Trip through the Riviera Albana between wild beaches, unexpected villages and archaeological remains
Butrinto through history
The 20 kilometers of road that separate Saranda from the Butrinto National Park can be covered in 40 minutes. That it takes so long has to do with the state of the Albanian roads since in this part of the country they are narrow and two-way. For whoever is behind the wheel, it means a good contact with local drivers, used to risky overtaking and parking in unexpected places.
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As you descend towards the archaeological site of Butrinto, located on a kind of island bathed by the Ionian Sea, the views are spectacular. The landscape is made up of a succession of small towns and lands of lush vegetation where it is common to see numerous waterfowl, grazing cows or wild horses. To access the site, located on the other shore, you have to get on a floating wooden platform propelled by a very rudimentary system of pulleys. Before, you can visit the Venetian castle in the shape of a triangular fort that was built in the 15th century to protect the small town.
With an extension of more than 200 hectares, the archaeological park preserves remains of the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman past. The oldest ruins date back to the Bronze Age, but the city as a permanent settlement was built by the Greeks in the eighth century B.C. This impressive open-air museum was discovered in 1920 by Italian archaeologists and since 1992 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is advisable to go slowly, but a morning or afternoon is enough to visit.