Durres
Durres is my little Italian girl, who I fell in love with a year and a half ago. Why that late? Simply because the 35-minute journey into the city centre can take up to two hours or more in traffic jams and heat, especially during the height of summer, when thousands of tourists besiege the concrete hotels in Durres Plazh and the beach. That's why I didn't dare to visit the city until a late October day – and I was quickly enamoured!
Palm trees line the wide Bulevardi Epidamn with a variety of restaurants, cafes, shops and the architecturally very charming Liberty Square. in small roads, parallel to this flagship boulevard, you can discover relics of the Middle Ages and antiquity, which blend into the modern skyline in a very bizarre yet charming way. And the seafront promenade is also within walking distance of the old town. It is probably more beautiful in autumn, when wind and waves lap against it, than walking along during the summer time together with crowds of tourists.
A brief look at the history of Durres explains the city's strange mix of ancient, medieval and modern. Along with Apollonia and Butrint, Durres, in former times Epidamnos, was the third of the Greek colonies in Albania. Never conquered by the Romans, it was only under Augustus that a few of their veterans settled here, whose penchant for blood and games probably led to the built of the amphitheatre, which is quite unusual for a Greek city. In the Middle Ages, the Byzantines, the Normans, the French and the Venetians took turns to occupy the city, which was strategically perfect located on the Via Egnatia with its natural harbour. But then the Ottomans came. The harbour silted up, the area was infested with malaria and the people moved to other regions. At the beginning of the 20th century, Durres was nothing more than a sleepy village with around 120 houses. It was the communist regime, who recognised the potential of this place again – which today, with its cargo handling and ferry connections, is Albania's gateway to the world and the country's second largest city.
Here, too, it is worth staying overnight, even if the sights can be seen in one day. The nightlife in Durres is lively, the illuminated cityscapes are magnificent and I recommend a trip after breakfast to Cape Rodon, a peninsula between Durres and Lezha with beautiful beaches, a church from the 12th century and the medieval fortress of the same name. It is open during the season but not in the off-season. With its quay jutting out into the sea, the place feels like a strange end of the world. Why strange? Find it out yourselves - I won't place a spoiler here ;)!
My accommodation tip for Durres: Ghulia Albergo, central and in close proximity to the magnificent boulevard, the old town and the beach promenade, and also blessed with a car park right outside. Even though you have to pay for it, anyone who has ever looked for a free parking space in Durres (and that also in the middle of winter) will appreciate it! The rooms are large, the balcony overlooks a quiet old town lane, and the breakfast buffet is fantastic.
