The Ultimate Albania Road Trip Itinerary – 2 Weeks in Albania

Looking to check-off all the Albania must-sees and still venture off the tourist trail? My alternative Albania road trip itinerary offers a perfect balance of essential and offbeat destinations over two action-packed weeks.

With affordable rentals, excellent roads and an infinite supply of awe-inspiring landscapes, picturesque villages and dynamic cities, Albania is made for a self-driving adventure.

Driving around Albania this past autumn will go down in history as one of my favourite travel experiences of all time.

Having visited Albania for the first time a few years prior and exclusively relying on public transport, I am in a unique position to compare the two experiences. I can wholeheartedly assure you that renting a car in Albania is 100% worth it – particularly if you are travelling in the shoulder or low season.

While most Albania road trip itineraries focus on the Adriatic Coast, my route ventures to underrated and lesser-travelled parts of the country, including along the Vjosa River Valley and Lake Ohrid.

A tidy loop starting and finishing in the capital, Tirana, it covers all the must-sees in central-south Albania including Berat, Himara and Gjirokaster. It travels two of the country’s most scenic stretches of road, the coastal Llogara Pass and the newly sealed road from Permet to Korca, and includes ample opportunities for adventurous detours.

For all things parking, petrol and other practicalities, see my tips for driving in Albania (coming soon).

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Please note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you). Learn more.

Transparency: Our car rental was sponsored by my long-term partners at Local Rent. All other expenses incurred during our trip were covered by us. I am solely responsible for creating this itinerary without any external input. All recommendations/criticisms are 100% my own.

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Where to rent a car in Albania

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Day 0: Arrive in Tirana

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Having arrived in Tirana a few days prior, we elected to collect our rental car from the agent’s office in the city centre. This meant we didn’t have to backtrack to the airport – to get to the office, we simply jumped on a city bus. It also meant that we could get straight onto the highway without driving through the city centre – a huge plus, since traffic in Tirana is always chaotic.

As is typical of my experience with Local Rent, the hand-over was very low-key. We signed our contract, paid in cash, and gave our car – a Ford Fiesta – a quick look over before setting off.

Whenever we drive in a new country, I find it helpful to pinpoint a couple of road stops within the first 30-60 minutes. The idea is to slowly warm up and have somewhere very specific to aim for.

Leaving Tirana, we headed straight to the Lapidari 2 Viewpoint (15 mins) on the southwestern side of the city. Our aim was to get a city view without putting in the legwork – it didn’t quite pan out, though. When we arrived, we discovered the road to the viewpoint was blocked to cars. We didn’t feel like walking for 45 minutes in the heat, so we abandoned ship.

It was still a good decision in hindsight because it introduced us to a backroad that we could use to travel down to our lunch spot, Fustanella Farm. The country road was completely empty and very scenic.

Fustanella Farm (30 mins) is a gorgeous farm-to-table restaurant on the outskirts of Tirana, with a rustic outdoor dining terrace set amongst olive and fig groves. It is perfectly positioned for a lunchtime stopover on the drive to Berat.

Halfway through an incredible lunch, we got a call from the rental office informing us we had left Ross’s driving licence in their photocopy machine. So unfortunately we had to turn around and head back to the city (luckily it was only a 20-minute detour on the highway). Driving back into Tirana at peak hour was a bit of a nightmare.

If it hadn’t been for that error, we could have connected directly to the highway and reached Berat in around 1.5 hours. Having wasted more than an hour backtracking to Tirana, we had to eliminate some stops from our itinerary. If you are making good time, there are several wineries located on the way into Berat, including Kantina Edoni and Kantina Luani. We only had time for a quick walk around the park in the industrial city of Kucove, which is arranged around old smokestacks.

It was late afternoon when we finally pulled into Berat. For a memorable experience, I highly recommend staying inside the castle grounds like we did. Be sure to take the turnoff after the bus station and use Rruga Muzak Topia to approach the castle from the back side (the main road is very steep and narrow). Some of the cobbled streets inside the castle peter out and turn into impassable laneways, so stick to the main streets and park wherever you see vehicles congregating. Our guesthouse provided clear instructions in advance.

After checking in, we went for an evening wander around the castle grounds before a well-deserved Birra Korca and an easy dinner at one of the restaurants inside the castle.

