First stop was Albania’s number 1 tourist attraction: Butrint.
Butrint's history mirrors that of other Mediterranean ports; a succession of owners and occupants, including Greek, Romans, Normans, Venetians, Angevins, Byzantines, and finally the Ottomans. All of which continued to build and rebuild the city's architecture.
On the picture a part of the Venetian fortifications.
Butrint, ancient Buthrotum, a port from Hellenistic to Ottoman times, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in south-west Albania. Situated on the Straits of Corfu, and surrounded by a picturesque lagoon, it is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the Adriatic Sea region
European pond turtle (also called the European pond terrapin), Emys orbicularis, Europæisk Sumpskildpadde
Admiring the turtle at the Theatre. The heydays of the city were during the Hellenistic and in particular Roman period. The Roman theatre was the centerpiece of the town. During Roman times the town expanded to the surrounding areas and an impressive aqueduct was build.
The Butrint lake
As elsewhere in the Mediterranean, from about the fifth century AD, public patronage was redirected primarily towards the Church. The principal late-antique church at Butrint was the Great Basilica
In an attempt to reduce the financial burden of maintaining Butrint, a new fortress was built on the south side of the Channel by the Venetians in the 15th century. This castle, known as the Triangular Fortress, defended the fish traps of Butrint which were the primary financial asset of the settlement in this period. Soon after the fortress was built, the old town was abandoned in its favor.
Stop at the sea
The Blue Eye is a spring, near Saranda. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, more than fifty-metre-deep pool. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is
View from Gjirokastër also called the City of Stone and City of One Thousand Steps
Gjirokastër is a famous Albanian city close to the Greek border. Its old town is inscribed on the World Heritage List as "a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estate." Gjirokastër is situated in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino River, at 300 meters above sea level. Gjirokastër is the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha and notable writer Ismail Kadare.
We were staying at the Kalemi Hotel. The owner has completed a great amount of work in restoring one of the traditional Gjirokastra houses, almost 200 years old, n to its former glory.
Unfortunately many of the other old and characteristic houses of Gjirokastër was abandoned and becoming ruins.
Situated in the old district of Gjirokastra the Kalemi Hotel offers a panoramic view of the town.
First stop was Albania’s number 1 tourist attraction: Butrint.
Butrint's history mirrors that of other Mediterranean ports; a succession of owners and occupants, including Greek, Romans, Normans, Venetians, Angevins, Byzantines, and finally the Ottomans. All of which continued to build and rebuild the city's architecture.
On the picture a part of the Venetian fortifications.
Butrint, ancient Buthrotum, a port from Hellenistic to Ottoman times, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in south-west Albania. Situated on the Straits of Corfu, and surrounded by a picturesque lagoon, it is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the Adriatic Sea region
European pond turtle (also called the European pond terrapin), Emys orbicularis, Europæisk Sumpskildpadde
Admiring the turtle at the Theatre. The heydays of the city were during the Hellenistic and in particular Roman period. The Roman theatre was the centerpiece of the town. During Roman times the town expanded to the surrounding areas and an impressive aqueduct was build.
The Butrint lake
As elsewhere in the Mediterranean, from about the fifth century AD, public patronage was redirected primarily towards the Church. The principal late-antique church at Butrint was the Great Basilica
In an attempt to reduce the financial burden of maintaining Butrint, a new fortress was built on the south side of the Channel by the Venetians in the 15th century. This castle, known as the Triangular Fortress, defended the fish traps of Butrint which were the primary financial asset of the settlement in this period. Soon after the fortress was built, the old town was abandoned in its favor.
Stop at the sea
The Blue Eye is a spring, near Saranda. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, more than fifty-metre-deep pool. Divers have descended to fifty metres, but it is still unclear what the actual depth of the karst hole is
View from Gjirokastër also called the City of Stone and City of One Thousand Steps
Gjirokastër is a famous Albanian city close to the Greek border. Its old town is inscribed on the World Heritage List as "a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estate." Gjirokastër is situated in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino River, at 300 meters above sea level. Gjirokastër is the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha and notable writer Ismail Kadare.
We were staying at the Kalemi Hotel. The owner has completed a great amount of work in restoring one of the traditional Gjirokastra houses, almost 200 years old, n to its former glory.
Unfortunately many of the other old and characteristic houses of Gjirokastër was abandoned and becoming ruins.
Situated in the old district of Gjirokastra the Kalemi Hotel offers a panoramic view of the town.
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