Ting å gjøre i Albania

Raske fakta: Legenden sier at slotsmurene ble bygget ved å ofre en kvinne, Rozafa, som ble gravlagt levende innenfor muren for å holde den sammen. Fra høyden der slottet ligger, favner blikket ditt både Shkodërsjøen, Buna-elven og de albanske alpene.

Høydepunkter: Inne i slottet, mellom ruinene, finner du restene av en kirke fra 1200-tallet samt veggmalerier som fortsatt er bevart enkelte steder. Hver sommer forvandles gårdsplassen til en teaterscene og huser byens internasjonale teaterfestival, med forestillinger under stjernehimmelen.

Raske fakta: The water emerges from a depth of more than 50 meters and springs forth at a rate of about 6 cubic meters per second. The water temperature remains at 10-12 degrees Celsius all year round, which makes swimming in the summer particularly refreshing.

Høydepunkter: Beneath the surface, divers have explored the spring to a depth of over 50 meters without yet reaching the bottom, making the true depth unknown. The striking blue hue is created by the incredible clarity of the water, which reflects light in a way that resembles a living sapphire.

Raske fakta: The castle rises on a hill that offers panoramic views over the entire port of Saranda and the Greek islands of Corfu across the way. It is named after the Lëkurësi family, a local aristocratic family that held the area during the Ottoman period.

Høydepunkter: Its real advantage is that it stands on a hill just a few minutes' walk from the city center, something rare for such well-preserved castles. From its walls you see both coasts at the same time, Albania and Corfu, in a unique viewing angle that takes your breath away.

Raske fakta: Tusenvis av års historie får plass i ett enkelt område, fra en gresk koloni fra 600-tallet f.Kr. til en bysantinsk festning og et venetiansk tårn. Teatret med 2.500 sitteplasser er nesten urørt, og du kan fortsatt høre lyden av havet fra de øverste setene.

Høydepunkter: Baptisteriet fra 600-tallet skjuler et fantastisk mosaikkgulv med påfugler og fugler, farger som fortsatt er levende etter 1.500 år. Få besøkende går opp til det venetianske slottet på toppen, hvor du ser hele parken, Vivari-kanalen og øya Korfu i den blå horisonten.

Raske fakta: The castle rises on a 336-meter hill and the first fortification dates back to the 6th century, when it was built by local tribes. The clock tower, added in 1811, features a mechanism constructed in Constantinople that still works to this day.

Høydepunkter: Inside the castle there is a war aviation museum with 45 aircraft, among them a captured American plane that made an emergency landing in the country in 1957 and was kept by the communist authorities. The Italian Fiat G.50 plane on display, along with the rest of the exhibits, is located in underground galleries that pass beneath the fortress's foundations.

Raske fakta: En vid åpen plass rammer inn en ruvende rytterstatue i midten, hvor lokalbefolkningen og studenter blander seg blant storslåtte bygninger og brede promenader. Om kvelden fyller gate musikere og pop-up kafeer rommet, mens den lyse marmorhellingen fanger lys og gjør plassen til en lys scene for festivaler.

Høydepunkter: En tårnhøy rytter i bronse styrer torget, lokalbefolkningen har lenge gnidd hestens høyre stigbøyle for lykke til metallet skinner under turistenes kameraer. Etter oppussingen i 2017 ble det åpne området lagt med omtrent 20 000 lys og mørke granittfliser, så når solen treffer på sen ettermiddag får du en varm mosaikk av gull og kull som lukter svakt av kaffe fra de nærliggende kafeene.

Raske fakta: It holds about 15,000 spectators and is the largest Roman amphitheater ever discovered in Albania. Its arena lies at a depth of about 20 meters below the current level of the city, as centuries have buried a large part of it.

Høydepunkter: Beneath the ruins, 10th-century frescoes were found in incredibly good condition, adorning an early Christian chapel within the seating area. Archaeologists estimate that it was used for gladiatorial games for over 300 years, before being converted into a Christian place of worship.

Raske fakta: About 1,600 people still live within its walls, making it one of the few inhabited castle-towns in the Balkans. The Church of the Virgin of Blachernae features unique frescoes dating from the 16th century.

Høydepunkter: The residents of the houses inside the castle have continued the tradition of winemaking and craftsmanship for centuries, with many courtyards hiding old grape presses. As you walk along the cobbled alleys, you will see elderly women knitting lace on their doorsteps and offering you raki, as if nothing has changed since the Ottoman period.

Raske fakta: Inside the castle of Kruja, this 19th-century Ottoman manor houses over 200 objects of everyday life. Its stone walls reach 60 centimeters in thickness, keeping the cool even during the hottest summer month.

Høydepunkter: On the ground floor you will see the original olive press that operated with the whole family, while the guest room has a ceiling decorated with painted flowers that have not faded in 150 years. The hosts of the house received up to 40 guests at once, and the special reception room shows exactly how they hosted so many people in such a compact space.

Raske fakta: The castle rises on a 608-meter hill and offers panoramic views over the plain and the sea. Within its walls houses the National Museum of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, which honors Albania's national hero.

Høydepunkter: The museum keeps the genuine sword of Skanderbeg, which is said to have weighed so much that only he himself could lift it. The clock tower inside the castle dates from the Ottoman period and still stands upright after five centuries.