A Crazy Balkan Road Trip I – Albania & Montenegro (2017)
A Crazy Balkan Road Trip I – Albania & Montenegro
Albanians say that the religion of Albanians is Albanian
Albania?!? What do you want there? Isn’t there only mafia and terrorists !? And they still have blood revenge, right ?!
– People
The reactions of many friends and colleagues to this year’s travel destination for Chris, Uwe and me looked like this or something similar after we had toured Scotland and Iceland together over the past few years.
Uwe and Chris himself also responded interestingly to my suggestion. “What do you actually know about Albania?”
The answer is: nothing. But I have one thing in mind: wild nature that has not yet been reached by tourism and the idea of the hospitality of the original Balkans. We are ready to face the prejudices.
What do we know of Albania? Nothing!
So, that’s why we have to go there.
A crazy Balkan road trip I – Albania & Montenegro (2017)
Albania?!? What do you want there? Isn’t there only mafia and terrorists !? And they still have blood revenge, right ?!
– People
The reactions of many friends and colleagues to this year’s travel destination for Chris, Uwe and me looked like this or something similar after we had toured!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
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π¦π± The Road Trip begins – The fortress of PelenΓ«
The next day we leave for the airport to pick up our car – not a Mercedes, but a Dacia Stepway.!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Berat – The city of 1000 windows
From PelenΓ« (the Γ« is found in many words here and is sometimes an ΓΆ or an a) it turns into a desolate!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± A Day of Surprise – At the BogovΓ« waterfall
You’re having an Albanian breakfast – they do that for us VIPs – slurping your rice, goulash soup and!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Refuge from the heat in the incredible Osum Gorge
It’s my birthday and we just took a shower in an ice cold waterfall. We feel highly motivated. We’re!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Visiting the Albanian family in GjerbΓ«s
Rovena, where are we going today?” – is a question that’s becoming common among us. Often the answer!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± With a terribly Underpowered Car Through The Albanian Mountains
After a princely breakfast, lots of warm hugs and well-intentioned gifts, such as homemade bread and!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± The enchanting Bridges and Gorges of PΓ«rmet
Finally we leave the mountains and get onto a real road with real, modern asphalt. It’s like another!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± City of Legends – Picturesque GjirokastΓ«r
It is getting morning in PΓ«rmet. I feel rested, but my companions don’t. They have a mighty hangover!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± A spontanous Invitation to an Albanian wedding
We continue strolling through TepelenΓ« in the sweltering heat, as we hear traditional music. Rovena is!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± In the footsteps of vanished Cultures in Butrint and Antigonea
Between TepelenΓ«and GjirokastΓ«r we pass a place just off the road where all hell breaks loose. You can!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± The Country of the Bektashi – heights and relief
Wir wollen wieder nach Norden. Ganz nach Norden, was bedeutet, dass wir eine ganze Menge!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Trouble on the Albanian blue Adriatic
The trip to this village was worth it. It is beautiful on top of a mountain with great views, cooling!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Searching for Solitude at The Coast of Albania
The hotel that we found in the middle of the night is preparing for a wedding and we have breakfast in!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Skanderbeg’s mighty Fortress of Kruja
We head north the next day; we men are among ourselves again. Saying goodbye is still difficult and!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± The Crazy Koman Ferry
We fight our way through Albanian traffic again and take the only northbound highway Albania has to!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± The Valbona Fairy Tale Valley
On the way, an oncoming car with headlight flasher stops us. Again a driver draws our attention to our!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π½π° Our Visit to Kosovo that looks like little Germany
As always, our thinking is determined by prejudices. So also about Kosovo. Entry into the country is!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π²πͺ Montenegro’s Wonderfull Alpine Villages near Lake Plav
After we had officially left Kosovo with a few obstacles, we drive ten kilometers through the most!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Vermosh takes your breath away
Crossing the border back to Albania is a joke this time. We quickly leave Montenegro at a small log!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π²πͺ Between the Mediterranean Sea and Skadar Lake
Originally there was the idea to go to the beautiful Bay of Kotor and visit the town of the same name.!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
π¦π± Shkodra and Albania’s Virtues
In the most beautiful evening light we drive back to Albania. This time, the border is quickly behind!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…