TIRANA, July 23 – Thomson Majesty cruise ship visited Albania for the second time this year, bringing more than 3,000 tourists in the past couple of months as part of its Mediterranean tours.
In late May, Thomson Majesty became the first cruise ship to open the cruise ship season in the country’s biggest port, bringing 1,500 tourists the majority of whom from the U.K. This week it brought another 1,500 tourists.
In their single-day visit to Albania, cruise ship tourists, most of whom come from the U.S and the U.K visit Durres, the neighbouring historic town of Kruja and the UNESCO World Heritage town of Berat.
“In Roman times, the city of Durres was an important port perched on the head of a long beach. These days, the city has spread south, adding a sprinkling of monuments, shopping boulevards and sprawling suburbs to the mix. Things still centre on the coastline – the sands here roll out for an impressive 10 kilometres,” says U.K.-based Thomson company.
Visiting Durres has now become more attractive to tourists with the reopening of the newly restored archaeological museum and the reconstruction of the city’s central square.
Durres port authorities say they are optimistic this year will bring a higher number of cruise ship visitors, whose number peaks during summer.
After picking Albania as a top destination for 2012, the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper, also put the coastal city of Durres, Albania’s second biggest city, on top of the eight exciting new cruise ports to explore. Featuring a picture of crowded Durres beach, the Canadian newspaper describes Durres as “a handy jumping off point for tours of the coast and castle tours.”
“Durres, Albania: Here’s your chance to see Adriatic beach resorts that for years were heavily guarded enclaves of the country’s elite. Albania second-largest city is a handy jumping off point for tours of the coast and castle tours,” wrote Canada’s Globe and Mail.
Founded in the 7th century BC under the name Epidamnos, Durres has been continuously inhabited for 27 centuries and is one of the oldest cities in Albania. The city boasts a Roman amphitheatre of the 2nd century A.D, one of the largest in the Balkan.
