View over Kruje, Albania, from an old stone terrace next to the Dollma Teqe. Built in 1789, this ancient mosque on the grounds of Kruja (Krujë) Castle, belongs to the Sufi order of the Bektashi. Once banned by the Ditator Hoxha, today the sect is once again allowed to worship. I had tea in the … Read more
The front desk clerk at my hotel didn’t hesitate a moment when I asked if she could recommend a good restaurant in Tirana. “Oda Restaurant,” she said. “You will love it.” Off I went, without even asking what type of cuisine they served. My GPS soon showed that I was close. I was debating whether … Read more
Skanderberg Square, seen from the balcony of Tirana International Hotel in Tirana, Albania, is the main tourist attraction in the capital city. It is named after the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg, whose statue sits in the middle of the grassy green oval. The 36-foot tall monument was inaugurated in the 1968, on the 500th anniversary … Read more
You won’t find any amusement parks at Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. Nor will you find a wild party scene. You can windsurf on the lake, but this isn’t the adventure capital of the world, either. There are no aggressive in-your-face touts littering the town’s main square and even the handful of vendors selling Ohrid’s famous pearls … Read more
Macedonian Orthodox Church St Clement and Panteleimon sits high on a bluff overlooking Lake Ohrid in Ohrid, North Macedonia. It was built in 893 on the foundation of the early Christian basilica known as Plasonik.
