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Central Albania – Cape Rodon, Durrës and Tirana
I started the route towards central Albania in the town of Teth. The first point of my trip was Cape Rodon, also known as the Cape of Skanderbeg. This is definitely a place you must visit while being in Albania. Actually, I could point out three reasons why it’s worth coming here. The first are bunkers, which I wrote about here. The second one is the castle built by Skandenberg in 1452, to defend against the Ottoman Empire. Although it was a hiding place for Skandeberg for a while during the siege of Kruja in 1466, it was destroyed by the Turks only a year later. Currently, only the remains…
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Ljubljana – a slightly psychedelic city of dragons
Ljubljana is one of those cities that’s impossible not to like. Time seems to move slower here, and instead of the traffic jams and rush typical of other European capitals, the city charms with its intimate, relaxed atmosphere. The city’s most iconic landmark is the Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most). It was built to replace an old wooden bridge that collapsed during an earthquake in 1895. Initially, the plan was to decorate it with winged lions, but in the end, four dragons took the stage. Local legend has it that if a virgin crosses the bridge, the dragons will wag their tails. In practice? Well, let’s be honest – traffic on…
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Malta – The Fortress Island, Girl on the urbex trail!
Malta is called the “Fortress Island.” At first glance, it’s evident that the island’s architecture has a defensive character. High fortifications, citadels, and forts are reminiscent of the times of the Knights of Malta as well as the British era. Throughout its history, Malta was under the rule of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Crusaders, French, and British. Finally, it became an independent country only in 1964. Today, we can see numerous traces from the times of the Knights of Malta, as well as from the period of World War II. The Knights of Malta gained control over Malta in 1530 from Charles V of Spain. From that…
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Southern Albania – a ship in a field and a thousand windows
I start my exploration of southern Albania in quite an unusual way – with a ship docked far from the sea, right in the middle of fields. This extraordinary sight resembles the Titanic in the Atlantic and is an evidence of the boundless Albanian imagination. Berat – “The City of Thousand Windows” In Berat, I stop for a moment to explore the castle ruins. Although little remains of the castle itself, its walls and the surrounding landscape create an incredible atmosphere. However, this is not the end of the attractions in this town. Berat is called “The City of a Thousand Windows,” and the name seems to fit it perfectly.…
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Comino – small is beautiful
Comino is one of the unique places worth visiting when in Malta. It’s a small island located between Malta and Gozo, covering an area of just 3.5 km². This makes it an ideal spot for a day trip. The island is small enough to be explored on foot within a day. A path along the high cliffs guarantees incredible views. The island’s name comes from cumin, which once grew abundantly here. Comino has a rich history dating back to Roman times when it was mainly used for agricultural purposes. The Knights of Malta organized wild boar and rabbit hunts here. Comino was never really inhabited, mainly due to the lack…
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Popeye Village – Malta’s Disneyland
Popeye Village wasn’t on my itinerary for exploring Malta. Generally, I avoid such places because I prefer to spend my time sightseeing. However, this time, when I saw Popeye Village from a distance, I decided to take a chance. The place looked so tacky and bizarre that I actually liked it. Popeye Village, also known as Malta’s Disneyland, is the most famous amusement park in Malta. It was created from scratch as a film set for the adaptation of the famous comic strip. The film was made in 1980, and you won’t guess who played the role of Popeye. It was Robin Williams. While Robin Williams was a famous actor,…
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One day in Gozo
I start my tour around Gozo at the Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs, located on the southeastern coast of the island. This is one of the must-see places in Malta. From a height of over 130 meters, you can admire an amazing panorama of the Mediterranean Sea. A little further, you can admire an equally spectacular landscape at the so-called Sunset Cliff. To get to know the island not only from the perspective of the cliffs, it is worth visiting the capital of Gozo – Victoria, also known as Rabat. Victoria boasts interesting monuments and architecture. The main tourist attraction is the Il-Kastell citadel. Walking along the defensive walls, you can admire…
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Albania – bunkers, Girl off the trail
Albania is a country of bunkers, there are over 750,000 of them. They were built during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha to defend the country in the event of an invasion. However, this invasion never occurred… After World War II, Albania was neither incorporated into Yugoslavia nor the Soviet Union. However, it doesn’t mean that it remained a democratic country. In 1946, the People’s Republic of Albania was established here. What’s more interesting, in 1961, Hoxha completely broke off contact with the USSR, and Albania left the Warsaw Pact. Over time, after Mao Zedong’s death, he also put an end to cooperation with the People’s Republic of China. After breaking…
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Albania – north direction
Albania has recently become a popular destination. There’re many reasons: beautiful beaches, interesting monuments, good food and even better prices. During my 10-day stay, I managed to visit a large part of this country. I must admit that Albania has enormous potential, which the country seems to have not fully exploited. There is no investment in tourist infrastructure and no waste management. Rubbish seems to be an inherent element of the Albanian landscape. However, the main problem for me was the dramatic condition of the roads, which significantly limited the number of places I could see in such a short time. Despite everything, I believe that Albania is a country…
