Slowly we headed north, this time along the coast. The route went through the seaside towns of Ksamil, Saranda, Borsh, Porto Palermo, Himarë and Dhërmi. The most spectacular point of the route, however, was the Llogara Pass, which we had to climb when driving from the south. The difference in altitude is almost 1100 meters....
Near Ksamil, next to the border with Greece, there is a small archaeological site called Butrint. This place is on the UNESCO World Heritage List (from 1997 to 2005 it was also on the List of World Heritage in Danger). In ancient times, there was a settlement here. Later, the town developed into an important...
We arrived in Ksamil. It was the southernmost town on the route of our Balkan trip. Ksamil is a holiday resort, so it was not surprising that all the beaches had paid sunbeds and that there were many tourists eager to party. We stopped at Ksamil Caravan Camping. It was crowded, but we managed to...
You know those stories when you arrive at a place and what you expected is different from what you actually find? That was the case this time, when we reached the spring called Blue Eye. Located on the way from Gjirokastër to Ksamil, it is the source of the Bistricë River, with azure-colored, incredibly cold...
We started our visit to the city of Gjirokastër in an unusual way, because first we went to the hotel. This time it would not be a campsite, but a room booked through Booking.com. We got to the hotel run by Maradonna. The place is called Hotel Bebej Traditional. The owner ran a grocery store...
On our way to the south of Albania from the city of Berat, we stopped in the canyon of the Langarica River. Near Bënjë village there are hot thermal springs that contain sulfur, sodium, and calcium chloride, which makes bathing in them good for your health. The water that flows from the springs has a...
After enjoying the beach, we drove inland to the Berat district. In Berat we visited the castle, which is built on a hill. The buildings date from the 13th century. The castle is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Fun fact: Gjirokastra was added to the UNESCO list first, in 2005. Berat joined it in...
After an intense morning spent in the center of Durrës, we wanted to spend the rest of the day relaxing in peace and quiet by the sea. We found a place that can be reached by car. It was a beach located near the estuary of the Shkumbin River. When we got there, it turned...
We entered the city center of Durrës, where palm trees and hot air greeted us. We had a day of sightseeing ahead of us. Traffic in the city was heavy; finding a parking spot was a miracle. The first attraction was the Roman amphitheater in Durrës, built in the early 2nd century AD, during the...
We went to the Rodonit Peninsula, which was about 100 km from where we were staying. It might seem close, but not in Albania. Here, traffic follows its own rules. Covering this distance took us 3 h 15 min, which gives an average of about 30 km/h. And such a cruising speed must be taken...
In the morning, after breakfast, we started our journey. We were in Bosnia, next to the Tara River. Just a few kilometers from the campsite, we crossed the border into Montenegro. The border crossing was at the bridge in Šćepan Polje. A wooden bridge over the Tara River. Fun fact: just below the bridge, the...
On our list of places to visit was the old Olympic venue in Sarajevo. Old, abandoned, neglected - but still worth seeing. The Winter Olympic Games were held here in 1984. Back then, this place was teeming with life. Today it is quite different. To this day, only the distinctive concrete bobsled track and the...
