About Albania
Members of the first Regent group who went on holiday to Albania in 1971 wouldn't recognise 21st-century Albania. Gone are the virtually traffic-free roads, collective farms and churches and mosques converted into sports halls, but the warm Albanian welcome, dramatic wild scenery, evidence of 400 years of Ottoman occupation and enthralling archaeology are still the same.
Fiercely independent as a result of centuries of occupation, Albania embraced Communism after the Second World War and then firmly rejected it in 1992 with its first free elections.
Travel to Albania and discover a country of wild, natural beauty with dark, brooding mountains, a dramatic undeveloped coastline and hills clad with olive trees. Explore the museum cities of Berat and Gjirokastra, both dominated by towering castles, and learn about Albanian national hero, Skanderbeg, in Kruja Castle Museum. Marvel at Albania's archaeological sites - the extraordinary 3rd-century BC amphitheatre at Butrint and the ancient city of Apollonia where much remains to be discovered. Drive the roller-coaster road along the Albanian Riviera, pass remote mountain villages and gaze down on pristine, unspoilt beaches. Join the evening promenade in Albania's capital Tirana, now more Mediterranean in style, and meander through the neighbourhood where the Communist party leaders used to live.
Regent Holidays can arrange group tours, individual itineraries, tailor-made tours and city breaks to Albania. Contact one of our Albania specialists to discuss your holiday plans to Albania
What's in a name?
Albania is known by locals as 'Shqiperia’, which if translated means ‘Land of the Eagles’ and a two-headed eagle is depicted on the Albanian flag. Albania was originally known as 'Illyria' and it was the Albanoi tribe, which used to inhabit the region around Albania's northern coastal town of Durres, pictured above that gave Albania its name today.
Regent recommends...
Regent Holidays was the first UK tour operator to arrange tours to Albania and whilst we have seen the politics of the country progress over the years, the standards of its infrastructure still has a long way go to reach the standards that you may have come to expect in Western European countries. Whilst you will find a country where both the locals and hotel staff are extremely friendly and helpful, we recommend that you travel to Albania with an open-mind and a willingness to accept the occasional inconvenience. There can be frequent power cuts, so we'd advise packing a torch!
