15. ALBANIA

Albania. That mountainous country in the Balkans with unique traditions, a wild atmosphere and overwhelmingly friendly people always attracted me somehow. It's located in the most adventurous area of Europe and is one of only two majority Muslim nations on the continent.

Albania had a pretty wild change from a kingdom to a communist dictatorship until it became a democratic republic now. It is by European standards a poor country. Of a population of 3 million, there have been around 1.2 million emigrants to countries such as Germany, France or Italy.

The food in Albania is great! Most people use ingredients that are growing around their houses and cheap restaurants are very easy to find. Olive oil, garlic and onions are a must in nearly every dish and the quality of fish and meat is amazing! Seafood in coastal regions is top-notch.

Next to the amazing nature in the country, the true highlight of Albania is its people. Never before in Europe, I have seen such friendly and welcoming people. When I was hiking in the northern regions from village to village, nearly every single car stopped (there is not much traffic) to ask me if they can drive me somewhere or if I have enough water and snacks. Waiting for a ride during hitchhiking also never took me longer than 4 or 5 cars. After the ride, it occurred several times that the driver invited me for a tea, raki or even a bbq! I am nothing more than ashamed of the fact that western media and a lot of Germans consider Albanians as thieves and mobsters. The first feedback I got from many people was "Be careful that you won't be robbed" or "Why should you ever go to Albania". As so often: Seeing the world with your own eyes is the best form of education.

My Albania journey started in the capital of Tirana. It's a charming small capital with plenty of great food options and huge a cafe culture. Most impressive are the Et'hem Bey Mosque, the National History Museum and taking a cable car to Mount Dajti National Park. At the 1,600 meter high top was even a lot of snow and great hiking options.

From Tirana I took a bus to the Southern city of Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a well preserved Ottoman city. It's called "the city of a thousand windows" and is the most beautiful in Albania. Up from the hill, there are breathtaking views of the city and the full valley.

From Berat I managed to hitchhike the full way up to Shkoder, Albania's second-biggest city, located just next to Montenegro. It's laying next to the Albanian Alps and you will find some amazing panorama views there. It has a great location next to a huge lake and is also only 30 minutes from the beach. I explored the city by bicycle and found delicious fish dishes there. The first 3 nights I spent for free in an abandoned closed hostel until I moved to the great "mi casa es tu casa"- Hostel.

The real adventure of Albania began after Shkoder when I started to explore the Northeastern mountain region of the Albanian Alps. I hitchhiked and hiked all the way until the town of Bajram Curri, from where I took a minivan to Kosovo. Nature there is among the most spectacular I have seen in Europe so far. Traffic is close to a zero which means that you can even hike on the main roads. I would even consider that region as one of the highlights of my full world trip!

Another beautiful area there is the one around Lake Koman. It's surrounded by green forested hills, deep gorges and has a spectacular ferry ride.

After 3 weeks in Albania, I spent 2 days in Prizren, Kosovo before heading off to North Macedonia, the next chapter of my blog!

3 Highlights:
- The city of a thousand windows, Berat

- Hiking Albania's beautiful Northeast

- Enjoying the atmosphere of the capital Tirana