This tour will bring us in 11 days to travel the best sites of these three countries. These countries still mysterious and “terra incognita” for the travelers hide a lot of treasures inside.
Tirana
The tour will start from the airport of Tirana and will continue to visit the city of Durres, one of the most ancient Greek colonies of the region and the most important port in roman times. Some important archeological monuments that testify the glorious past of the city during different periods are: The ancient city walls, the roman amphitheater and baths, the byzantine forum, the Venetian tower, the ottoman hamam.
Kruja
The tour will continue to Kruja. “Kruja is a strange town, all clustered around its bazaar”. Some of the main points of interests include the restored Castle and Citadel that it is tied to the legend of the hero who fought against the Turks for about 25 years.
Prizren
From Kruja the road will bring us to Kosovo where we visit the city of Prizren, known for its ethnic diversity and a long tradition of tolerance and inter - ethnic cooperation. It is considered as the most culturally and ethnically heterogeneous municipality in Kosovo. Prizren has a vast and a rich history starting from the antique times. A testimony of the exceptional values that Prizren has, are, among others, 24 identified archeological locations, 39 Christian buildings of cult, 46 Islamic sacral buildings, and over 74 buildings with accentuated folkloric architecture.
Pristina
After Prizren the next city to be visited is the Europe newest capital, Pristina. On the road to Pristina we will pas through Fushe Kosove or Kosova. This is the place when in 1338 was fought the decisive battle for the Balkans in between the ottomans and a vast Christian coalition army. Here we will visit the Monumental tomb of the sultan that was killed during the battle. Pristina is a surprisingly cosmopolitan city with a youthful vibrancy amid landmarks recalling the rich ebb and flow of Balkan history. Along the main Boulevard, around it and not far from it are concentrated the main attractions of the city. Not far from the city can be visited the Gracanica Monastery, one of the best existing examples of late Byzantine religious art. After Pristina we will leave Kosovo and continue toward FYR Macedonia.
Skopje
Skopie is the first city that we will visit. Skopje is a forward-looking city offering an abundance of both ancient and modern amenities and attractions. Of particular interest is the new “Macedonia Square” with its huge golden statue of Alexander the Great surrounded by all the historic personages, national heroes and patriotic persons, displayed in statues of different dimensions. In FYR Macedonia the next city to be visited is Ohrid that rises on a sublime lakeside point.
Ohrid
The uniqueness of Lake Ohrid and the city’s historical architecture has been attested by UNESCO. During its apogee, the town was renowned for its 365 churches and monasteries. Today, one of the city’s museums has a collection of more than 800 Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons. After visiting Ohrid the tour will enter again the Albanian territory and will stop in the city of Gjirokaster.
Gjirokaster
An UNESCO World Heritage Site that comprises hundreds of Ottoman-style tower houses with distinctive stone roofs, wooden balconies and whitewashed stone walls. The entire city is dominated by the sheer flanks of its vast castle. After Gjirokastra, will be visit another UNESCO site next to the costal town of Saranda.
Butrint
Butrint: is a National park that includes a very well preserved archaeological area, an uncontaminated vegetation area of Mediterranean maquis, and has also a lake that is connected to the Ionian Sea by a natural channel. By the V century BC Butrint has got the full form of an ancient city, but now the wetlands around the lake and the city are shelter for different animals and aquatic species in danger of extinction. After Butrint the tour will continue along the so called Albanian Ionian Riviera, dubbed by some as “the last secret of Europe”.
Berat
This panoramic road will bring to the city of Berat also known as “The town of a Thousand windows” due to the many large buildings that decorate the houses of the old town. The town is still renowned for its historic architecture and particular beauty and is declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Once the visits in Berat are finished the tour will be moving toward the capital, Tirana that has been considered as a cross between Istanbul and Naples with a pinch of Minsk is the next stop. After visiting Tirana with its huge boulevard, attractions, monuments and its National Historical Museum, its time to get back home.
