A day in Durres

At around 30 minutes by car from Tirana, there is an interesting Albanian town called Durres, one of the most important of the country, especially for its port. The place is nice and there are a good archeological museum and a site with a Roman amphitheater. On the top of the hill, with a marvelous view of the town and on the sea there is a big villa of the former king, realized in 1927. In front of the port, there is a lower part of the old wall created to protect Durres.

Going around it is easy to find nice buildings and to know the local history, but the place is well known also for the beach and the sea. The walk on the seaside is lovely, even do there are huge new tall buildings realized almost on the beach, too much for the view and the environment. To enjoy better the city and maybe have a break it is a good idea to try the restaurants and the bars.

In the Venetian Tower, there is a nice bar, well-integrated with the ancient setting of the building, meanwhile in front of that one there a modern building with a bar on the top. It is the Fly Tower from where the panorama is really amazing. For the lunch, the typical Albanian meat has to leave space to the fish and a very good place, quite elegant with a typical setting and high-quality ingredients, is Kodra e Kuajve, which offers traditional recipes well cooked by the chef.

There are also many Italian restaurants, but in Albania, it is a pity to not eat the local food. After a good lunch, it should be always some space for ice cream. There are excellent options, almost like the Italian one as taste. Durres has to be visited and explored also to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere created by the friendly inhabitants, very welcoming people.