“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,” writes Canada’s Globe and Mail.
TIRANA, Feb. 28 – After picking Albania as a top destination for 2012, the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper, has 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,” writes Canada’s Globe and Mail. Kangaroo Island, Australia, Klaipeda, Lithuania are the second and third choices the newspaper suggests.
Port authorities say US-based Holland America Line has put Durres Port on its itinerary during its tour in Mediterranean town ports. The M/S Prinsedam cruise ship is expected to be in Durres on April 15.
In early Jan. 2012 the Globe and Mail placed the Albanian Riviera as the top destination among the six best places to visit in 2012.
“The Ionian Coast of Albania, also known as the Albanian Riviera. The beaches and the scenery are stunning, and you won’t find yacht-loads of tourists,” writes The Globe and Mail.
Durres also boasts some almost virgin beaches such as the Lalzi Bay and Bisht Palle where new roads have made access much easier.
Located on the central Albanian coast, about 33 km west of the capital Tirana, Durres is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. The port town is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari and Brindisi. Founded in the 7th century BC under the name Epidamnos, it 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.
Archaeologists have discovered some of the country’s most beautiful mosaics in the ancient city of Durres and its suburbs. Apart from the “Durres Beauty” mosaic which is on display at the National Historical Museum in Tirana, Durres is also known for its mosaic at the ancient Roman amphitheatre, the Arapaj Basilica and several others which are being preserved pending to be displayed.
