UNESCO World Heritage site in Albania
1.Gjirokastër:
- Known as the "Stone
City," Gjirokastër's cobblestone streets wind their way up steep
hills, leading to a formidable fortress with views spanning the Drino
Valley. The city is characterized by its unique Ottoman-period
architecture, with slate-roofed houses that seem to cascade down the
hillside.
- Legend says that the city was
founded by a princess named Argjiro who tragically leapt from the castle
walls with her child to avoid capture by invaders. Listen closely and you
might just hear tales of her spirit guarding the city.
- Berat:
- Often called the "City of a
Thousand Windows," Berat’s white Ottoman houses climb up the hill to
its castle, creating a picturesque view. The city, which is one of the
oldest in Albania, contains mosques and churches dating back to the 15th
century.
- Berat is said to be the proud
possessor of a piece of the true cross on which Jesus was crucified. It's
stored in the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae and is brought out in a
procession during the city's annual summer festival.
- Butrint:
- Nestled amidst dense vegetation,
Butrint is a microcosm of Mediterranean history. From its ancient theater
and Roman temples to the early Christian baptistery adorned with
intricate mosaics, the site tells tales from its Greek, Roman, Byzantine,
and Venetian past.
- Butrint's history is intertwined
with myth. Ancient tales suggest the city was founded by the Trojans
after the fall of Troy. Some even believe that the legendary oracles of
Dodona once whispered prophecies among the ancient ruins.
- Ancient and Primeval Beech
Forests:
- This site, shared with other
European countries, celebrates the age-old beech tree. Albania's portion
of this heritage is a testament to nature's timelessness and the profound
interconnectedness of Europe’s natural landscape.
- Ever thought trees could
'migrate'? The spread of the beech tree across Europe after the last Ice
Age is one of nature's grand stories of adaptation and survival. Walking
among these ancient trees in Albania, one can't help but feel the
whispers of millennia gone by.
When
visiting these sites, it's always the small, hidden tales and legends, often
passed down through generations, that bring the history and mystique alive. It
makes the journey not just about seeing, but experiencing and feeling the depth
of time and stories that the place holds.
How to
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