First Impressions of Albania
I used to think that countries that have endured great hardship somehow produce kinder people. I’m not sure why I believed that. It’s clearly not a universal truth. But in Albania… maybe there’s something to it?
In parts of the Balkans, I find people emotionally closed off, polite but cold. Albanians were the opposite: curious, welcoming, eager to talk about their country, their families, and where Albania is headed next.
There’s no performative hospitality here. People are just chill – there’s beaches, wine, simple healthy food, low cost of living. By the 3rd day, I was asking “wait why don’t we live here?”
So why do I love Albania so much? It’s the history, it’s the people, it’s the landscape. I’m going to try to explain.
Albania’s History and Identity
Albania has been ruled by the Romans, Greeks, and Ottomans, and later occupied by Italy during World War II.
From the late 1940s until the early 1990s, Albania lived under one of the most isolated communist dictatorships in the world. Travel was restricted. Trade was cut off. Outside influence was nearly nonexistent.
Many families fled during or just after this period. But somehow, that isolation preserved something rare: a strong national identity without resentment or xenophobia.
Language, Wine, and Ancient Roots
The Albanian Language
The Albanian language stands apart as one of Europe’s oldest continuously spoken languages. Many Albanians trace their heritage to the Illyrians, an ancient Balkan people, and so do many people in Kosovo. That shared identity is why Kosovars wave the Albanian flag with pride too. Dua Lipa’s parents are from Kosovo (formerly part of Yugoslavia), and she identifies as ethnically Albanian, because they consider themselves the same people. I wrote a college paper about the war and genocide in Yugoslavia, but I definitely need to brush up on this.
Wine, Older Than You Think
Albania has great wine country, and it’s one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions! Archaeological evidence shows wine fermentation here dating back thousands of years, connecting modern vineyards to ancient traditions.
Coffee and Albania: The Ottoman Legacy
I love cafés, and Albanian cafés love me back.
Albania’s excellent cafĂ© culture is a leftover gift from the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region for nearly five centuries. Coffeehouses were social hubs for gossip and passing time. It still feels like that.
Fun fact: The Ottoman Empire officially ended after World War I, dissolving in 1922, and the Republic of Turkey was founded under Mustafa Kemal AtatĂĽrk the following year.
If you’re wondering what to drink in Albania, try the local take on Greek-style cold freddo coffee, or even coffee mixed with raki, the national grape brandy. I wrote a whole article about the cafĂ©s I visited in VlorĂ«.
Why Italian Is Widely Spoken in Albania
Because of the Italian occupation during World War II and decades of Italian TV afterward, many older Albanians speak Italian rather than English.
I don’t speak Italian, but I do speak Spanish. More than once, I’d speak Spanish, they’d reply in Italian, and we just made it work. Love.
The Meaning Behind Albania’s Flag
I love Albania’s flag, and Albanians really love their flag. There’s a joke: you’ll never have to guess if a man is Albanian, because he’ll have the flag tattooed somewhere visible. (Cute.)
The flag is red with a black double-headed eagle, which represents valor and watching two directions at once. After centuries of invasions, Albania always had to be on the defensive. The flag perfectly captures Albania’s history of resilience.
Food in Albania: Simple, Fresh, Mediterranean
Albanian food is refreshingly uncomplicated. Tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olive oil, fresh bread, grilled fish, and seasonal vegetables.
Albania is famous for byrek (often called Albanian pizza). I’ve had bad byrek. I’ve had incredible byrek. When it’s good, it’s unforgettable! My favorite was at Sofra Tradicionale in VlorĂ«. It takes hours to make, so you have to send them a WhatsApp message beforehand to order.
An Albanian Boat Tour I’ll Never Forget
On a boat tour along the Albanian Riviera, the operator brought his cousins along. They were loud, drunk, chaotic young men: classic Balkan summer energy.
I think everyone else on the boat (there were about 20 of us) was quite vexed by the rambunctious activity. I, on the other hand, absolutly loved it and felt like I was getting a free show with my tour
I chatted with all of them. They told me about their lives abroad in Dubai, Barcelona, and London, but every summer they return here, to this coast, to reconnect with family, friends, and the rhythms of home.
Why I’d Move to the Albanian Riviera
I was on a bus from Tirana to VlorĂ«, heading toward Albania’s southern coast, when it hit me: this place is next.
It was the same feeling I had in Mexico City in 2018, when apartments were still selling for $70k and Americans weren’t buzzing about it yet. That certainty you get when a place is right on the edge of global attention.
Albania gives me that.
Pros of Living in Albania
- Low cost of living
- Massive room for economic growth (no Uber or Bolt, yet)
- Easy access to Italy and Greece
- A Mediterranean diet that supports a healthy lifestyle
- No history of being a colonizer
- A long tradition of religious tolerance (Muslim and Christian coexistence, no religious civil war)
- Americans can stay one year visa-free
- Americans can buy property without a permit
- As low as €500 per square meter
- Apartments around $100k still exist
- Albania is actively working to join the EU, although many people don’t believe it’ll ever happen, so if you obtained Albanian citizenship maybe eventually you’d be an EU citizen.
Cons of Living in Albania
- Summers are very hot
- The trash pickup system is bad. There’s a lot of litter.
- The main international airport is about 2.5 hours from VlorĂ«. BUT, A new airport near VlorĂ« (about 20 miles away) is being built but isn’t open yet. It will speed up tourism and development even more, but it’s next to a protected bird habitat, so people are protesting it.
Final Thoughts on Albania
Albania is country ready to be seen!
It’s affordable, culturally rich, emotionally warm, and still mostly under the radar. There’s a confidence here that doesn’t ask for validation, which might be what makes it so magnetic.
I LOVE HER.
And maybe because I love her, I worry a little too. Rapid development and foreign investment can be a double-edged sword. When things move too fast, the cost of living rises, communities get reshaped, and the quieter parts of a place can disappear before anyone has time to notice.
I just hope Albania gets to grow on her own terms.
More Albania Travel Guides
- The Perfect Albania Road Trip: Where to Go
- Living in VlorĂ«, Albania: What It’s Really Like on the Albanian Riviera
- The Best Cafés in Vlorë, Albania
- Day Trip from Sarandë (Albania) to Corfu (Greece)