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Albania is rapidly growing as a popular tourist destination. The south-eastern European country with a unique Mediterranean climate and hot dry summers is being enjoyed by a growing number of tourists every year.
Location & getting there
Situated in Southeast Europe, Albania is bordered by Montenegro Serbia, Macedonia and Greece. It has coasts on the west and the southwest of the country and is around 45 miles from Italy.
Albania has an International Airport, located in the Capital, Tirana. Flights are available to Tirana from most major UK airports. Flights are readily available from the U.K. with British Airways, Albanian Airlines, Bmi, Air France, Lufthansa and Alitalia offering regular services.
Food & Drink
Albanians are excellent at providing hospitality and some fine restaurants can be found here. The local cuisine is famous for the rich flavours and freshness of ingredients, where possible are grown locally. There truly is an abundance of choice and it is hard to be disappointed in quality or service.
The main meal of Albanians is lunch (meat and vegetables), usually eaten with a fresh local salad. Seafood specialties are also common in coastal towns and villages. In the mountains you can also find smoked meat and pickles.
Language and Culture
Some Albanian characteristics and mannerisms resemble those of the mainland Greeks, most notably in the more rural areas; for instance, a nod of the head means 'no' and shaking one's head means 'yes'. Handshaking is the accepted form of greeting. Any attempt to speak Albanian is greatly appreciated by locals.
Although previously frowned upon by the authorities, tips are gratefully received in restaurants or for any service provided. The usual is to tip 10-15% if you are satisfied with the service. Service charges are not usually included in the bill.
Dress is generally informal. Bikinis are acceptable on the beach.
History and Economy
For the many decades under his totalitarian domination, Hoxha created and destroyed relationships with Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and China.
Towards the end of the Hoxha era, Albania was isolated, first from the capitalist West (Western Europe, North America and Australia) and later even from the communist East. Enver Hoxha died in 1985.
By the end of 1990, in line with much of the Eastern European countries, the regime accepted a 'multiparty' system .
The first general elections were held in March 1992 and produced the countries first democratic coalition. This consisted of the Democratic party, the Social-Democrats and the Republican Party.
The Euro-Atlantic integration of Albania has been the ultimate goal of the post-communist governments. Albania's EU membership bid has been set as a priority by the European Commission. In 2006 Albania signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU, thus completing the first major step towards joining the the EU and is expected to join in 2015. Albania, along with Croatia, joined NATO in 2009. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted 2.6% growth for Albania in 2010 and 3.2% in 2011.
| About Albania | Climate & Tourism | Location & getting there | Food & Drink | Language & Culture | History & Economy | Property in Albania |
