Shkodra city is situated in the north-western part of Albania, giving its name to the biggest lake in the Balkans. It is one of the oldest cities in Albania, with a history of a thousand years of habitation. The oldest wall of the Shkodra castle dates from the 1st millennium B.C. The Roman historian Livy cited the town as the capital of the Illyrian king Gent, who fought the Romans in 168 B.C.

We will visit Rozafa castle offering tremendous scenery of the lake and the three rivers melting all together in the Adriatic Sea.

The city’s architecture is highly influenced by the Venetian style and if you are lucky enough to join the tour of Shkodra in February you might experience the carnival festival. Guests are surprised to learn that most of the Venetian masks are handmade and produced in Shkodra.

Later we will cross border towards Kosovo. We will continue our tour towards Prizren, considered as the cultural capital of Kosovo, mixing its rich history, incredible nature, religious tolerance and gastronomic delights. Prizren has played an important role in the region as an Illyrian settlement and a crossroad for the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, contributing to the unique architecture of the city. The river flows through the heart of the old town and under the many bridges that criss-cross the city. If you are looking to experience a lively international experience you should visit Prizren during August when the medieval city becomes home to one of the most famous short film festivals in the world named Dokufest. The best way to explore the town is by wandering through the streets passing by elegant medieval houses that fight for your attention. Filigree artisanal techniques for precious metals are Prizren’s joy and pride.

If you have to choose just one mosque to visit then visit the Sinan Pasha Mosque, rich in arabesque colour and pattern.

The view from the fortress on the hill above the town, offers a great panorama of this astonishing town

Before heading towards N. Macedonia, we will visit the capital of Kosovo, Pristina. We will visit the Newborn monument, symbol of the independence and being a young new country. We will walk towards the main boulevard in the capital. Sheshi Nena Tereza is a nice street to stroll through and enjoy a coffee at one of the bars. Here we will also pass the Skanderberg square with the statue of Skanderberg himself, the national Albanian hero.

Our tour continues towards Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. The city has European, Ottoman and even Asian influences.

The Stone Bridge connects the new part to the old part of the city.

Impossible to miss in Skopje is the Alexander the Great Statue in the centre. Another bridge that stands out is the Art Bridge, lined with flamboyant street lanterns and statues of Macedonian artists and musicians

We will wander through the Old Bazaar of Skopje, the biggest one in the Balkans, that combines the modern way of living with centuries of history.

Today we will continue our city tour of Ohrid, one of the most seductive destinations in N. Macedonia, indicated as one of the oldest human settlements in all of Europe. Ohrid city and Ohrid Lake are part of UNESCO World Heritage since 1980. Ohrid Lake and its surroundings where inhabited by the Illyrian Tribe of Enkeleys. The Lake was named by the Romans as “Lyhnidas” (the Light Lake). Our tour continues to the city of Ohrid (UNESCO world heritage) an important centre of Orthodoxy. We will continue our tour and visit the famous view point of church of St. John, the church of St. Nicolas and the mosque Halveti Hayati Tekke. Ohrid became an important centre for the Orthodox believers during the Byzantine Empire and is famous for its 365 Orthodox churches, said to have one church for each day of the year. During the Ottoman Empire the city grew on the hills and surrounding areas by the lake.

Later we will drive towards Berat (Albania), known as the town of 1001 windows part of UNESCO world heritage. Walking through the narrowed stone streets offers a fantastic view of the medieval old houses, with windows that seem to stand on top of each other. The city’s life began in the 6th-5th century B.C. as an Illyrian settlement. Later, in the 3rd century B.C., it was turned into a castle city known as Antipatrea. Uniquely today, residents still live inside of the castle walls.

Berat has it all; a beautiful medieval castle, ancient churches and mosques, a lively lower town consisting of grand old houses draped on steep hillsides, an old stone bridge, great museums and remains from the communist era in Albania.

Berat is also known as the birthplace of Onufri, the famous painter of churches all-over the Balkans, distinguished for creating a specific reddish colour still difficult to imitate.

We will continue our tour and visit the Gorica Neighbourhood.

After exploring Berat we will drive back to Tirana. This marks the end of this amazing experience through history and culture.