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Albania

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Friendly, tolerant people, fascinating Ottoman cities teeming with history, magnificent mountain scenery and charming villages: Albania is a varied destination offering many pleasures.

Hikerswill love the Albanian Alps or the Tomorri massif, whilst cyclists will find a network of ancient tracks criss-crossing the country. Archaeology buffs can spend hours in the complex sites of Butrint and Byllis, history-lovers have plenty ofancient castles, Ottoman fortresses and the museum cities of Berati and Gjirokastra to explore, and art connoisseurs should visit the little-known medieval churches, with their beautiful frescoes and the icon collections in Tirana, Korça and Berati.

At the end of a full day's exploration, enjoy menus boasting delicious seafood, mountain lamb, organic fruit and vegetables and, of course, excellent Albanian wine.

Location

Albania map

In the heart of the Mediterranean, on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas; Nestled in between Greece, FYROM, Serbia, and Montenegro, and across the Adriatic from Italy, Albania boasts blue and turquoise seas, beautiful beaches, snow peaked mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests. As well as stunning nature, Albanians themselves are famous for their hospitality, and tourists are welcomed with heart-warming generosity.

Basic Information

Government type: Parliamentary democracy
Independence: 28 November 1912
Capital: Tirana

Tirana


Administrative divisions: 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore

Executive Branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic
head of government: Prime Minister
cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legal System: has a civil law system

Population: 3,639,453 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 129

Ethnic Origin:
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (1989 est.)

Area total: 28,748 sq km
country comparison to the world: 144
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km

Coastline: 362 km
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron, ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower

Climate

Albania has a mild, Mediterranean climate.  Many visitors will find that it never gets cold in the lowlands. The Ionian Cost, in particular, is very clement; with aver age winter temperatures of 8-10 °C (46-50F).

In Tirana and in other inland cities on the plains, temperature sometimes drops below freezing, but this is usually only at night, and it is rare for ice or snow to last more than a day.

The country enjoys a good deal of sunny weather, with an average of around 300 sunny days each year. 

In the summer, visitors often find the inland towns to be quite hot, with July usually being the warmest month. In Tirana, for example, temperatures occasionally reach 40 °C (104F). The best places to be in midsummer are on the coast, where sea breezes keep the average temperatures down to a more tolerable 25-30 °C (73-86F), or in the high mountains.

Customs

All personal items, new or old may be taken into Albania without incurring custom duties. A reasonable amount of tobacco, beverages and perfumes for personal use is allowed.
Prohibited items include firearms, ammunition, narcotics, drugs and goods jeopardizing the observance of public order and social security. Special export permits are required for precious metals, ancient coins and scroll, antiques, books and works of art, which are considered to be part of national culture and heritage.

Official Holidays

January 1- 2 New year's Day
March 14 The summer Day
May 1 Labor Day
October 19 Day of Beautification of Mother Teresa
November 28 Independence Day
November 29 Liberation Day
December 25 Christmas Day
   
The following are also public holidays that do not occur on the same  date every year:
12 April Catholic Easter
19 April Orthodox Easter
20 September / end of RamadanBajram i Madh
27 November Bajram i Vogel

Health and safety

Health problems in Albania are similar to those that exist in the United States, that is, colds, flu, diarrhea, skin infections, headaches, minor injuries, dental problems, STDs, adjustment problems, and alcohol abuse. Prevent Insect Bite: Diseases, like tickborne encephalitis (TBE), are spread through tick bites. Be careful with food and Water. In the latest State Department assessment, Albania’s crime rating is “medium.” Crime against foreigners is rare in Albania. Photographing anything that authorities regard as being of military or security interest may cause travelers problems.

Currency

Albanian curency

The Albanian monetary unit is called  "Leke". The currency floats freely but is quite stable: at the time of writing exchange is about 130 lek to the euro, about 100 leke to the US dollar.

