery.
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16Lake & river
Lake Ohrid
One of Europe's oldest and deepest lakes, shared with North Macedonia and noted for its endemic trout.
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17Mountain & viewpoint
Llogara Pass
Mountain pass in pine-forested national park with sweeping views over the Ionian coast.
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18Museum & gallery
House of Leaves
Former secret police headquarters turned museum documenting surveillance under the communist regime.
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19Museum & gallery
National History Museum
Albania's largest museum, fronted by a huge socialist-realist mosaic on Skanderbeg Square.
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20Coast & beach
Dhërmi Beach
Long pebble beach below a hillside village, one of the most popular stretches of the Riviera.
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21Religious site
Et'hem Bey Mosque
Late Ottoman mosque in central Tirana famed for its rare frescoes of trees, waterfalls and bridges.
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22Nature & national park
Osumi Canyon
Deep limestone gorge carved by the Osum river, popular for rafting in spring.
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23Castle & palace
Porto Palermo Castle
Triangular fortress associated with Ali Pasha of Tepelena, set on a peninsula in a sheltered bay.
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24Coast & beach
Gjipe Beach
Secluded beach at the mouth of a steep canyon, reached on foot or by boat.
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25Landmark
Pyramid of Tirana
Former communist-era memorial museum reimagined as a climbable landmark and technology hub.
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26Archaeological site
Durrës Amphitheatre
Large Roman amphitheatre in the heart of Durrës, with an early Christian mosaic chapel inside.
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27Neighbourhood & street
Blloku
Former restricted enclave of the communist elite, now Tirana's liveliest district of cafés and bars.
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28Mountain & viewpoint
Dajti Mountain
Mountain on Tirana's edge reached by the Dajti Ekspres cable car, with views over the capital.
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29Market & shopping
Korçë Old Bazaar
Restored Ottoman-era market quarter of cobbled lanes, craft shops and traditional inns.
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30Museum & gallery
National Museum of Medieval Art
Collection of Orthodox icons, including works by Onufri, housed in a modern Korçë building.
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31Old town & city
Himarë Old Town and Castle
Hilltop fortified settlement with old churches and houses above the modern seaside town.
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32Lake & river
Lake Shkodër
Largest lake in the Balkans, shared with Montenegro and rich in birdlife and lakeside villages.
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33Museum & gallery
Marubi National Museum of Photography
Archive of Albania's pioneering photographic dynasty, documenting over a century of northern life.
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34Lake & river
Benja Thermal Baths
Natural hot-spring pools beside an Ottoman bridge at the mouth of the Langarica Canyon.
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35Religious site
Voskopojë
Mountain village once a major Aromanian trade centre, famed for its frescoed 18th-century churches.
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36Museum & gallery
Onufri Iconographic Museum
Museum of Orthodox icons in a cathedral within Berat Castle, showcasing the painter Onufri's work.
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37Archaeological site
Byllis Archaeological Park
Hilltop ruins of an Illyrian and Roman city with a theatre and fine Byzantine basilica mosaics.
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38Religious site
Zvërnec Monastery
Byzantine monastery church on a small island in the Narta Lagoon, reached by a wooden footbridge.
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39Historic site
Mesi Bridge
Elegant 18th-century Ottoman stone bridge with thirteen arches spanning the Kir river.
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40Historic site
Cape of Rodon
Rocky headland with the ruins of a coastal castle built by Skanderbeg and a small church.
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41Nature & national park
Karaburun Peninsula
Wild, roadless peninsula within Albania's only marine park, with sea caves and hidden bays.
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42Coast & beach
Grama Bay
Remote cove on the Karaburun Peninsula with ancient inscriptions carved into its cliffs.
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43Island
Sazan Island
Former military island at the mouth of the Bay of Vlorë, visited by boat for its bunkers and coves.
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44Archaeological site
Antigonea Archaeological Park
Remains of a city founded by Pyrrhus of Epirus on a ridge above the Drino valley.
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45Castle & palace
Lëkurësi Castle
Ottoman hilltop castle above Saranda offering panoramic views towards Corfu and Butrint.
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46Market & shopping
Krujë Old Bazaar
Cobbled Ottoman bazaar street below the castle, lined with handicraft and antique shops.
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47Landmark
Independence Monument
Bronze monument in Flag Square commemorating the 1912 declaration of Albanian independence.
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48Nature & national park
Divjakë-Karavasta National Park
Coastal lagoons and pine forest known for a breeding colony of Dalmatian pelicans.
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49
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50Historic site
Gjirokastër Cold War Tunnel
Secret communist-era bunker beneath the town, with dozens of rooms open for guided visits.
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51Historic site
Skenduli House
Well-preserved 18th-century Ottoman tower house showing traditional domestic life in Gjirokastër.
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52Museum & gallery
Bunk'Art 2
Former interior ministry bunker in central Tirana, now a museum on the history of the police.
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53Museum & gallery
National Gallery of Arts
Albania's main art gallery, holding socialist-realist works and modern Albanian painting.
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54Park & garden
Grand Park of Tirana
Large wooded park around an artificial lake, popular for walks, jogging and lakeside cafés.
