Valona
Vlorë, known in Italian as Valona, is the gateway to the Albanian Riviera and one of the places where the country's history was wr...
Updated 9 July 2026
Valona
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Valona now
The story
The story of Valona
Origins and ancient times
The territory of Vlorë was inhabited since antiquity by the Illyrians, a people who controlled the coastal routes of the southern Adriatic. The Greeks founded colonies here along the coast, favored by the strategic position of the gulf, sheltered and enclosed, ideal as a natural harbor for ships heading toward southern Italy, just across the Strait of Otranto. In Roman times the area fell within the orbit of the Via Egnatia, the great road linking the Adriatic to Byzantium, and the ports of the area became essential stops for trade and military movements between the two shores of the sea. Finds and settlements scattered across the province bear witness to this very long stratification, which makes Vlorë one of the most history-dense areas of the entire Albanian coast.
Byzantium, Venice and the age of foreign rule
With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Vlorë came under Byzantine influence, becoming an outpost contested between Constantinople and the Western powers. In the Middle Ages the city and its gulf were at the center of the ambitions of the Republic of Venice and the Kingdom of Naples, which saw in it an ideal stronghold for controlling the southern Adriatic; Norman and Angevin incursions were not lacking either. This succession of dominations left a legacy of fortifications, churches and a layered urban fabric, which later culminated in the long Ottoman era, lasting centuries and capable of profoundly transforming the city's urban layout, religion and customs.
Ottoman rule and the birth of independent Albania
Under the Ottoman Empire, starting in the 15th century, Vlorë grew into an important commercial and military center, enriched with mosques, bazaars and public buildings in Turkish style. It was right here that, in the early twentieth century, the movement for Albanian independence came to fruition: on November 28, 1912, Ismail Qemali gathered delegates from the Albanian regions and proclaimed the birth of the independent state, raising the flag with the double-headed eagle for the first time. That event made Vlorë the founding symbol of the nation, a role the city still claims today through monuments, civic commemorations and the street names of its center.
The twentieth century: wars, occupations and regime
The twentieth century brought new upheavals to Vlorë: the Italian occupation during the First World War, the strategic importance of the gulf during the Second World War and, later, decades of communist rule under Enver Hoxha, who turned the province into a heavily fortified military stronghold, with the island of Sazan converted into a submarine base off-limits to civilians. The concrete bunkers that still dot the hills and beaches of the Riviera are the most tangible evidence of that era of isolation, today reinterpreted by tourism as a historical curiosity rather than a threat.
The Independence Monument and the city center
In the heart of Vlorë, Flag Square is home to the Independence Monument, which celebrates the 1912 proclamation with a sculptural group dedicated to Ismail Qemali and the delegates who stood alongside him. It is the symbolic heart of the city, a destination for official ceremonies and everyday strolls, surrounded by cafés, shops and the tree-lined avenue that descends toward the port. Around the square one senses the civic spirit of Vlorë, a city that has managed to reconcile the memory of its national awakening with the vitality of a growing urban center, open to the sea and to the commercial traffic of the gulf.
Kanina Castle
Perched on a hilltop just a few kilometers from the center, Kanina Castle dominates the Gulf of Vlorë from a position that alone speaks to its strategic importance: from here, access to the port and the routes to the hinterland were controlled. Its origins go back to the Byzantine era, but the fortification was expanded and reworked in subsequent centuries, particularly during Ottoman rule. Today, amid crumbling walls and partially preserved towers, the castle offers one of the most striking views in the province, with the eye sweeping from the gulf all the way to the island of Sazan on clear days, an ideal spot for sunset.
Zvërnec Monastery
On a small islet set within the Narta Lagoon, reachable by a wooden walkway winding through reed beds and stretches of water, stands Zvërnec Monastery, dedicated to Saint Elijah. Built in the Byzantine era and restored several times since, it is one of the most poetic places in the province: the suspended atmosphere of the lagoon, home to waterbirds and fishermen, makes a visit here an almost meditative experience, far from the bustle of the city center. The small monastic complex, with its stone church and the remains of the monks' cells, speaks of a secluded spirituality that has come down through the centuries almost untouched.
Muradie Mosque and the Ottoman traces
Within the urban fabric of Vlorë, traces of Ottoman architecture survive, including Muradie Mosque, built in the sixteenth century and attributed, according to local tradition, to the school of the great architect Sinan. With its dome and slender minaret, it remains one of the oldest religious symbols in the city, a landmark for the Albanian Muslim community and a testament to four centuries of Ottoman presence that shaped the city's urban layout, trades and even local cuisine.
