A travel firm specializing in small-group guided vacations to renowned UNESCO world heritage sites will begin next year offering a package that includes Balkan countries as tourist destinations.
“Our guests gain a personal and in-depth look at treasured World Heritage Sites, enabling them to better understand the dynamic history, cultures and people of these regions,” said Mahmood Poonja, chief explorer, World Heritage Tours (www.worldheritagetours.com).
The 20-day Balkan Mosaic tour will take in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.
The region is known for its rich and diverse cultures, religions and history.
“The Balkans is a land of such great diversity and textures that one gets blown away by the colors, cultures, hospitality, food and landscapeƌike many things bottled up, once released, they burst forth with passion and gusto rarely seen. This then is the Balkans,” the brochure reveals.
According to the itinerary, visitors will enter Albania from FYROM through Lake Ohrid and for three days and two nights they will get to visit five Albanian cities before they continue the journey north toward Montenegro.
The five Albanian cities
Berat is known as a “city of one thousand windows”, and is a declared as a museum city and a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The old name of the city was Antipatrea. It is built on the slopes of mountain Tomorri, with a castle dominating over the city. Within its walls there are dwelling houses and the Onufri Museum, where visitors can see paintings by this outstanding painter from the 16thC, as well as paintings from his son Nikolla. In the old part of the town know as the “Castle” neighborhood there are several Byzantine churches known for their interesting architecture.
Durres is the second largest city in Albania and one of its oldest towns. Legend has it that Durres was founded by the Illyrian King, Epidamnos, who called it by his own name and named the port after his grandson, Dyrrah It was for centuries the largest port on the Adriatic and got back into world highlights when in 1939, the Italian troops met brief but fierce resistance in their invasion of Albania. Durres is full of ancient Roman architecture such as the city’s Roman amphitheatre and the Roman Baths.
Tirana is a relatively new town, founded in 1614 located on the site of a Byzantine fortress. Tirana has been the capital of Albania since 1920 and lies at the foot of Dajti Mountain. Interesting sites to visit are the Skanderbeg Square in the centre of the town, the 1789 old Mosque of Et’hem Bey, the 1830 Clock Tower and the Palace of Culture housing the Opera in a typical behemoth communist architecture. The capital is well known for its dynamic atmosphere and night life full of bars, cafes, and restaurants that amaze all visitors.
Kruja is a small charming town perched high on the face of a mountain. Kruja was the centre of the 15th century Albanian resistance under Skanderbeg against Ottoman Turks. His castle is now a museum. The street leading up to the castle is built in the style of a Turkish bazaar.
Shkoder, known as Scodra in Illyrian times, is one of the oldest cities in Europe and the traditional centre of the Gheg culture. The Ghegs are the northern part of Albania’s population that speaks the Gheg dialect of the Albanian language (there are two dialects spoken in Albania, the other one known as Tosk and spoken in the south). Shkodra is rich with historical monuments, including the old Illyrian Rozafa Castle and the Mesi Bridge.