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If a full day in Berat is too much, there is an option to take your car out for a drive in the afternoon. You can backtrack to a winery, or venture in the opposite direction to Osumi Canyon, 90 minutes away. There are waterfalls and caves nearby that you can also access by car. We visited Osumi on our first trip to Albania (in summer) and thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Despite having little interest in Albania’s beaches, we gave ourselves four full days on the Riviera with the goal of exploring the hillside villages behind the coast. If you are a beach person, three nights is ample time to get your dose of sand and sun.

Knowing we had a full day of sightseeing ahead of us, we organised to stay at the northern end of the Riviera to shave just that little bit of driving time off. The tiny village of Dhermi turned out to be one of my favourite places in Albania, with enough beach and non-beach activities to keep you occupied in any season.

Apollonia (75 mins) is a tentative UNESCO Site and the first of several Greek/Roman/Illyrian archaeological parks featured on this itinerary. In many ways I preferred it over the more-popular Butrint – you can be the judge (Butrint is coming up on day 6).

Founded in the 6th century BC, Apollonia was one of the largest settlements on the Adriatic. The thing that sets it apart (aside from its scale) is the fact that it had its own sculpture school. Thus the small museum inside the Archaeological Park is filled with incredible statues.

We set off early from Berat with the aim of arriving at Apollonia at opening time (9am during winter). The entire complex is outdoors and very spread out – it requires a fair bit of walking, so it’s best to avoid visiting during the hottest part of the day.

When preparing for this trip, I had read about an abandoned steam-power plant near the park. So we made a quick stop in the city of Fier for a hit of urbexing. A man in a reflective vest showed us around a few of the concrete carcasses and took us inside one of the abandoned cooling towers – unfortunately things went sour when he started demanding money from us for the ‘tour’. A little shaken up after his empty threats to call the police on us, we had to hotfoot it out of there.

Our next stop was a lot more vanilla. Albania’s third-largest city, Vlora (30 mins), boasts two of my favourite things: a pretty old town filled with colourful facades, and an impressive WWII memorial. We parked our car on a quiet side street and visited both on foot.

One of the main reasons I wanted to return to Albania was to spend more time around the Vjosa, one of Europe’s last wild rivers. It spills out into the Adriatic near Vlora, so I couldn’t miss the chance to see the Vjosa-Narta Delta Protected Area.

The Zvernec Islands sit in the delta’s Narta Lagoon and are the best access point if you don’t have a 4WD (if you do, off-road tracks are available on the northern side of the lagoon for birdwatching and secluded beaches). We drove the scenic road through a pine forest (approx. 30 minutes from Vlora) to the Zvernec Bridge and crossed the boardwalk over the marshes to the 13th-century St. Mary’s Monastery.

Departing Vlora, we headed south along the coast towards the Riviera proper and arrived at the Llogara Pass (45 mins) just as the light was dwindling. This 15-kilometre stretch of highway is one of the most scenic roads I have ever been on – up there with the Kotor Serpentine that we drove in Montenegro. As you crawl down the mountain, you descend into a sea of low clouds, with the Adriatic stretched out before you like a blue satin sheet.

The marked viewing platform on the highway was quite crowded, so we continued down the road a little further to the ’Big Bunker’, a Hoxha-era monstrosity perched on the cliff. We climbed down into the bunker and got a front-row seat for sunset.

Dhermi is one of the first major villages you come to after descending the pass, so you can catch the sunset and still make it to your accommodation before dark. We did just that, arriving in time to enjoy a twilight beer on our little terrace at Roots Dhermi.

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Dhermiu Beach is clean and relatively quiet, making it a good choice for swimming. Alternatively, the trailhead through Gjipe Canyon to the popular Gjipe Beach is just a 7-minute drive away in Iljas – we considered it, but decided to spend our afternoon eating tzatziki in Dhermi instead.

Food options in Dhermi are limited in the off-season. We ate our breakfasts (Italian coffee and byrek) at Barba Niko Bakery and had a nice pasta lunch directly opposite at Restorant Genti. For dinner, Sofia Bar in Dhermi serves grilled fish and a mean tzatziki. The terrace here is a prime spot for sunset.

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Qeparo is another lovely beach town 40 minutes south of Dhermi. Its proximity to both excellent beaches and several more villages and castles makes it a convenient base.