Sazan Island and the Llogara Pass
At the mouth of the gulf stands Sazan, the largest Albanian island, for decades a secret military base and today gradually opening up to guided visits that reveal its bunkers, tunnels and wild coastline. A little further south, the road climbing toward Llogara National Park offers one of the most spectacular scenic passes in the Balkans: at over a thousand meters of altitude, amid forests of black pine, the view suddenly plunges down onto the blue of the Riviera, heralding the stretch of coast leading toward Dhërmi, Jalë and Himara, with coves often reachable only on foot or by boat.
The landscape: gulf, lagoon and the Ceraunian Mountains
The province of Vlorë holds a rare variety of landscapes: the broad, sheltered gulf of the provincial capital, the brackish Narta Lagoon with its historic salt pans and its birdlife, and further south the steep cliffs of the Ceraunian Mountains plunging straight into the Ionian Sea. It is a territory where the sea changes color and temperature as it moves from the Adriatic into the Mediterranean proper, and where the hilly hinterland, planted with olive groves and vineyards, offers a rural counterpoint to the touristy coast, with stone villages that still preserve an agricultural and pastoral rhythm of life.
Traditions, flavors and popular culture
The cuisine of Vlorë is that of a seaside city on the border of worlds: fresh grilled fish, mussels from the Narta Lagoon, local olive oil among the most prized in the country, and dishes that betray Greek, Italian and Ottoman influences all at once. There is no shortage of desserts made with honey and dried fruit, a legacy of Turkish tradition, nor of fish markets overlooking the port, where city life mingles with the fishermen's work. Popular festivals, often tied to the Orthodox and Muslim religious calendars that coexist in the province, enliven the summer with music, dancing and the characteristic Albanian hospitality, made of laden tables and long conversations.
When to go and how to experience the province
The best season runs from May to September, with the tourist peak in July and August along the Riviera, when the most famous beaches become crowded with Balkan and international visitors. Those seeking more tranquility may prefer June or September, months when the sea is already warm but the pace remains more relaxed. The city of Vlorë is pleasant to experience even out of season, thanks to its mild climate and the liveliness of its center; the province, on the other hand, reveals its best side to those who have time to move around, alternating days at the beach with excursions to hillside villages and historic sites in the hinterland.
- Stroll to the Independence Monument and Vlorë seafront
- Sunset from Kanina Castle with views over the gulf
- Visit to Zvërnec Monastery via the lagoon walkway
- Excursion to Sazan Island and its military bunkers
- Scenic crossing of the Llogara Pass toward the Riviera
- Swim in the crystal-clear waters of Dhërmi and Jalë
- Tasting of fish and local olive oil at the port restaurants
- Visit to Muradie Mosque and the Ottoman old town
FAQ
Come si arriva a Valona?
Quando è il periodo migliore per visitare Valona e la Riviera?
Cosa vedere in un solo giorno a Valona?
Si può visitare l'isola di Sazan?
Valona è adatta a un viaggio con bambini?
Dove si parcheggia in centro a Valona?
Getting there
- Aeroporto Internazionale di Tirana "Nënë Tereza", circa 145 km / 2-2,5 ore d'auto
- Valona è collegata a Tirana tramite la superstrada SH4, percorribile in circa 2 ore; da sud si raggiunge da Saranda e dalla Riviera Albanese seguendo la SH8 attraverso il passo di Llogara.
- D'estate meglio evitare il tratto costiero verso Dhërmi e Himara nelle ore centrali del giorno, quando il traffico sulla strada panoramica rallenta notevolmente; il traghetto da Brindisi è un'ottima alternativa all'aereo per chi arriva dall'Italia.
Perfect for
Culla dell'indipendenza albanese e crocevia di dominazioni bizantine e ottomane, con castelli, moschee e monasteri da scoprire.
Dal golfo ampio del capoluogo alle calette turchesi della Riviera oltre il passo di Llogara, per ogni tipo di bagnante.
Laguna di Narta, Parco Nazionale di Llogara e Monti Ceraunici regalano paesaggi tra i più vari della costa albanese.
Pesce fresco, olio d'oliva pregiato e influenze greche e ottomane in una cucina di porto autentica.
Escursioni all'isola militare di Sazan e trekking tra i borghi collinari dell'entroterra, tra bunker e panorami.
To see
What to see in Valona
Routes · Trovido Route
