Albania makes it to Lonely Planet’s top 10 affordable adventure destinations
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- “Although its archaeological sights, such as Apollonia and Butrint, and its one-of-a-kind blend of Balkan, Mediterranean and Italian influences are no secrets, Albania remains a destination where you can hike amid beautiful mountain scenery, stay in tiny and timeless villages and explore the buzzy capital Tirana for far less than pretty much anywhere else in Europe,” says the 2019 ‘Best in Travel’ guidebook, Lonely Planet's annual search to find top countries, regions and cities to visit in the next twelve months
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Head to Albania for crowd-free sights and superb beaches © Landscape Nature Photo / Shutterstock
TIRANA, Oct. 25 – Albania has made it to Lonely Planet’s top 10 affordable adventure destinations for 2019 as one of Europe’s final frontiers that offers hiking amid beautiful mountain scenery, superb beaches and a unique history.
Albania ranks eighth on a top 10 list led by Egypt and Poland, but which also includes Maldives, two US destinations, Argentina, Bangladesh, Ecuador and Slovenia, being the sole Western Balkan country to make it to the list.
The rating is made by Lonely Planet, the world-renowned travel guidebook publisher that has long been a standard for backpackers, budget travelers, and people seeking off-the-beaten-path destinations.
“Albania has been Europe’s final frontier for a while. Here’s a pocket of great value hiding in plain sight, with some superb beaches, a unique history and none of the crowds of Montenegro to the north or Greece to the south. The country’s exciting food scene celebrates the fruits of its unique local flavours and offers seriously distinctive dining,” says the 2019 ‘Best in Travel’ guidebook, Lonely Planet's annual search to find top countries, regions and cities to visit in the next twelve months.
“Although its archaeological sights, such as Apollonia and Butrint, and its one-of-a-kind blend of Balkan, Mediterranean and Italian influences are no secrets, Albania remains a destination where you can hike amid beautiful mountain scenery, stay in tiny and timeless villages and explore the buzzy capital Tirana for far less than pretty much anywhere else in Europe,” adds the guidebook.
Earlier this year, Lonely Planet also rated Albania's capital city, Tirana, as one of the top ten European hotspots for 2018, describing it as a vigorous metropolis that has undergone transformation and offers much to visitors.
Albania has regularly made it to Lonely Planet's top 10 destinations since 2011 when the popular travel guide ranked long-isolated Albania under communism as the number one global destination to visit as the Balkan country was branding its emerging tourism industry as ‘Europe’s last secret’ and a “New Mediterranean love.”
Taking an adventure trip to Albania has also been rated as one of the top tours on travelers’ to-do-list for 2018 by National Geographic France which suggests discovering the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Berat and Gjirokastra, the Greco-Roman amphitheaters, the Adriatic and Ionian beaches and above all the country’s unexplored landscapes such as alpine summits, green valleys, wetlands and rich fauna.
Several outdoor tour operators in the country offer hiking, rafting, biking, horse riding and birds watching adventures in the country, while cross-border tourism is gaining an upper hand with the opening of several mountain hiking trails.
The communist past is also what fascinates tourists about Albania, which was cut off from the rest of the world under a hardline Stalinist dictatorship.
