HOLIDAYS IN DURRES
A strange year is coming to an end, a year that made us think and act differently, a year that changed our plans. This year, many of us did not go on vacation, and some of us visited some destinations for the first time, among which Albania certainly stood out.
I was not in Albania this year, but seven years ago, in August 2013. The idea to spend the summer in Albania came from a friend who was in Saradna that summer, a few months before us. As we were limited by time, we decided to spend the summer in Durres, because it is far closer to Belgrade. We paid for the arrangement at the agency, and they also organized a trip to Durres. We traveled during the night, we did not have any problems in Kosovo, because I know that many are afraid because of that, but believe me, we never felt scared.
In Durres, we were accommodated in a hotel on the coast and that is nothing unusual because a large number of hotels are located in that part of the city. Namely, Durres beach is a sandy beach near the city center, and is 10 kilometers long. What definitely bought me to want to return to Albania again is the attitude of the people, I don’t think I’ve met so many cordial, open, smiling people anywhere in Europe. The hotel staff were great, they are there, and you don’t see them.
When we asked if it was safe to leave phones under umbrellas while bathing, we were told that we should not worry about anything because there are people who monitor the safety of guests. And it really is! And the fact that there are garbage cans at every step, so you can’t see a single piece of paper on the beach is a special story. We were in Durres at the beginning of August, the crowd is standard, but again completely different from what everyone has in mind when they think of the crowds in Greece or Montenegro. Here, everything is arranged differently, every hotel guest has their own deck chairs and umbrella, everything is full, but no one is shouting and we did not have the impression that we are on vacation in the peak season.
At that time, we are writing about 2013, a lot was being built in Albania, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that both Durres and Tirana are clean. Yes, we were in Tirana, as well as in Kroja, the birthplace of Skanderbeg, which you must visit if your trip takes you to Albania.
When we asked if it was safe to leave phones under umbrellas while bathing, we were told that we should not worry about anything because there are people who monitor the safety of guests. And it really is! And the fact that there are garbage cans at every step, so you can’t see a single piece of paper on the beach is a special story. We were in Durres at the beginning of August, the crowd is standard, but again completely different from what everyone has in mind when they think of the crowds in Greece or Montenegro. Here, everything is arranged differently, every hotel guest has their own deck chairs and umbrella, everything is full, but no one is shouting and we did not have the impression that we are on vacation in the peak season.
At that time, we are writing about 2013, a lot was being built in Albania, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that both Durres and Tirana are clean. Yes, we were in Tirana, as well as in Kroja, the birthplace of Skanderbeg, which you must visit if your trip takes you to Albania.
And then we realized the wonderful thing that the price of drinks is the same in every cafe… And that when it comes to drinks, I must point out that we in the hotel several times in the morning as the first guests in the cafe got coffee at home, because that’s the custom. And that during their stay in Durres, it was Eid al-Fitr, and today all the guests received a drink at the expense of the house. Another bravo for the attitude towards tourists.
The food at the hotel was excellent, based on a buffet. And in the restaurant in Tirana, we were pleasantly surprised when we saw that the menu also includes Serbian, because Albanians realized that tourism is an important branch, and that tourists are not divided by nationality, religion, skin color. And that is why we plan to let’s visit Albania as soon as the opportunities allow.
And what other tourist places can you spend your summer in Albania? Look for answers here.
