Albania - Montenegro (English-Speaking Guide)

Day 1: Durres

Arrival Tirana - Durres
Flight to Tirana and transfer to our hotel in Durres.

Day 2: Durres

Durres - Tirana - Berat - Durres
After breakfast, discover Tirana, the capital of Albania. During the city tour, you will have the opportunity to discover a city known for its colorful buildings. A visit to the National Historical Museum, located on Skanderbeg Square, will introduce you to the rich history of Albania. Here, on this square, you will also visit the Et'hem Bey Mosque, which was preserved during the communist era thanks to its historical value. Right next door are other sights such as the Opera House, the so-called Clock Tower and the Palace of Culture, as well as the Orthodox and Catholic cathedrals. We then continue to the National Martyrs' Boulevard. Here you will get to know a piece of the everyday life of the former dictator Enver Hoxha. Walk through the Blloku district, the most popular neighborhood for young people, businesses and cafés. Drive to Berat, also known as "the city of windows", one of the most beautiful places in Albania, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Bordered by a gigantic mountain massif, the town is surrounded by an old city wall and looks back on 2,000 years of history. Above the well-preserved old town with its Ottoman building tradition lies the castle with a unique view, a Roman cistern and the Cathedral of St. Mary integrated into the Onufri Museum.

Day 3: Shkoder

Durres - Kruja - Ura e Mesit - Shkoder
After breakfast, drive to Kruja, also known as the city of the national hero Skanderbek. Visit to the fortress and the bazaar. Continue north to Shkodra, the largest city in northern Albania. The Italian and Austrian influences can be seen in the buildings we see on a walk through the pedestrian zone. From the impressive Rozafa Castle, we enjoy an impressive view of the Albanian Alps and Lake Scutari. We then continue to the Mesi Bridge "THIRTEEN BRIDGES, WEIGHTING 300 YEARS". The Mesi Bridge is the largest bridge in Albania from the Ottoman period and is therefore a highly valued cultural monument. Check in to our hotel in Shkodra.

Day 4: Budva

Shkodra - Ulcinj - Petrovac - Sveti Stefan - Budva
Today the route takes us to the Montenegrin border. First, we visit the southernmost town in Montenegro, Ulcinj. Here, once under Ottoman rule, there was a notorious slave market - one of the most famous slaves was the Spanish poet Miguel Cervantes. The former fishing village of Petrovac on a beautiful red sandy bay is then on the program. Once we arrive in Budva, we start with a walk through the town, after which we take a relaxing boat trip in the bay of Budva, past the islands of Sveti Nikola and Sv. Stefan.

Day 5: Budva

At leisure

Day 6: Budva

Budva - Cetinje - Njegusi - Kotor - Budva
We leave our hotel on the coast. Finally, we reach the old capital of the country, Cetinje. Once the capital of the Kingdom of Montenegro. After an extensive walk through the town, you have the opportunity to visit the Royal Palace. Drive to the village of Njegusi. A tasting of the famous cured ham awaits us here. In the afternoon, the next highlight of the trip - Kotor, and after a short coffee break, a wonderful boat trip in the Bay of Kotor, takes us to the monastery island of Maria on the Rock and on to Perast. Return to the hotel.

Day 7: Durres

Budva - Lake Skutari - Bar - Durres
After breakfast, we first head south to Lake Skutari and the national park of the same name. On arrival, we take the boat out and reach the former state prison "Montenegrin Alcatraz", an abandoned prison island. We then travel to the town of Bar. The old town is tucked away in the shelter of a castle perched on a rock in the Rumija Mountains. It was not until the 19th century that this abandoned settlement developed into the new district of Novi Grad. Drive to the border and check into our hotel in Durres.

Day 8:

Transfer to the airport