Albania Travel Guide

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


History of Albania

Albania was the last country in Europe to hold multi-party elections, in March 1991. The first year of democracy was turbulent; the country stabilised after the March 1992 elections, but the collapse of pyramid-banking schemes brought Albania to the brink of civil war in early 1997.

Since then, Albania has gradually become more politically stable and economically prosperous. The 2005 parliamentary elections resulted in the first peaceful handover of power from one governing party to another.

Albania Culture

Religion:
Albania is an extremely secular society. The traditional breakdown is 70% Muslim, 20% Orthodox (the autocephalous Albanian church) and 10% Catholic, but at best these figures indicate nothing more than nominal attachment to each faith.

Social conventions:
Normal Albanian etiquette is for people to shake hands the first time they see each other every day, and then again when they part. Between friends, a kiss on both cheeks is exchanged by men as well as women.

The usual way to indicate 'yes' is by moving the head horizontally from side to side. 'No' is usually signalled by a slight raising of the eyebrows, sometimes accompanied by a gentle click of the tongue.

Albanians usually remove their shoes inside their homes or other people's houses. If you are visiting an Albanian home, you will be offered a pair of slippers or plastic sandals to wear while you are indoors.

Smoking is widespread, and it is very unusual to find a non-smoking section in a restaurant, never mind a bar. However, smoking is not allowed on public transport, and this ban is almost always respected. On long journeys, the bus or minibus will stop for a cigarette-break from time to time.

Homosexuality is taboo, although not illegal. Public displays of affection by gay couples are likely to be greeted with some hostility.

Language in Albania

The official language is Albanian. Greek is widely spoken in the south of the country, and some state schools there use Greek as the medium of education. Many Albanians speak Italian; some also know French or English.


Weather & climate

Best time to visit:
Albania has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters in the lowlands. In the highlands, snow can fall from November until March; mountain towns are very cold at this time of year.

Required clothing:
Dependent on the time of year and regions of the country to be visited, and also on the activities planned. For outdoor activities in the mountains, good waterproofs and warm layers should be carried at all times of year. On the coast in summer, long trousers and a light jacket will often be required in the evenings.

Geography
Albania is bordered by Montenegro and Kosovo to the north, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the southeast. Italy lies across the Mediterranean to the west; at its narrowest point, close to where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet, Italy and Albania are only 75km (47 miles) apart. Albania's highest point is the summit of Mt Jezerca (2693m/8835ft), in the Dinaric Alps in the far north. The largest lake in the Balkans, Lake Shkodra, straddles the border between Albania and Montenegro; in the southwest, Lake Ohrid is shared with Macedonia and the Prespa Lakes between Albania, Macedonia and Greece.


Doing business in Albania

Punctuality is expected. Business cards are common and European practices are observed.

Anyone considering investing in Albania should bear in mind the prevalence of corruption, the presence of organised crime and the weakness of the judicial system; and seek the advice of the commercial attaché at their embassy in Tirana.

Office hours:
Civil servants work Mon-Fri 0830-1300 and then 1430-1800 (finishing earlier on Fridays). Private companies tend to keep more traditionally Albanian hours, from 0800 or 0830 to 1500. Offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Economy:
Since 1998, the Albanian economy has stabilised and grown, thanks mainly to the expansion of the construction industry. An increase in tourist activity in many of the seaside resorts has helped to expand the service industry. The agricultural market, which makes up over half of GDP, has grown as production has diversified. The economy is further bolstered by remittances from Albanians abroad, mainly in Greece and Italy, which account for at least 25% of GDP.

GDP:
$12.9 billion (2008).

Main exports:
Textiles, asphalt, metals, crude oil and tobacco.

Main imports:
Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles and chemicals.

Main trading partners:
Italy, Greece, Germany, Bulgaria and Turkey.

Keeping in Touch in Albania

Telephone:
City codes: Tirana 042, Durresi 0522, Elbasani 0542, Shkodra 0222, Gjirokastra 0842, Korça 0822.

Mobile phone:
Coverage is good, except in the most remote, mountainous areas.

Internet:
Almost every sizeable town in Albania has public Internet access, usually via an Internet cafe. Some hotels, especially in Tirana, have broadband connections in the guest rooms; a few have Wi-Fi.

Post:
The Albanian postal service is not 100% reliable, although it is not especially bad either. Important documents should be sent by courier. DHL and Federal Express have offices in Tirana and a few other cities. An internal courier service called ACS operates within Albania.

Post office hours:
The central post office in Tirana is open from 0730 to 2000 Mon-Sun.

Media:
Albania has a good diversity of print and electronic media, although the market is undeveloped which means that all privately-owned outlets are dependent to at least some extent on government advertising. Newspapers are often very partisan; indeed, three widely available papers are published by political parties. Political parties, religious groups and state bodies aren't allowed to own private TV and radio stations. The Albanian Daily News and Tirana Times are English-language newspapers; some Albanian newspapers contain a few pages in English; these include Gazeta Shqiptare.