On the road in Albania

We were quite excited and a little nervous about this Albania, which we actually wanted to visit last year. We entered from North Macedonia, where passport control at the border is still taken seriously. We drove through a beautiful river valley towards Tirana. Cars play an important role in Albania and you can see that everywhere. The Mercedes quote is probably the highest in Europe, you wouldn't believe how many of these cars are driving around here. Old ones, but also the newest models. On every corner, there is a car wash called 'Lavazh'. Usually, the 'Lavazh' consists of a small space with a hose, where someone operates a small car wash business. But the cars drive quite decently. In addition, there is a high number of kitschy hotels and/or wedding centers along the roadside. In between, there are often concrete bunkers, remnants of the past (see entry about Tirana).

Our route led us diagonally from the east, through Tirana and then north.

Here, we stumbled upon a real insider tip, namely a beautiful agriturismo: Mrizi i Zanave in the village of Fishta. This is a converted farm. There is a restaurant with the best local slow food, many animals, a camper area, playground, and much more. Next door, you can visit the spotlessly clean production facility. All of this in the most beautiful nature. We felt a bit like on a farm in Tuscany.

In general, we really liked the nature and the countryside in Albania.

On the other hand, we made a very short visit to the sea at the holiday resort of Shengjin. Due to the numerous beach umbrellas and sun loungers, you can't see any sand anymore, and the backdrop with high-rise buildings is not exactly what we imagine as idyllic. Maybe the beaches to the south are nicer, we'll do that another time.

We went to Shkoder, a city on Lake Shkoder, which is now the largest lake in the Balkans (Lake Ohrid is the second largest). Here, we spent a cozy day at the foot of a castle on a campsite with a pool, where Gian made a friend. I took a bike ride to the city center. It is a pretty little town and stands out because everyone is riding a bike. That doesn't mean that there are many bike paths, but the cars just pay attention...

We made our last stop right on Lake Shkoder. The shore here is completely wild and untouched, with high mountains in the background. The water is pleasantly warm.

All in all, we have a good impression of Albania, especially of the people who are very friendly and respond with joy and pride that someone is visiting their country.