Andante Travels

Introduction

Perhaps the most important element of this tour is Oliver, who started working here just after the fall of the old regime, 15 years ago. Not only does he speak fluent Albanian, but having trained many Albanian students on the dig at Butrint he is a well-known figure.

‘Albania, a land which all admire yet many dread to view’ wrote Lord Byron in the early 18th century, and even today it remains a mysterious and secretive land. However, it is changing fast and a way of life is passing. This is an opportunity to see it before it vanishes in entirety. The country has long been difficult to visit. During the time of the communists, whose final government fell in 1992, the last of the old Eastern Block to move towards democracy, Albania was a closed system, the borders watched and guarded, with only tightly controlled groups of visitors permitted. Even today the infrastructure hinders travel, though this is being rapidly remedied as the country moves towards becoming a member of the European Union. Nevertheless for those who do visit, this secret land holds an array of splendours from the myriad cultures who have existed here, set in a dramatic scenery of mountains, deep blue seas and wide plains. Classical cities, mosques, churches and the distinctive architecture and landscape art of communism mingle together.

Beginning and ending in Corfu, we will be travelling through parts of the Roman provinces of Old and New Epirus, enjoying Albania’s Classical past as well as its developing present.

Itinerary

day one
Group flights London to Corfu, private coach to our hotel.

Corfu Town, one of the loveliest towns in Greece, is a blend of Ionian, Venetian and British architecture reflecting its complex history. A daughter colony of ancient Corinth, Corfu and the adjacent mainland later became a playground for the Roman aristocracy before developing into a Byzantine, Angevin and then Venetian bastion at the head of the Adriatic. It briefly metamorphosed into a British crown colony after 1815. Short introductory walk around the old town.

day two
A ferry trip to the mainland sailing along the Greek and Albanian coasts to the town of Saranda, followed by a drive over the mountains through southern Albania. Time allowing, we stop at the Byzantine monastery of Mesopotam. Gjirokastra, our destination, is a grand and austere stone city on the skirts of the mountains. Its unique series of Ottoman mansions and public buildings has made it a UNESCO World Heritage site and the city zigzags up the mountainside in a maze of crazy paths and roads. We shall visit the great fortress of Ali Pasha that crowns the city and commands the prospect across the wide valley of the Drino river.

day three
Visit the Zekate House, one of the preserved Ottoman houses and then an adventure into the hills by minibus to Byllis, the excavated mountaintop city overlooking the valley of the mighty Vjiosa river. Byllis was the centre of the Bylliones, one of the Illyrian tribal groups of the area. Recent excavations have uncovered many of the buildings of the Illyrian, Roman and later antique town. Foremost amongst these is a series of early Christian basilicas and the sixth century city walls.

day four
Berat was one of the major cities of central Albania since its foundation as Antipatrea by King Cassander of Macedonia. Its strategic position controlling the Osum river valley made one of the gateways to central Albania and during the Middle Ages and Ottoman Empire was one of the crucial points in ensuring security of this area of the Balkans. It was a significant trade centre under the Ottomans and we will visit a number of monuments of that time.
Then onwards to Apollonia to see the ruins of the largest classical city in Albania. Recent excavations have revealed Mycenean finds linking the settlement to the Bronze Age Aegean. It was one of Julius Caesar’s bases against Pompey.
Augustus who was studying there at the time of Caesar’s assassination, rewarded the city by granting it autonomy. Little of the excavation is visible but this is a most evocative and beautiful site. We visit the later medieval monastery here.

day five
A quick look at Vlora, a modern seaport, gives us a chance to see the city where Albanian independence was declared in 1912. We drive south along the Albanian Riviera back to Saranda passing the site of Orcum, Caesar's landing place during his war with Pompey. The seaside road passes along the base of the 'mountains of thunder' with spectacular views over the Ionian Sea. We will stop at Porto Palermo, one of Ali Pasha’s castles built to control the magnificent anchorage there where a Soviet submarine base was later tunnelled into the cliffs.

day six
A whole day to explore the ruins of Butrint, the best known archaeological site in Albania, where Oliver has been working for over a decade. We shall see the theatre and shrine of Asclepius, Triconch palace, baptistery, Great Basilica and acropolis with its museum. There will be time to wander on your own to appreciate the beauty of this site that is so redolent of the landscapes beloved by the grand tourists.

day seven
Ferry back to Corfu and free time.

day eight
Flight home.

Included

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Flights with Easyjet London/Cofru, public ferry to Saranda
• Transfers private coach provided to coincide with group ferry - join this or make your own way between hotel and airport
• Local Travel Private a/c coach
• Guide Lecturer (also local guides where these are compulsory) Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"!  The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards.  There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that.  They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you.  After 22 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them.  If you would like to know more about Oliver Gilkes, please click his name.
• Fieldnotes written for the tour
• Entry Entry to all sites in programme
• We tip the driver and the local guide on your behalf

You Arrange

• Flights if you prefer.  It may suit you better, and you may get a good deal, on flights from your local airport

• Meals (except breakfast) - we are staying in towns where there will be a choice of restaurants for dinner and food shops if you want to take lunch with you

hotels

1 night at beginning and 1 at the end in a hotel in Corfu town;
1 night in Gjirokastra
1 night in Berat
1 night in Vlora
2 nights in Saranda

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