Albania: A Travel Guide

180 Pages·1983·13.961 MB·English

by  Philip Ward

ALBANIA
Ward
Philip
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ALBANIA: A TRAVEL GUIDE
Albania, facing west across the Adriatic Sea to Italy and Corfu, is
bounded on the east by Yugoslavia and Greece. It is a land of rugged
mountains, with warm Mediterranean lowlands, beautiful beaches at
Durres, and historic hill cities such as Berat and Gjirokaster.
Called Tibet-in-Europe' for its refusal to permit individual tourism,
Albania does however allow organised groups from certain countries
(though not from the U.SA.) and it was one such group leaving London
that Philip Ward joined.
Unbiased by political or religious partisanship, the author examines
the past and present of the last remaining Stalinist nation on earth, the
smallest of the Balkan nations. From Shkoder in the north to Sarande
and classical Greek Butrint in the south, Albania investigates with
enormouszest aspects ofAlbania which will appeal equally to thosewho
take the trouble to penetrate the Adriatic Curtain, and those who prefer
to read of Albania at a distance. This is the first thorough guide to
Albania in English since World War II, and is amply illustrated with
photographs and maps.
WARD
PHILIP has lived in Libya, from 1963 to 1971, and subsequently
in Egypt, Malta and Indonesia. Among his previous travel books are the
trilogy Touring Libya, Tripoli, Motoring to Nalut, Sabratha, Across
Saudi Arabia, Touring Lebanon, Bangkok, Touring Iran, The Aeolian
Islands, Touring Cyprus, and Come with me to Ireland.
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ALBANIA
A TRAVEL GUIDE
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ALBANIA
A TRAVEL GUIDE
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Ward
Philip
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THE OLEANDER PRESS
The Oleander Press
17 Stansgate Avenue
Cambridge CB2 2QZ
England
HippocreneBooks, Inc.
171 MadisonAvenue
NewYork
N.Y. 10016
U.S.A.
© 1983 Philip Ward and The Oleander Press
Reprinted 1985
Reprinted 1987
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Ward, Philip
Albania: a travel guide.—(Oleander travel books series;
V. 10)
1. Albania—Description and travel
—Guide books
I. Title
914.96'5043 DR909
ISBN 0-906672-41-4
ISBN 0-906672-42-2 Pbk
I
Designed by Ron Jones
Typeset, printed and bound in Great Britain
Contents
List of Illustrations viii
Preface 1
Chronology of Albania 3
1. The Adventure Starts 7
2. Lezhe and Durres 21
3. Apollonia and Berat 38
4. Vlore and Gjirokaster 59
5. Sarande and Butrint 80
6. Kruje and Elbasan 96
7. Tirana 113
8. Kor<;e and the Highlands 137
Useful Information 148
When to Come 148, How to Come 149, Tours and
Excursions 149, Hotels and Restaurants 151,
Passports and Visas 153, Customs, Currency,
Immigration 154, Luggage and Clothing 155,
Shopping 155, Communications 156, Health 157,
Diplomatic Representation 157, Speaking the
Language 158, Words and Phrases 159, Numbers 162,
Days and Months 162, Official Holidays and
Festivals 162, Books and Maps 162
Index 164
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I List of Illustrations
Front cover
A
Gjirokaster. view of Palorto suburb.
(Photo. Martin Coombs)
Frontispiece
Shkoder. Slogan 'Forward to New Victory in the Second
Year of the Seventh Five-Year Plan'.
(Photo. Philip Tompsett)
Map of Albania vi—vii
Shkoder. Street scene, (Photo. Gillian Ely) 11
Shkoder. Former Roman Catholic Cathedral, now a sports
hall. (Photo. Author) 11
Shkoder. From the Fortress of Rozafat. (Photo. Martin
Coombs) 15
I
Shkoder. Reception for delegates returning from the Trades
Union Congress, 1982. (Photo. Author) 19
Lezhe. Skenderbeg's Tomb. (Photo. Gillian Ely) 22
Lezhe. Hunting Lodge. (Photo. Gillian Ely) 23
Train. (Photo. I. Becker Parden) 26
Durres. Funerary stele in the Archaeological Museum.
(Photo. Gillian Ely) 29
Durres. Roman amphitheatre. (Photo. Gillian Ely) 33
Fier. View from the Hotel Apollonia to the main square.
(Photo. Gillian Ely) 40
Fier. Public Library. (Photo. Author) 42
Apollonia. Bouleterion. (Photo. Author) 45
viii