Albania - What I never new about this country until visiting.

Albania was never on my list of places to visit. Probably because it had fallen under my radar. I never heard many people mention it and I new nothing about this country.

Until recently... when my husband and I were invited to a wedding over there, we jumped at the chance to celebrate a marriage as well as explore a new place.

View of Himare in the South of Albania - Be prepared for stunning mountain views, beautiful coastline, friendly locals, a rich culture and chaotic roads.

Debunking Albania's reputation

Films such as "Taken" often depict Albania as a dangerous country full of criminal gangs. Despite Albania's turbulent past it is a really safe country to travel to. It even had a slightly lower crime rate index number than the UK in 2024 (Albania 45.6 and UK 47.4) (1). Obviously, anything can happen anywhere so if you fancy going to Albania, still be vigilant when travelling to a new place.

Statue in the centre of Durres of Mujo Ulqinaku who is considered a hero in Albania, resisting the Italian invasion in 1939.

The most dangerous thing in Albania - the crazy driving!

Potholes which you could disappear down, beeping, crazy overtakes, unpredictable speed limits which change randomly. Indicators - ummm what are they?

While in a que of traffic we literally saw a driver overtake the que, go straight through the red light and into on coming traffic. And no-one seemed to bat an eyelid.

A guy behind our little Fiat panda rental car was driving while his energetic toddler squirmed around on his lap and another hyperactive kid was bounding around in the front seat.

Don't get me started on driving through the capital Tirana. Somehow, 2 lanes of traffic fit 4 rows of cars. Drivers will push through the smallest of gaps, overtake suddenly and of course beep constantly.

When driving at night, be prepared for no lights on major roads and no centre reflectors.

The UK government website with travel advice acknowledges the dangers of driving on Albania's roads in this statement: "Driving can be very hazardous and often aggressive and erratic. Deaths from road traffic accidents are amongst the highest in Europe." (2) So if your a UK driver, I wouldn't recommend Albania as the first place you drive on the right hand side of the road.

At the end of the day, we just had to laugh at the crazy driving and embrace the adventure of continuously swerving as if it were real life dodgems. Albanian's face the roads every day and just seem to get on with it, adopting a "free for all" approach to their driving. Despite the chaos and constant beeping, there seems to be less rage and anger than on UK roads. Maybe that is something UK drivers can learn from Albanian drivers.

Despite the crazy driving, there were many beautiful roads, particularly in the mountains!

Driving up the twisting narrow roads into the mountains is a real adventure with the reward of dramatic views.

While food and accommodation is cheep, fuel was still quite expensive. Also when filling up the car the attendant will always fill it up for you!

Albania is a recent democratic country

The transition to democracy was only made in the 1990's. Up until then, the country was isolated and its people ruled under various suppressive regimes with little freedom and privacy.

We went to a museum called "House of Leaves" in Tirana which showcased the impact of the oppressive regime on Albanians, showcasing the methods used to spy on people, oppress the opinions and control the media.

As you walk around the capital Tirana and other areas, you will notice bunkers that were built by the paranoid leader. There are hundreds of thousands and constructing these was a huge drain on Albania's resources at the time.

Many of the bunkers are now museums which you can visit.

Bunker in a park in Tirana, Albania.

Food is amazing!

Be prepared for a mix of Mediterranean, Greek and Italian food... with an Albanian spin of course! Plenty of pizza, pasta, fresh cheeses, salad and grilled vegetables. Something to try commonly found as a street food is byrek, which is filo pastry typically filled with spinach and feta cheese - Yum!

Also plenty of coffee and dessert places to explore! Would recommend Le Bon in Tirana for amazing deserts. (https://lebon.al/).

Byrek - Albanian street food consisting of pastry filled with feta and spinach.

Grilled vegetables with balsamic.

A pistachio and chocolate desert in Tirana which cost about £2.50.

Landscape and nature

Albania is full of incredible mountains with twisty roads leading to little villages. There is no shortage of views and dramatic scenery. One day we went north of Durres to a bridge known for being particularly sketchy and dramatic, with creaky wooden boards that have been nailed to the original bridge boards to patch up various holes and reinforce rotting boards. The bridge is kind of safe to cross at your own risk. The reward - a dose of adrenaline and amazing views over the valley.

Bridge crossing over river in Albania.

Albania has an beautiful coastline and many lovely beaches with lots of little coves to explore. While the northern mountain range is known as the Albanian Alps, the southern coast has been likened to the Maldives. In terms of wildlife, the coolest creature we saw was a prey mantis found creeping around the villa. Also plenty of birds of prey.

Prey mantis found in the house.

Lizard basking on rock.

Language

Determined to at least show an effort to communicate in the language of the hosting country, I tried again and again to learn a few basic phrases of Albanian. However I only really succeeded with three words in a whole week! The language is very different to any other European language, having descended from ancient languages and apparently being the last in the Albanoid branch. Despite the language barrier and the lack of Google translate (due to our phones not working outside the EU), the locals we met were hospitable and friendly.

Cash based economy

Albania has its own currency - Lek, which is impossible to get outside of Albania. Many places take euros but we had to exchange to Lek in the end as there were quite a few stores, particularly in remote areas that only accepted Albanian currency. Paying by card is normally a no.

Why go to Albania?

Albania is a country that offers a cultural and nature adventure which is different from countries inside the EU. It is a safe country that still has a raw and rugged feel and is off the beaten track. I would be keen to go back to Albania and explore more of the mountains, particularly the Albanian Alps in the North and those in the South.

View of Vlore, Albania.

1. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/crime-rate-by-country

2. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/albania/safety-and-security