The distinctive yet all-encompassing architecture of Albania is one of the biggest draws to the country. Many of the world’s ancient civilizations have passed through Albania, each leaving their particular trace on the country’s architectural legacy which includes Illyrian, Greek, Roman (Butrint), Byzantine, Ottoman (Gjirokastra and Berat), Austro-Hungarian, Venetian (Shkodra), Italian, and finally communist, post-communist, and modern western influences (Tirana).

Grand medieval castles and ancient bridges, intimate Venetian houses  and ancient cities, archeological parks, churches and mosques whose intricate frescoes and mosaics rival the world’s most famous ones, brightly-painted facades of communist-era residential buildings, Fascist-era monuments and institutions, iconic landmarks, and those famous bunkers, slowly becoming some of the best hostels in Europe!

Yet, here, there’s always more! For its small size, Albania contains an overwhelming amount of the world’s history within it. The entire nation resembles an open-air museum with countless stories to tell.