Albania

Albania is a country in South Eastern Europe bordered by Greece to the south-east, Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, and the Republic of Macedonia to the east. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. Tourism in Albania is still in its infancy because the former communist regime did not allow tourism to become established. Groups of Western tourists were first permitted to visit in the 1980s. It is a country of natural beauty which includes sandy white Mediterranean beaches, rocky mountains, lakes, natural monuments, and remote areas. The country receives approximately 400.000 visitors per year and it is growing by 15% every year. There are many things to do in Albania. Because of its size, traveling around it is not difficult, allowing tourists to see many beautiful parts of the country. Albania has an old history dating to the Illyrian and Greek civilizations and there are ruins and other treasures reflecting the old civilizations. Castles are in many cities in Albania. Their beauty reminds anyone of the ancient times of Albania, and the world. The coastline is always a place to go, with its clear turquoise seas, and its many islands cast upon it, like in Saranda, a southern city in Albania. The cuisine of Albania, as with most Mediterranean and Balkan nations, is strongly influenced by its long history. At different times, the territory of Albania has been occupied by Greece, Italy and the Ottoman Turks, and each group has left its mark on Albanian cuisine