Tirane & Kruje, Albania
Over the past several days, we’ve deepened our understanding of both the history of, and the issues facing, the different countries on the Balkan Peninsula. On the Croatian coast, we saw the natural beauty of the region and learned much about its history, from Roman to Venetian, Ottoman to modern. In Montenegro yesterday, we scratched the surface of the region’s turbulent modern history, but today, we dove in deep.
Arriving in Albania’s principal port, Durres, this morning, we began a day of contrasts that sparked many questions and more than a little contemplation. As the primary port of a young democracy, Durres has the raw industrial feel of a country yearning for “progress”. From here, we traveled by secondary roads to the nation’s capitol, Tirane. In the space of an hour, we moved from a rough industrial port city through rural countryside, complete with shepherds tending their small flocks, to a modern European capitol, with plenty of traffic and fast food.
Here in Tirane, our guides Ulz and Kela walked us through the National History Museum, interpreting more than 3000 years of Albanian history. The story of Albania is that of the entire Mediterranean region, with a twist. Albanians are thought to be directly descended from the ancient Illyrians, tribes that populated much of the Adriatic Coast in pre-Hellenistic times. Also, the medieval prince and warrior Skanderbej continues to be a national hero, after he organized Albanian feudal lords to resist Ottoman rule in the mid-15th century. Our journey through Albanian history ended with the grim reminder of the concentration camps and “ethnic cleansing” of the late 1990s. Most of us then chose to walk a little over a mile down Tirane’s main boulevard, past a giant statue of Skanderbej, the late 18th century Et’hem Bey mosque, the Presidential Palace and the National University. A delicious lunch and traditional dance performance awaited us at the castle-like Juvenilja Restaurant.
From here, we returned to our coaches for the exciting ride up to the small town of Kruje, nearly 600 meters above sea level. The recent rains and wind have freshened the air and visibility was excellent today, allowing us to see all the way to the Adriatic. A tour through the small ethnographic museum gave us countless photo opportunities, as did a walk through the medieval bazaar.
At the end of the day, we returned to the comfort of our boat with the words of our guide Ulz sparking conversation and contemplation. He reminded us that although the Balkan countries are divided by different languages and borders on a map, his hope is that they can be united by their common history and vision for the future.
Over the past several days, we’ve deepened our understanding of both the history of, and the issues facing, the different countries on the Balkan Peninsula. On the Croatian coast, we saw the natural beauty of the region and learned much about its history, from Roman to Venetian, Ottoman to modern. In Montenegro yesterday, we scratched the surface of the region’s turbulent modern history, but today, we dove in deep.
Arriving in Albania’s principal port, Durres, this morning, we began a day of contrasts that sparked many questions and more than a little contemplation. As the primary port of a young democracy, Durres has the raw industrial feel of a country yearning for “progress”. From here, we traveled by secondary roads to the nation’s capitol, Tirane. In the space of an hour, we moved from a rough industrial port city through rural countryside, complete with shepherds tending their small flocks, to a modern European capitol, with plenty of traffic and fast food.
Here in Tirane, our guides Ulz and Kela walked us through the National History Museum, interpreting more than 3000 years of Albanian history. The story of Albania is that of the entire Mediterranean region, with a twist. Albanians are thought to be directly descended from the ancient Illyrians, tribes that populated much of the Adriatic Coast in pre-Hellenistic times. Also, the medieval prince and warrior Skanderbej continues to be a national hero, after he organized Albanian feudal lords to resist Ottoman rule in the mid-15th century. Our journey through Albanian history ended with the grim reminder of the concentration camps and “ethnic cleansing” of the late 1990s. Most of us then chose to walk a little over a mile down Tirane’s main boulevard, past a giant statue of Skanderbej, the late 18th century Et’hem Bey mosque, the Presidential Palace and the National University. A delicious lunch and traditional dance performance awaited us at the castle-like Juvenilja Restaurant.
From here, we returned to our coaches for the exciting ride up to the small town of Kruje, nearly 600 meters above sea level. The recent rains and wind have freshened the air and visibility was excellent today, allowing us to see all the way to the Adriatic. A tour through the small ethnographic museum gave us countless photo opportunities, as did a walk through the medieval bazaar.
At the end of the day, we returned to the comfort of our boat with the words of our guide Ulz sparking conversation and contemplation. He reminded us that although the Balkan countries are divided by different languages and borders on a map, his hope is that they can be united by their common history and vision for the future.
