Apollonia
A journey of colorful events from early antiquity to the modern time of new business, urban and rural developments. Go to the ancient city where the First Roman Emperor got educated and visit the Monastery of Ardenica, the only hide for the survivals in the plain after the earthquake and malaria swamps wiped out almost everything.
09.00 - 10.30 Transfer to Apollonia
10.30 - 12.30 The archeological site is located 12 km west from of Fier.
Upon the ruins of Illyrian Gylakea, Apollonia was founded at the beginning of the 7th century BC by the Greek colonists coming from Corinth and Corcyra. In Roman times, Apollonia was a large and flourishing city near Aos river (today Vjosa). Of great interest to be visited are; The Encircling Wall, the monuments of Agonothetes, the Library, the Odeon, the Portico, the house with mosaics, The Museum of Apollonia, the Church of St. Mary. Unfortunately, some of the statues and object were appropriated before 1946 by other countries. Those remaining are displayed in the museum, which is housed in the monastery.
12.30 - 14.00 Lunch at nice traditional restaurant (Optional)
14.00 - 15.00 Transfer to Vlora city
15.00 - 17.30 Short visit of the city and free time for swimming. Walking tour of Vlora city - explore the Independence Square and the old town.
17.30 -19.00 Your driver and guide will escort you back to your hotel.
Good to know
- Location: Fier - Vlora
- Duration: 10 hours
- Schedule Times: the tour will start at 09:00 and finish at 19:00
- Available days/Dates: Every Tuesday
- Pick up: Tirana
- Drop off: Tirana
- Service type: Escorted bus tour with professional guide
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Including:
- Transportation AC vehicle, including all taxes, parking and road tolls
- Professional Local Guide English speaking – according to the program
- Entrance fees as detailed in the program
Not Including:
- Extras out of program
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Mother Teresa (Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu) is generally celebrated as the only Albanian to win a Nobel Prize, though born in Skopje in 1910 (now in Macedonia but then in the Ottoman Empire).
- Between 1950 to 1985 around 600,000 bunkers were built in Albania, they are nearly impossible to destroy so many are still in existence.
- Noding your head in Albania is a disagreement while shaking the head means “yes”, so it can get pretty confusing for tourists.
- At its closest point Albania is only 10km away from Corfu across the Ionian Sea.
- Hoxha’s official title was ‘Comrade-Chairman-Prime Minister-Foreign Minister-Minister of War-Commander in Chief of the People’s Army’ – quite a mouthful!
- Under the leadership of Enver Hoxha, Albania was declared the world’s first atheist state in 1967.
- Xhiro is the name for an evening walk in Albania. Some of the towns close roads to cars at certain times of the evening so locals can talk their daily stroll.
- Norman Wisdom was a cult figure in Albania where he was one of the few Western actors whose films were allowed in the country under Hoxha’s dictatorship
- Officially 70% of Albanians are Muslim but the number who actively practice is much lower.
- George Kastriot Skanderbeg
- Mother Teresa
- Fan Noli
- Pope Clement XI
- Gjon Mili
- Ismail Kadare
- Ferid Murad
- Inva Mula
- Eliza Dushku
- John and Jim Belushi
- Ermonela Joha