Саранда

Saranda is an old town, first settled by the Illyrian tribe of Chaonians who named it Onchesmus. Cicero mentions it as convenient harbor with favorable winds. The bay on which town is build gives Saranda its charming look, that can be better appreciated if approached from the sea. Many mosaics found in the town confirm that the town must have seen some above average development around 2nd and 3rd century AD. The town is a good base for exploring the most beautiful part of the Albanian coast — a strip also known as the Albanian riviera. Tthe coastal road to Vlore is also wonderful. Near Saranda there are the ruins of the ancient city of Butrint and the Springs of «Blue Eye». You can also visit the museum city, Gjirokastra. It is about 1.5 hours by bus.

The city of Saranda, also known as the «southern seaport of Albania», enjoys a favorable position in front of the Greek island of Corfu. Saranda and the surrounding area make up one of Albania’s most important tourist resources. The ancient city of Butrint lies south of Lake Butrint, about 18 km from Saranda. This is the most important archeological point of Albania, which since 1992 is on the UNESCO list. Other attractive objects are the points of cultural and historical heritage, such as the archaeological sites of Foinik (in Finiq), the castle of Lyceurs, (2 km south of Saranda), the ruins of the Monastery of 40 Saints, the Mesopotamian church, of the Blue Eye sources. From Saranda you can take a tour of the city with typical architecture of Gjirokastra, which is also on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2006. In Gjirokastra is Albania’s largest castle. There you can visit the Weapons Museum, located in the fortress, the Ethnographic Museum, located in the home where the communist insurgent Enver Hoxha was born, as well as the new museum in the home of the well-known writer in Europe, Ismail Kadare.

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