Travel to the Balkans – Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo – Episode 901

Hear about travel to Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes about his recent trip to the Balkans.

Why should someone go to the Balkans?

Justin says, “It’s a fascinating intersection of the East and West. It’s been shaped by history over many different iterations from the Greeks to the Illyrians to the Byzantines to the Ottomans. And whenever you have a place like that’s been shaped by so many different cultures and with such a fascinating history, you see a lot of things you don’t really see elsewhere on the globe.”

“In addition, it’s very inexpensive. The places that I’m going to be talking about, Albania, North Macedonia are much less expensive than even other places in the Balkans, let alone the rest of Europe. The area was much more green and lush than I was expecting. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting beautiful green forests everywhere.”

“nd the cities that we went to, pretty much everything was walkable. Aside from the time that it takes to get from one city to the next, once you’re actually where you need to be, you can walk around. The weather’s good. The people are nice. I always felt safe. There’s a lot to offer.”

Justin recommends a detailed itinerary for a trip through Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. Here is the itinerary based on his detailed description:

Arrival:

Fly into Tirana, the capital of Albania.

Shkodër:

Explore the town and visit the Venice Art Mask Factory.

Krujë:

Visit the Skanderbeg Museum and explore the town.

Tirana:

Explore the capital, including Skanderbeg Square, the Pyramid of Tirana, Bunk’Art 1 museum, and take the Dajti Ekspres Cable Car for panoramic views.

Durrës:

Visit the coastal city and its Roman amphitheater.

Apollonia:

Explore the ancient Greek ruins and St. Mary’s Church near the town of Fieri.

Berat:

Visit the UNESCO site, including the Berat Castle, St. Mary of Blachernae Church, King Mosque, Halveti Tekke, and walk around the old neighborhood of Mangalem.

Ohrid (North Macedonia):

Explore the town of Ohrid, the ancient theater, Ohrid Fortress, several old churches, and enjoy the views from the Church of St. John the Theologian.

Bay of Bones Museum and Monastery of Saint Naum:

Visit these sites near Lake Ohrid.

Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery:

Stop at this monastery on the way to Skopje.

Skopje:

Explore the capital, including Macedonia Square, Alexander the Great and Philip II statues, the Turkish Bazaar, Skopje Fortress, the Church of the Ascension of Jesus, Mother Teresa Memorial House, and the old train museum.

Day Trip to Kosovo:

Visit Pristina, including the National Library of Kosovo and Gazimestan.

Return to Skopje:

Conclude the trip in Skopje.

Justin suggests spending about eight nights on this itinerary but mentions that more time could be spent in places like Durrës and Berat. He also recommends traveling in May for better weather and longer daylight hours, and hiring a driver or guide for convenience.

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Show Notes

Justin – Balkans 2024
Illyrians
Shkodra
Venice Art Mask Factory (Shkodër)
Krujë
Skanderbeg Museum
MIR Tours
Statue of George W. Bush
Tirana
Pyramid of Tirana
Enver Hoxha
Bunk’Art 1, Tirana
Dajti Ekspres Cable Car
Durrës
Amphitheatre of Durrës
Apollonia (Illyria)
Berat
St. Mary of Blachernae Church (Berat)
King Mosque, Berat
Halveti Tekke, Berat
Ohrid
Lake Ohrid
Saint John the Theologian, Kaneo
Bay of Bones Museum
Monastery of Saint Naum
Peštani
Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery
Skopje
Old Bazaar, Skopje
Skopje Fortress
Church of the Ascension of Jesus, Skopje
Macedonia Square, Skopje
Mother Teresa
Memorial House of Mother Teresa
Chateau Komnik (Winery)
Kosovo
Pristina
National Library of Kosovo
Gazimestan

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