Kronen Zeitung: Albania, forgotten pearl in Adriatic

Europe does not have many secrets left. But one of the last is Albania. Communist leader Enver Hoxha, who died in 1985, had closed the small country southwest of the Balkan Peninsula from the rest of the world.

Any religious faith was forbidden. As the dictatorship developed, the dictator covered Albania with bunkers, is thought to be around 700 000. Not always visible, however, relics are everywhere in green fields, olive groves, gardens, and beaches. Now, “mushrooms”, as residents call Hoxha's concrete heritage, are used as cellars for wine, fashion bars, or modern hotels.

Today, the country is open, almost intact

Interested visitors are amazed at the heartwarming hospitality and sincerity. Mother Teresa, one of the most famous Albanian personalities, would like that. And where world religions were once banned, since the end of Hoxha's era, ancient monasteries and mosques have been renovated. Church towers stand by minarets.

This is the Albanian world”, says Jetmir, who works as a guide. His name means good “”. A omens.

The Ancient World Shows Up in Apollo

...not far from the city of Fier. Under the Roman occupation, this doric city has been a major trading center on the Illyrian coast. By order of his uncle, Julius Kezar, Octavian came here to learn rhetoric, martial arts, and Greek. He will then be known in history as Emperor Augustus. The remains of the temple of Apollo, theater, and market can still be visited. Artisan dynamics are attested to in natural - size statues near a monastery, mostly without head and with a hole in the middle of its shoulders. The reason for this says Jetmir is “because rulers often differed at that time and orders had to be completed quickly. So sculptors used old statues while the head was made if necessary. If they weren't finished on time, you could lose your head”

Mediterranean Style Flows in Coastal Regions

From the port city of Vlora, the Adriatic's narrowest point goes to Karaburun's idyllic peninsula. As the road passes through dense, high mountains over 10,000 feet [1,000,000 m]. A very popular area ruled by the fresh smell of pines and fir trees. At the highest point, in the Valley of Llogara, green leaves the spot deep blue. Jethr shows a white line on the horizon. Where the Adriatic Sea and Jon meet. Later, the Llogara National Park is behind us, while the Albanian revival ahead. Saranda, the most south of all, is the swimmer's money. With images from the Greek island of Corfu, Butrint's 3 000-year arcology zone appears. A World Heritage site that Virgil once called the second Troy.

Gjirokastra is best visited on foot

In the stone “ ”, it's hard to find a path that's not steep. The winding streets leading to the fort are worth walking. The roof of houses, covered with sands pulled from the surrounding mountains, is a silver glow. The locals are considered the Scottishs of Albania, and the jokes for their greed are extremely funny. We'll show you one of them. Two travelers ask the taxi driver: How much is the trip? Three thousand dollars. Euro, responding to the driver. “All right, go! You're all right with two thousand dollars. - Why two thousand? Ask the distracted driver. Did you not travel with us? Did the passengers respond?

City “one above a window”

Besides Gjirokastra, Berat is also included in the U's architectural treasure list NESTO. The town of “one over a window” is famous for its white-painted houses and built one on top of another along two slopes of valleys. Instead of a giant banner with the first name of former communist dictator Enver Hoxha, on the mountain page already stands out the English word “November”, which means “never in”! A symbol of the historic love of freedom that has prevailed in almost constantly occupied Albania. Same as national hero Skenderbeu is worshipped. From the mountainous villages of Kruja, Skenderbeu defended the country against Ottomans in the XV century. Enver Hoxha's daughter is the designer of the restored museum, which is shaped like a medieval castle. As we visit the museum, we learn that Vienna's original helmets and helmets and helmets are actually preserved at the Museum” Kunst Historicales”.

Tirana

In the capital, we meet again at the famous <x0.>clumds”, a legacy of Hoxha's regitration. It is in the center of the capital that we find ourselves before the entrance of Bunk'Art. Under the sound of sirens, such as those during an air strike, the bunker's stairs descend down to an underground museum, where art installations are exposed as evidence of a dark past when incredible methods of spying were prevalent. Very interesting! Not everything works perfectly. Regarding the status quo, Jetmir says: Albania is a country in transition that expects to reach Europe. / ATSk/