12 Lesser-Visited Places in Albania: Rivers, Canyons, Villages

Shala River "Albania's Thailand" — Turquoise Water off Lake Koman

Rising near Theth in the Albanian Alps, the Shala River is often nicknamed "Albania's Thailand" for its turquoise water and steep surrounding cliffs. It also features in our hiking trails guide. The river drops from around 950 m at its source to about 175 m where it flows into Lake Koman, the reservoir on the Drin, and the lower stretch near the lake is the part most visitors see.

Most people reach the lower Shala by boat across Lake Koman, a ride through steep-sided gorges. The ferry operator Berisha runs daily boat trips from Koman between mid-April and early November: boats leave at 09:30, reach the river at about 10:45 and start back at 14:00, which gives around four hours there. When the river is low, the boat may not get all the way up and you may have to walk the last stretch. The river has become popular with both Albanian and foreign visitors, and summer weekends can be busy.

Përmet A Vjosa Valley Town Known for Roses, Wine and Gliko

Set in the Vjosa valley in southern Albania, between the Dangëlli and Trebeshinë mountains, Përmet is a quiet town with a slow pace of life. Promoted by Albania's national tourism agency as the "City of Roses", it is far from the big urban centres and still sees relatively few international visitors. The area is known for its local wine and raki, and for gliko, the fruit preserves that are one of the town's best-known specialities.

Përmet is also a base for nearby natural sights: the Bënja Hot Springs, Lengarica Canyon and the Vjosa, which is protected as a national park that Albania's tourism agency describes as one of the best examples of free-flowing rivers in Europe. The agency promotes the river for kayaking, and the town has a relaxed riverside centre and cafes. Our cities guide has more on Përmet.

Lin Peninsula, Lake Ohrid A Lakeside Village with Early Christian Mosaics

North Macedonia's side of Lake Ohrid, around the town of Ohrid, is far better known to foreign visitors than the Albanian shore. The village of Lin sits on a small peninsula on the Albanian side, close to the border, with houses climbing the hillside above the water. On the hill are the remains of a 6th-century early Christian church with Late Antique mosaic floors, a protected Cultural Monument of Albania.

Archaeologists have also found traces of prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement at Lin, some 8,500 years old. Today it is a quiet place for a lakeside walk, a swim and a meal, and the top of the peninsula has wide views across Lake Ohrid.

Korça Museums, an Old Bazaar and a Summer Beer Festival

Korça is one of Albania's larger inland cities, with a long cultural tradition. Albania's national tourism agency describes it as the "Little Paris of Albania", and in 1887 it saw the opening of the first Albanian-language school, whose building now houses the National Museum of Education. Its boulevards and older villas give the centre a distinctive feel. Our cities guide has more on Korça.

The city's museums include the National Museum of Medieval Art, which holds a collection of around 7,000 icons. Korça is also home to Birra Korca, one of Albania's best-known beers, and to the Old Bazaar, the historic core of the city, largely rebuilt in 1879. Highlands, traditional villages and Voskopoja (Moscopole) are within easy reach. The city's summer Beer Festival is billed by the tourism agency as Albania's largest summer tourist event.

Pogradec A Lake Ohrid Town near the North Macedonian Border

Sitting in the southwestern corner of Lake Ohrid, about 5 km from the border with North Macedonia, Pogradec is a small lakeside city popular with Albanian holidaymakers but far less visited by international tourists. It has a lakeside promenade, fish restaurants and a relaxed atmosphere, and the Albanian shore of the lake is part of the UNESCO-listed natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region.

Pogradec's appeal extends beyond the waterfront. The Mali i Thate (Dry Mountain) range to the east offers hiking with views over the lake, including the Alarup-Mali i Thate trail, while Drilon park, about 4 km east of town near Tushemisht, has springs, walking paths and wooden bridges. The local speciality is koran, the Lake Ohrid trout that has become a symbol of the town.

Llogara Pass The Mountain Road onto the Riviera

At 1,027 metres above sea level, the Llogara Pass carries the SH8 road from Vlora over the mountains to the Albanian Riviera, so it is easy to stop on the way south. The pass crosses the Ceraunian Mountains, linking the Dukat valley in the north with the Himara coast in the south, with pine forest near the top and steep drops towards the Ionian Sea.

The pass lies within Llogara National Park, where short walks lead through wind-shaped pines to viewpoints over the Riviera and the islands offshore. The pass is also a launch point for paragliding in season. Roadside restaurants near the top serve grilled meat with a view.