Like Dhermi, Qeparo is split into an upper and lower village – but the difference is much more stark. Upper Qeparo has not been restored and is partially abandoned, with a good portion of its stone houses in a state of disrepair. A rare example of traditional Albanian village architecture as it was, its beauty is more the decrepit kind.

We spent two nights in Upper Qeparo, but on one of those days it was raining (good timing for us because we were due for a lazy day). An afternoon plus a morning in Qeparo is ample time to explore the village.

Day 5 of our road trip was packed with stop-overs as we hopped down to Qeparo over the course of around five hours. We arrived in Vuno (15 mins) bright and early and were the only two pairs of feet padding the stone streets under vaulted arches. The incredible St. Nicholas Church – a forgotten chapel with vivid frescoes totally exposed to the elements – was a highlight.

Himara Castle (15 mins) commands exceptional sea views and was another highlight of the Riviera for me. Cafe Butterfly inside the fortress grounds serves good coffee and sweet snacks.

We had planned to drive down to the ‘Submarine Bunker’ in Porto Palermo, but after seeing it from afar from the highway, we decided against it. As much as I would have liked to swim into the concrete tunnel, it wasn’t quite what I imagined – and the road down looked dicey.

Unfortunately we arrived to find Porto Palermo Castle (25 mins) closed on a Monday (the schedule changes in mid-October), so we flew our drone over the triangular fortification instead.

The road to Upper Qeparo (25 mins) is steep but short and fully sealed. We arrived in the village with a couple of daylight hours to spare, and spent them getting lost on the backstreets and walking through the olive groves to Ali Pasha’s Tower before settling down to a delicious dinner at Te Rrapi ne Qeparo.

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The drive inland from Qeparo to Gjirokaster was by far the longest of our trip. I was a little concerned that we would run out of time, but we managed to fit everything in.

Bookended with an indulgent breakfast in Saranda and golden hour at the Field of Bunkers, it was a perfect day from start to finish. My only regret is not spending longer in Saranda – I really liked the city’s aesthetic – but after four days, we were more than ready to leave the beach behind.

Leaving Qeparo, we made a beeline for Saranda (60 mins) and had time for a short stroll on the waterfront before an excellent breakfast at Marini. Driving through the city during morning peak hour was a little sketchy – and it was challenging to find a park on the waterfront – so I recommend arriving as early as possible.

On the edge of Saranda, Butrint National Park is Albania’s most-visited attraction and oldest UNESCO Site. I had high expectations and to be completely honest, I found Butrint a bit disappointing. The Roman Forum was much smaller than I had imagined, and the floor that was previously flooded has been covered over. The museum was excellent, but having a guard shadow us the entire time to enforce a no-photo policy really detracted from the experience.

Most disappointingly of all, the baptistry mosaics pictured on every tourist brochure were completely covered in sand (later in the trip we would encounter the same thing in Lin). I had no idea this was standard practice – surely it’s possible to build a roof or insert a horizontal screen and project an image of the mosaics onto it?

The highlight of Butrint for me was the scenery and walking trails along the water.

If we had more time, we could have explored Ksamil and its beaches and islands, or used the car ferry outside the archaeological park to access the Venetian Triangle Castle. Instead, we drove back through Saranda and headed east to start our journey towards Lake Ohrid on the opposite side of the country.

You need a solid two hours minimum to visit the Blue Eye or Syri i Kaltër (40 mins), a 164-feet-deep sinkhole enveloped in azure pools and lush forest. Though it is undeniably beautiful, I found it over-commercialised – the concrete road you have to walk to get there is an eyesore. I’m glad we went, but I don’t consider it an essential stop.

After driving another 30 minutes towards Gjirokaster, we got up close and personal with some of Albania’s concrete mushrooms at the Field of Bunkers (30 mins). There are a dozen or more bunkers of all shapes and sizes dotted around the field alongside a quarry – many have their original door mechanisms intact, and some are big enough to walk inside. Don’t follow Google Maps – take this turn-off instead.

There is an option to stop at the nearby Hadrianoplis Theatre, but the non-road requires a 4WD (or at least something more robust than a Fiesta).

We arrived in Gjirokaster (30 mins) ahead of schedule and enjoyed a local dinner near our accommodation in the new part of the city. Gjirokaster was a breeze to navigate, and we had no issue finding a spot to leave the car.