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55Market & shopping
New Bazaar
Revitalised market square in Tirana selling fresh produce, with surrounding restaurants and cafés.
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56Nature & national park
Prespa National Park
Lakeland park on the borders with Greece and North Macedonia, with cave churches and rich birdlife.
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57Religious site
Resurrection Cathedral, Korçë
Large Orthodox cathedral in central Korçë, a landmark of the city's religious heritage.
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58Mountain & viewpoint
Mount Tomorr
Sacred mountain above Berat and site of an annual Bektashi pilgrimage, within a national park.
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59Museum & gallery
Durrës Archaeological Museum
Albania's largest archaeological museum, displaying finds from ancient Dyrrachium.
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60Religious site
Ardenica Monastery
Hilltop Orthodox monastery with frescoed church, where Skanderbeg is said to have married.
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61Religious site
Holy Trinity Church
Small Byzantine church of brick and stone set on the slopes of Berat Castle.
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62Historic site
Skanderbeg Memorial
Monument built over the ruins of the cathedral where Skanderbeg was buried in 1468.
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63Old town & city
Qeparo Old Village
Largely abandoned hillside village of stone houses above the modern coastal settlement.
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64Nature & national park
Grunas Waterfall
Tall waterfall in a gorge reached by a short hike from Theth village.
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65Mountain & viewpoint
Valbona Pass
High mountain pass on the classic trail between Valbona and Theth, with vast alpine views.
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66Lake & river
Shala River
Emerald river in a narrow valley reached by boat from Lake Komani, with beaches of white pebbles.
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67Historic site
Tanners' Bridge
Restored 18th-century Ottoman footbridge that once carried traffic into Tirana.
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68Landmark
Postbllok Memorial
Open-air memorial with a bunker, Berlin Wall segment and mine props recalling communist repression.
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69Religious site
Resurrection of Christ Cathedral
Modern Orthodox cathedral in Tirana, one of the largest in the Balkans.
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70Museum & gallery
Site of Witness and Memory
Museum in a former prison documenting political persecution under the communist regime.
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71Neighbourhood & street
Kolë Idromeno Street
Pedestrian street of restored houses, cafés and bicycles running through Shkodër's centre.
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72Religious site
Lead Mosque, Shkodër
Classical Ottoman mosque with multiple lead-covered domes standing below Rozafa Castle.
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73Religious site
Lead Mosque, Berat
16th-century mosque in Berat's centre named after the lead covering of its dome.
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74Religious site
Muradie Mosque
16th-century mosque in Vlorë attributed to the Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan.
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75Castle & palace
Kanina Castle
Hilltop fortress above Vlorë with views over the bay and Sazan Island.
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76Archaeological site
Amantia Archaeological Park
Remote hilltop ruins of an Illyrian city with a small stadium and temple remains.
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77Archaeological site
Oricum Archaeological Park
Ancient port city with a small theatre on the shore of the Bay of Vlorë.
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78Archaeological site
Phoenice Archaeological Park
Hilltop ruins of the capital of ancient Epirus, overlooking the plain near Butrint.
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79Religious site
Monastery of the Forty Saints
Ruined Byzantine monastery on a hill that gave the town of Saranda its name.
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80Neighbourhood & street
Saranda Promenade
Palm-lined seafront walk with restaurants and views across the strait to Corfu.
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82
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83
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84Archaeological site
Selca e Poshtme Royal Tombs
Rock-cut Illyrian royal tombs carved into a hillside above the Shkumbin valley.
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85
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86Castle & palace
Elbasan Castle
Ottoman-era walled enclosure still enclosing a lived-in old quarter in central Elbasan.
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87Castle & palace
Durrës Castle and Venetian Tower
Surviving Byzantine walls and a round Venetian tower near the Durrës seafront.
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88Castle & palace
Tirana Castle
Remains of a fortress wall enclosing a pedestrian street of restaurants and shops.
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89Landmark
Clock Tower of Tirana
Early 19th-century clock tower beside Et'hem Bey Mosque, climbable for city views.
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90Castle & palace
Petrela Castle
Small medieval castle on a rocky summit south of Tirana with views over the Erzen valley.
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91Nature & national park
Pëllumbas Cave
Karst cave with stalactites and prehistoric finds, reached by a gorge hike near Tirana.
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92Lake & river
Bovilla Lake
Turquoise reservoir surrounded by steep mountains, with a popular viewpoint hike above it.
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93Nature & national park
Lura National Park
Highland park of glacial lakes surrounded by pine forest in the Dibër region.
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94Mountain & viewpoint
Mount Korab
Albania's highest peak on the border with North Macedonia, climbed in summer.
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95Lake & river
Vjosa Wild River National Park
Protected free-flowing river, one of Europe's last undammed large rivers.
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96Nature & national park
Bogova Waterfall
Waterfall in a shaded gorge in Skrapar, reached by a short walk from Bogovë village.
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97Coast & beach
Velipojë Beach
Long sandy beach near the Buna river mouth, bordering a protected wetland reserve.
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