Cashpoint machines or ATMs which issue Albanian lek can be found in all major cities in Albania. Most of the machines are linked to the Visa and Cirrus networks; some (Pro-Credit Bank is one) are also connected to the Maestro and Master Card networks.

Top three cities


Tirana: population 570 837


TIRANA is the capital of Albania and also the most important political, economic and cultural centre of the country. It is located in a very favorable position, right in the centre of the country. Tirana is a relatively young city. It was founded in 1614 by Suleyman Pasha Bargjini, a local feudal lord who built the first buildings that formed the nucleus of the new town: a mosque, a hammam, and a bakery, at the place where today is the monument of the Unknown Partisan (Partizani i Panjohur). The most important date in the history of Tirana is 11 February 1920, when the Congress of Lushnja proclaimed it the provisional capital of Albania, which was changed into a full status in 1925. After this decision the city has known constant growth, which reached unprecedented rates in the 1990s. Tirana is a major convention, conference and seminar centre in Albania. Also, owing to its young and student population, Tirana has an attractive night life offering a variety of restaurants, cuisines, bars, pubs and night clubs to visitors and locals alike.

 

Durres: population 180 193

Durres is one of Albania's oldest cities. It is the country's main sea port, an important commercial and communications center, and one of the most economically developed cities in the country. Durres is also known as an important cultural center for its historic attractions, museums and theaters. The historic and cultural sights in Durres include the largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans and an interesting archaeological museum. Durres is home to the largest beach in Albania that is a popular destination for numerous foreign and local tourists.

 

Elbassan: population  97 372

ELBASAN is situated in the middle of the country and is the third largest city in size.  Elbasan is an ancient settlement site at the intersection of east–west and north-south routes. During its history, Elbasan acted as an important center of national education. The first Albanian high school, Normalja e Elbasanit, was established in Elbasan in 1909. Cultural sites of interest in the city are: the Castle, the Mosque of Naziresha, dating back in the seventeenth century (this is a very rare occurrence of a mosque being named after a woman), the Turkish baths from the sixteenth century, the Church of Shën Mëria inside the castle, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Clock Tower.

 

 

 

 
*2010 population calculation
Source; World-gazetteer.com

Passport/Visa

All the foreigners who have a valid multi – entry Schengen visa, type “C” or “D”, or a valid residence permit in one of the Schengen member states, can enter, stay and transit Albania without visa, within the validity term of the visa or the residence permit

1. Andorra
2. Argentina
3. Australia *
4. Austria *
5. Belgium *
6. Brazil
7. Bulgaria*
8. Canada *
9. Chili
10. Croatia
11. Cyprus *
12. Czech Republic*
13. Denmark*
14. Estonia *
15. Finland *
16. France*
17. Germany *
18. Great Britain*
19. Greece *
20. Holland *
21. Holly Siege
22. Hungary *
23. Ireland *
24. Island *
25. Israel
26. Italy *
27. Japan
28. Kosova 
29. Latvia *		 30. Liechtenstein
31. Lithuania *
32. Luxemburg *
33. Macedonia
34. Malaysia
35. Malta *
36. Monaco
37. Montenegro
38. New Zealand *
39. Norway *
40. Poland *
41. Portugal *
42. Rumania *
43. Russia - in the period 1 may – 31 october 2009
44. San Marino *
45. Serbia  - in the period 1 may – 31 october 2009
46. Singapore
47. Slovakia *
48. Slovenia *
49. South Korea
50. Spain *
51. Sweden *
52. Switzerland *
53. Turkey
54. USA *
55. Ukraine - in the period 1 may – 31 october 2009

* Can enter the Republic of Albania even with ID card
All the other foreigners must be issued with a visa, before entering the Republic of Albania at the missions of the Republic of Albania that cover the country of residence.

Language

Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects

Time zone

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Essential contacts

National Tourism
Organisation
Tel: +355 4 273 281
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.albaniantourism.com

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The information on this site was gathered through our journalists and various source(s) of information including the national tourism organization,
the ministry of finance, the ministry of foreign affairs, CIA World Factbook, and US State Department.