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My highlights of Gjirokaster were touring the Cold War Tunnel, eating traditional oshaf fig pudding for breakfast, and going inside the magnificent Zekate House before walking the backroads to Gjirokaster Castle.

We waited out the warmest part of the day inside the Ethnographic Museum. Alternatively, you can stretch your legs on the 2-ish kilometre hike through town to Ali Pasha’s Bridge. We did it on our first visit to Gjirokaster – it has since become quite popular. (Tomorrow there is a more spectacular Ottoman-era aqueduct to see outside of Tepelena.)

We finished the day with a feast at Restorant Pajtimi, a humble local joint outside the tourist hub. Their version of tave kosi (Albania’s national dish of lamb baked in yogurt) was the best I had.

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Pressing east from Gjirokaster we entered the most exciting phrase of our Albania itinerary. From this point on, it was all new territory for us (with the exception of Korca, which we had visited twice before) – and we were finally getting a glimpse of the Vjosa River, which was a major inspiration for the trip.

Permet on the Vjosa is a small city with huge potential. It is the self-appointed nucleus of Albania’s emerging Slow Food movement, with half a dozen or more restaurants that respect the philosophy. It is also a burgeoning ecotourism destination, with hiking and mountain biking trails popping up along the river and in the nearby Fir of Hotova National Park.

We were happy with our decision to stay in Permet for two nights – I loved the town’s aesthetic, and it meant we could try more restaurants (we managed five in total!). On our first night, we treated ourselves to a suite at Villa Permet. It was fabulous. On our second night, we moved to Guest House Shtepia ime.

On the way to Permet, we stopped at Ujë Ftoht Cafe (30 mins) for coffee and plate of Albanian pancakes with local honey. The lovely location on the Drinos River would be perfect for summer – in October it was a bit blustery.

We soon arrived in Tepelena (10 mins), birthplace of the legendary Ali Pasha of Ioannina, whose footprint is all over Albania and the Balkans. Tepelena Castle was not at all what we were expecting (I won’t spoil it for you). There is some very interesting Soviet-esque architecture in the centre of town.

Tepelena has a dark past as the site of an internment camp where an estimated 3,000 people were imprisoned during the communist era, around 500 of whom never saw freedom again. There are plans to turn this camp and the notorious Spac Prison into museums; for now the site remains partially abandoned. I got the chills just seeing it from afar and did not want to go any further.

Ali Pasha’s Aqueduct is a short 10-minute detour from Tepelena via a scenic mountain road and was one of my favourite road stops. An incredible feat of Ottoman engineering, it was still used to irrigate fields up until a few years ago. The aqueduct has been partially reconstructed and a walking path built to access it from the highway. If you have time, a new marked hiking trail starts from behind the aqueduct.

We spent a good half hour photographing the aqueduct from different angles as the sun started to peek above the mountains, casting awesome shadows. Knowing we had a hike of sorts coming up later that day, we continued down to Permet (60 mins) and checked into our first hotel.

In the afternoon we embarked on the hike from Permet to Leus, a small village above the town. It’s only a 30-minute walk, but the steep incline and rough terrain makes it feel a lot longer.

When we arrived, we were elated to find a group of Chinese tourists and their guide, who was weidling a giant key, gathered in front of Leus Orthodox Church. It meant that our slog up wasn’t in vain – we were going to be able to see the interior. Painted from the rafters to the floor, with inlay wood ceilings and a mezzanine level you can climb to get closer to the dome, this is by far the most beautiful church I have seen in my life. I am not a particularly religious person, but it was nothing short of a transcendental experience.

Still buzzing from our holy encounter, we spent another half hour wandering around Leus between haystacks and sweet cottages.

As wonderful as Villa Permet was, my biggest regret of the trip was not booking a night at Chri Chri Guest House in Leus (I tried, but they were sold out). It would have been wonderful to stay overnight in the tiny village, and I bet the owner can organise a visit to the church. Transfers are available from Permet for those who don’t have a 4WD.

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If it’s the season, then you could spend a day mountain biking on one of the newly marked trails around Permet or rafting on the Vjosa River. There is an information booth in the centre of town where you can hire bikes and inquire about river expeditions.

