Albania Travel Insurance

The Albanian Riviera, also popularly known as Bregu, is a coastline along the Northeastern Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean Sea surrounding the districts of Sarandë and Vlorë in Southwestern Albania. The Albanian Riviera was proclaimed as the 2012 Top Value Destination by Frommer’s.

The area is a major nightlife, ecotourist, and elite retreat destination in Albania. It features traditional Mediterranean villages, ancient castles, churches, monasteries, secluded turquoise beaches, bays, mountain passes, seaside canyons, rivers, underwater fauna, caves, and orange, lemon, and olive groves. The area has been host to several international music festivals such as Kala Festival, Soundwave Albania, and Turtle Fest while becoming known for its long-standing nightclubs.

The Llogara National Park is a national park centered on the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera in Southwestern Albania. The national park covers a surface of 10.1 km². The park’s terrain includes large alpine meadows, vertical rock faces, and dense forests. Most of the land is covered by forests. Additionally in 1966 researchers found that this area was home to several ecosystems and biodiversity of national importance.

At 1,027m, the Llogara Pass provides striking scenery, with tall mountains overlooking the Albanian Riviera and several islands in the sea. The region experiences a Mediterranean climate. Therefore, summers are hot and winters are generally dry-to-warm-to-cool. 

Gjirokastër is a city in Albania that appeared in the historical record in 1336 by its Greek name, Αργυρόκαστρο, Argyrókastro. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 meters above sea level. Since 2005, the old town of Gjirokastër is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described as “a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of the large estate”.

The origin of the city was the castle of Gjirokastra. The main characteristic of Gjirokastra is the intensive use of stone in building the houses, which look like small fortresses, and the streets of cobblestone, which all lead to Bazaar. Due to all these features, Gjirokastra is also known as the “The Stone City”.