Bënja Hot Springs Thermal Pools Beneath an Ottoman Bridge

The Bënja Hot Springs are natural thermal pools on the Lengarica River, beside the Ottoman-era Kadiu Bridge (Ura e Kadiut) at the mouth of Lengarica Canyon. According to Albania's national tourism agency, the mineral-rich water averages around 23-28°C, and it has long been used locally as a traditional remedy for rheumatic and skin complaints.

The warm pools sit among grey river stones below the arched stone bridge. The springs are well known and can be busy on summer weekends, so come early or out of season for a quieter soak. Combine with a walk into Lengarica Canyon for a full day.

Nivica Canyon Deep Gorges in the Kurvelesh Highlands

In the remote Kurvelesh highlands of southern Albania, about 20 km from Tepelena, the Nivica canyons are counted by Albania's national tourism agency among the region's natural treasures. The gorges lie near the village of Nivica, and the agency pairs them with the nearby Peshtura waterfall as a combined outing.

Tourism infrastructure here is limited, which is part of the appeal but also a reason to plan carefully. The drive passes through sparsely populated mountain villages, mobile signal can be patchy, and conditions in the gorges depend on recent weather and water levels. Going with a local guide is the safest way to explore, and water shoes and a dry bag are useful.

Karaburun Peninsula A Protected, Uninhabited Coast

Forming the western arm that shelters the Bay of Vlora, the Karaburun Peninsula has no permanent population — its karst limestone holds no surface fresh water — and the land is a designated nature reserve, while its shoreline and surrounding sea form the Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park, proclaimed in 2010. The rocky coast has around 20 sea caves, including the caves of Haxhi Ali and Dafina, and the waters are home to endangered species including Mediterranean monk seals and loggerhead and green turtles.

Road access is very limited, so most visitors arrive on boat trips from Vlora or Orikum. A highlight is Grama Bay, an ancient anchorage and marble quarry where inscriptions carved into the cliffs date back as far as the 4th century BC. The clear water is good for swimming and snorkelling in calm weather.

Development on the coast around Vlora is contested: our explainer on the Zvërnec resort controversy covers the dispute over resort plans in the protected area north-west of the city.

Old Bazaar of Krujë A 17th-Century Market Below the Castle

Krujë's castle, on the slopes of Mount Krujë north of Tirana, houses the Skanderbeg Museum, which tells the story of the 15th-century resistance to the Ottomans, and the Ethnographic Museum. The road up to the castle runs through the Old Bazaar, which Albania's national tourism agency describes as one of the oldest and best-preserved traditional markets in the country, built in the 17th century. Its cobbled street is lined with wooden shops selling filigree, copper, woodwork, carpets and souvenirs.

From the castle walls there are views over the town and the plain below. Krujë is one of the most popular day trips from Tirana, so it can be busy with tour groups; visit early in the morning for a quieter wander, and look out for genuinely handmade pieces among the mass-produced souvenirs.

Moscopole (Voskopoja) A Lost 18th-Century Trading Town

High in the mountains 21 km from Korça, at an elevation of 1,160 metres, Moscopole was in the 18th century a prosperous centre of trade, learning and printing, with a school known from 1744 as the New Academy and a printing house that was the second in Ottoman Europe after Constantinople's. Estimates of its peak population vary enormously — from a few thousand to tens of thousands — and historians treat the highest figures with caution. The town was sacked in 1769 and razed in 1788 by the troops of Ali Pasha. Today it is a quiet village: at the 2023 census, INSTAT counted 511 residents in the Voskopojë administrative unit.

What survives includes five 18th-century churches with post-Byzantine frescoes, among them work by David Selenica in the Church of Saint Nicholas and by the Zografi brothers in the Church of Saint Athanasius, along with fragments of old walls.

Lengarica Canyon A Wading Walk Upstream from Bënja

Starting at the Kadiu Bridge beside the Bënja Hot Springs, Lengarica Canyon is a narrow gorge cut by the Lengarica River, a tributary of the Vjosa, that winds back into the mountains. High rock walls close in on either side, and the walk means wading upstream through the cool river between them.

In summer, when the water is low, the lower canyon is accessible to anyone reasonably fit and willing to get their feet wet. The walking simply follows the riverbed upstream, and you can turn back at any point. Water levels can rise quickly after rain, so check conditions locally before going in. Afterwards, the thermal springs at the entrance make a warm reward.