We didn’t have the best weather, so we spent the morning wandering the flagstone paths through Permet Old Town, browsing the cute antique shops – and most importantly, eating local cuisine. Of the half a dozen Slow Food restaurants in Permet that we managed to fit in, Bar Restaurant Trifilia was my favourite.

The drizzle had cleared by the afternoon so we made our way to the Benja Thermal Springs, a 30-minute drive away on the fringe of Fir of Hotova National Park. Set in the spectacular Langarica Canyon beneath the arched Ottoman-era Kadiut Bridge, there are seven separate pools fed by different mineral waters. It was reasonably crowded on an October afternoon, but I still enjoyed the experience. More secluded swimming spots can be found by trekking deeper into the canyon via the riverbank – but alas, we didn’t have the right footwear.

In the evening, we scaled the staircase to the top of Guri i Qytetit, a giant rock dropped in the centre of Permet, ahead of a satisfying dinner and glass of house wine at Te Culi Slow Food.

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Today’s drive was the most anticipated of the trip – but of course we woke up to torrential rain. The clouds petered out as the day went on, but a heavy fog followed us all the way to Leskovik. I still managed to snap a few photos of the Vjosa River Bend (30 mins) and of an abandoned bridge wrapped in fall foliage.

This time last year, Leskovik was not at all on the tourist trail. The tiny town in one of Albania’s most prestigious wine regions is still a bit of an obscure choice – the main reason we picked it was to break up the longest drive of the trip from Permet to Korca.

As it turned out, Leskovik is a very interesting place. When Enver Hoxha was in charge, Mavrud wines and raki from Leskovik were earmarked exclusively for him and the party elite. The mineral-rich soils here yield spectacular grapes, and even though the wine industry is a fraction of the size it once was, you can still see vast vineyards wrapped around the imposing limestone massif as you wind your way into the town.

Named after that rock, Melesin Distillery is a new boutique hotel that is putting Leskovik back on the map. We splurged on a night here and didn’t regret it one bit – it was the best accommodation of our trip. The restaurant is top notch, serving local dishes alongside Leskovik wine and gin distilled in-house.

We spent the afternoon exploring Leskovik and made a brilliant ‘discovery’ when we stumbled on a set of bunkers with military diagrams painted on the walls. The town is very small and can be covered on foot in the space of an hour.

If the weather is on your side, then I suggest stopping at the Sarandaporo Thermal Springs on the way into Leskovik. (We backtracked to the springs the following morning.) A local alternative to Benja, Sarandaporo is located right on the Greek border. At one point we inadvertently wandered across the state line. Whoops.

Crafted from stone blocks, the baths sit high above the river and are fed with bubbling sulfuric waters. The location is nothing short of spectacular. We were concerned about the road, but it turns out a freshly sealed road has been installed – part of the way, at least. We had to drive for around 10 minutes over gravel then walk another 30 minutes along the riverbed to find the springs. It was certainly an adventure.

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Day 11 was the longest drive of the trip, mostly because of the road conditions. Construction on this highway has been ongoing since summer. Once complete, it will shorten the drive time considerably.

As it currently stands, the worst section of road is around Barmash. Mostly compacted gravel, it’s far from the worst road I’ve seen,  but it is bumpy and slow going. After Erseke, it is all smooth sailing over a freshly tarred highway.

Unsure of just how long the drive to Korca would take, we were very selective with our stops and only made quick photo breaks in Barmash and Erseke for the war memorials. We planned to visit the Kamenica Tumulus Archaeological Museum, but like most museums in Albania, it was closed on a Monday.

Unperturbed and grateful to be nearing our destination well before sunset, we continued to Voskopoja, a small village 30 minutes outside of Korca.

Voskopoja is famed for its high concentration of Orthodox churches that date back to the 18th century when it was one of the biggest cities in the Balkans and a centre of Aromanian culture. We only managed to see two of the half a dozen churches we had bookmarked – the rest were closed for restoration and covered in scaffolding (please do take this into consideration when planning a trip; works are not expected to be completed before summer 2024). Of course there was no information anywhere online about the closures.

We did manage to get inside the 1751 Profet Ilia Monastery, which almost redeemed Voskopoja with its sunset magical-ness.

