Berat

Berat is the White City and Town of a Thousand Windows.

Originally settled by Greeks in the 6th century B.C., Berat is most famous for its 18th and 19th century Balkan architecture.

Skanderbeg!

We saw thousands of Turkeys being sold on the side of the road in Albania, probably for the new year. Or maybe it's always like that, who knows.

Baklava, with Raki served in an ingenious cooling device.

The cutest insta-dog of Albania

St Naum

The Monastery of Saint Naum was established by its namesake in 905 on the south shore of Lake Ohrid. The inside is full of frescoes.

The grounds, on the border of Albania and North Macedonia, are popular vacation destination.

One can take a boat to the spring nearby or eat on a small island.

The grounds are also home to a family of peacocks.

They seemed pretty chill...

...but are apparently quite dangerous.

We were lucky to spot a rare albino peacock hanging out with a border guard.

Ohrid

Ohrid in North Macedonia is a three hour drive from Tirana, depending on the severity of traffic in Elbasan.

Ohrid was first settled by Illyrians and Greeks, and later became the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire. The ancient theater was built by Greeks in 200 B.C., and the castle was first built by Tsar Samuel in the 10th century.

Like all nearby cities, Ohrid changed hands between Normans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, and Ottomans, before finally becoming part of Yugoslavia.

The town is easy to get around, and old paths and walls are lit with whimsical lanterns.

Spolia in the walls

A local mosque

An 800 year old tree

The Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon was built in 893.

Some buildings on the site are constructed over ongoing archeological excavations.

Saint Clement helped revise Saint Cyril's Glagolitic alphabet into Cyrillic here.

The church was later converted into a mosque by the Ottomans.

The site of the church, called Plaosnik, has evidence of inhabitation since the 1st century A.D.

Mosaics

A handsome church

The Church of St. John at Kaneo resides a short walk down from Plaosnik.

And a short walk from Ohrid

The church was probably built in the 13th century, influenced by Armenian churches.

The church is dedicated to John of Patmos, the writer of the Book of Revelation.

The walk back to Ohrid involves a (sturdy) cliff-side boardwalk.

The Church of Saint Sophia was the seat of the Bulgarian Patriarchate in the 10th century, and the interior is filled with Byzantine frescoes.

Durres

Durres was a major city in antiquity and Albania's main port today. Though Durres recently experienced an earthquake, most of the city seemed in good shape when we drove through.

Nice stereo

Durres was a Greek colony that became a key Illyrian city, before being conquered by the Romans. This Roman funerary stele is from the 2nd century B.C.

Pompey and Caesar fought a battle at Durres.

Votive offerings to Artemis found at her sanctuary in Durres.

Illyrian tombstones written in Greek

A Greco-Roman mermaid

Durres was the link between Constantinople on the Via Egnatia and transport to the Appian Way in Italy.

Poseidon?

Durres was ruled by Byzantines, Bulgarians, and Normans before falling into Venetian hands after the Fourth Crusade. This tower was originally built by the Venetians. Durres would experience rule by many more empires after Venice as well.

A memorial for Mujo Ulqinaku, who fought against the fascist Italy's conquest of Albania.

Durres Amphitheater was built by Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century A.D.

You can venture down into this amphitheater and see some of its interior. Durres Amphitheater was the largest in the Balkans and could seat over 20,000 people.

The interior was later repurposed as a Christian chapel.

Other ancient ruins can be found around downtown.

Durres' walls could use some repairs.

Kruje

Kruje is the hear of Albanian independence and its historic medieval capital. Pictured above is the Skanderbeg Museum.

Kruje's old market

You can see all the way to the Adriatic Sea from Kruje.

Skanderbeg was an Albanian nobleman sent to the Ottoman court in a high ranking hostage / Janissary function. He defected back to Albania after the Battle of Nis in 1443, and liberated central Albania from Ottoman and Venetian rule for over 25 years.

Over the course of his life, Skanderbeg was a Orthodox Christian, Muslim, and Catholic.

The Ottomans tried to seize Kruje three times from Skanderbeg in the 15th century, and failed each time.

Skanderbeg even led an expedition to Italy to help his Aragonese allies fight French (Angevin) rivals in Naples.

Skanderbeg's original family name was Kastrati. Albania's main gas station uses this name and his crown (in Vienna for some reason) for its logo.

Some Albanian bread and butters

A traditional Albanian savory pie, with a goat rib in the center

This tower is a remnant of the Castle of Kruje.

Kruje is less than an hour from Tirana, traffic permitting.