Overall though, Voskopoja was a let down – not only because of the churches being closed, but also because the whole place had a slightly off-putting, almost fake feel to it. After visiting so many lovely villages earlier in the trip, Voskopoja just didn’t do it for me.

I recommend staying in Korca for two nights and potentially adding a half-day trip to the village if you’re desperate to see the churches.

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Between the restored Old Bazaar and the many excellent museums, Korca has enough points of interest for one day. Don’t miss the National Museum of Medieval Art or the Birra Korca Brewery, a delightful beer garden serving Albania’s oldest brew.

This time around we joined the Free Walking Tour of Korca. It is quite casual and fun, and for an introduction and orientation, it’s a good way to spend a couple of hours. Other highlights were eating lakror, a giant pie that is Korca’s specialty dish, at Shija e Saçit, hiking to the Martyrs Cemetery, Varrezat e Dëshmorëve, at sunset, and driving up to the Kryqi Moravë viewpoint just after sunrise.

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Having visited the North Macedonian side of Lake Ohrid (and the eponymous Ohrid) back in 2019, I was quite keen to see how the ‘other side’ of the lake compared. We ended up spending two nights in the area, staying in Pogradec (the biggest Albanian city on the lake) and in the cute village of Lin further north.

My conclusion: Albanian Ohrid is sparser and feels more threadbare. While you could happily spend a week in Ohrid city (like we did), Pogradec by comparison is small and a bit dated. You only need to spend one night on the lake – and it should definitely be in Lin.

Pogradec is a quick 50-minute drive from Korca via Sovjan. If you are so inclined, stop off to grab a coffee or breakfast, walk the waterfront promenade, and peek at the old houses in Toplec Quarter (around this point).

Another 20 minutes and you will reach Lin, which is everything Pogradec is not (sorry, Pogradec!). Now believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited village in Europe, it boasts Paleo Christian mosaics and Albania’s most photogenic bunker. Like Dhermi, Lin is another small village of cobbled streets and vernacular architecture that was made for wandering.

An hour or so away from Lin, the Royal Tombs of Selca date back to the days of the Illyrian Kingdom and were carved from the rocky terrain between the 4th and 1st centuries BC. Though not at all compulsory, the tombs are an adventure – and the rural location is quite spectacular. On the way, we stopped for the Ottoman-era Golikut Bridge, one of the loveliest stone bridges in Albania.

It is faster and easier to access the tombs from Lin (rather than Pogradec). Presently there are roadworks in this area, which makes it difficult to locate the correct road. Follow the sealed bitumen road as far as you can, past the bridge, turn left onto the new road, then continue along the concrete path.

Despite it being a tentative UNESCO Site, there is next to no signage for the tombs. We parked our car near the lone sign board then took a guess that the tombs would be located on top of the hill – we were right, thankfully. To find them, follow the concrete stairs to the top. The first few tombs are nice, but the most impressive ones are located around the corner.

Back in Lin, we checked into our delightful room at House 1960, put in our dinner order, and explored the village on foot. The caretaker unveiled a corner of the Lin Mosaic for us (like in Butrint, it is covered in sand for posterity), then we hiked out onto the peninsula to see the bunker caught between the glassy lake and a stormy sky.

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Waking up in Lin on the final morning of our road trip, we took one last walk down to the lakefront and greeted a trio of fishermen just as they were bringing in their haul. In under three hours we would be back in busy Tirana – so we savoured every last vignette of village life.

From Ohrid Lake, it is a straight shot along the highway back to Tirana via Elbasan. We had arranged to return our car in the late afternoon so we paced ourselves with a couple of stops here and there. The city of Elbasan (90 mins) looked interesting and I would have liked to have a proper walk around – maybe next time.

The road between Tirana and Lin follows the communist-era railroad that once connected all of Albania, but has long since been abandoned. Inspired by this guide, we stopped at the impressive Bushtrica Bridge and did a bit of urbexing at the abandoned train station in Xhyre. We also stopped in Perrenjas to photograph the industrial complex that has been decorated with ladybug murals.

Google Maps routed us back into Tirana via the same highway we had left on. We knew exactly where to go to get back to the rental office. Returning the car took less than five minutes, then we jumped a bus back to the city centre. We had enough time for an afternoon walk in the city and dinner in Blloku before flying out the following afternoon back to Kutaisi.

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