The cheapest country in Europe to travel in summer

El cheapest country in Europe to travel in summer is Albania. It is true that others like Poland o Bulgaria They are also very economical, but are currently less touristy than the Adriatic nation. And this despite the fact that, until not long ago, it was outside the travel circuits.

However, Albania has dream beaches bathed by the turquoise blue waters of the aforementioned Adriatic and the ionian sea. In addition, it offers you beautiful cities full of monuments and other natural spaces of great beauty. Next, we are going to tell you about the cheapest country in Europe to travel to in summer.

What to see in Albania?

As you know, Albania is located in the balkan peninsula, surrounded by the mountains of the same name and the aforementioned seas. He was part of the Greek Illyria and, later, it was called Albania by the Romans due to the whiteness of its snow-capped mountains. However, its inhabitants prefer the name Albania, which translates to Eagle, referring to the impregnability of its territory.

Already in the Middle Ages, it was part of the Byzantine Empire and, under the leadership of Skandenberg, a national hero par excellence, resisted the Ottomans for 25 years. Despite this, she ended up being defeated and remained in the Turkish Empire until the 20th century. Afterwards, it spent several decades closed to the West until, in the 21st century, it was opened to tourism.

Now that we know a little better about the history of Albania, we are going to discover everything that the cheapest country in Europe offers us to travel in summer.

The Albanian Riviera

If we tell you that a part of the country's coast receives the unofficial name of Albanian Riviera, you can get an idea of ​​its beauty and what it offers you. It is an area of ​​about one hundred kilometers that has, on one side, magnificent beaches with crystal-clear waters and small coves surrounded by dizzying cliffs. As for the other, you can see big mountains and all this with a climate that provides many hours of sunshine.

Mainly, it coincides with the region or vlore county, on the shores of the Ionian Sea. More specifically, it begins south of the Llogara National Park, with its impressive hiking routes, and is linked by the national highway SH8. Continue through towns like Himarë, Borsh, Piqeras, Queparo and Lukovë. In all of them you have spectacular beaches, good hotels and restaurants and a lively nightlife. But many traditional Mediterranean-style villages also dot the Albanian Riviera (e.g. The skin), with its Orthodox churches, its castles, its small ports and its vertiginous cliffs.

The capital of the Albanian Riviera is Vlore, a city of almost one hundred thousand inhabitants that brims with history and monumental heritage. In fact, it is one of the oldest in the country, since it was a Roman port and served as the first capital of the nation after independence in 1912. Precisely, here you have to see the monument and museum of Independence. Likewise, it is interesting Ethnographic.

But above all, if you visit Vlorë, you have to see the Muradije mosque, which was built in the 16th century and has withstood wars and earthquakes. Its author was the architect Sinan the Great on behalf of Suleiman the Magnificent. You should also know the Kuzum Baba Shrine, which dominates the city from a hill, and the Kaninë castle, also on the outskirts.

Likewise, you can take an excursion to the island of A beast, located in the Narta lagoon and where you have another monastery, in its case built between the 13th and 14th centuries. All this without forgetting the archaeological sites of Orikum y Amantia.

Finally, you cannot leave the Albanian Riviera without visiting the town of Saranda. In its surroundings you have the Blue Sky lagoon, one of the most beautiful in the country, and the ruins of the ancient Greek prehistoric city of Butrint, which is a World Heritage Site. Likewise, already within the town is the Byzantine church of San Nicolás de Bari.

The Albanian fjords, another wonder in the cheapest country in Europe

The cheapest country in Europe to travel to in summer also has, like Norway, its own fjords. These are the first foothills of the Albanian Dinaric Alps and frame the Komani lake. This was created by man by closing the Drina River with a dam.

To see them, you must take a ferry excursion from Komani to the town of Fierze by the waters of the aforementioned lake. Thus, you will see the impressive karst masses of the Prokletije mountains. The journey lasts between two and a half and three hours and covers about thirty-four kilometers. Additionally, the ferries have space for vehicles and outside seating so you can enjoy the scenery.

Food and drinks are sold on board. But they also stop at small piers where locals descend on donkeys to transport their products for sale. On the other hand, from the town of Fierzë you can take a beautiful hiking route to the town of Theth, already in the Valbona Natural Park, with its alpine landscapes, its lush forests and its deep valleys.

Berat, "the city of a thousand windows"

In the cheapest country in Europe to travel in summer you will also find beautiful inland towns. It is the case of Weightdeclared Heritage and known as "the city of a thousand windows." It owes this name to the uniqueness of its urban layout, with houses with many windows lying on a hill.

Precisely, these homes have a classic Ottoman structure and make up a beautiful historic center. Berat is surrounded by colossal mountains and is bathed by the osum river. In addition, it boasts of being the oldest city in the country. In fact, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, Slavs and Bulgarians have passed through it.

Dominating the town from above is its castle, which also has in its perimeter several churches and mosques. Under it, are the apples of Mengalem and the center of the town, while, on the opposite side, you have the historic Gorica square.

Gjrokastër

It is also Heritage like the previous one and, likewise, it is washed by a river, in this case the Drino. Not in vain, it preserves the vast majority of its monuments intact. The most important is your castle, a 12th century fortress that dominates it from the top of a mountain. Likewise, its walls and other buildings such as the Clock tower. Inside is the National Armament Museum.

But the most typical thing about Gjrokastër is its historic helmet of narrow and cobbled streets. They are roads like those of Ismail Kadare or Gjin Zenbesi that house the old bazaar, whose origins date back to the 16th century. There you can also see the O Xhamia e Pazarit mosque.

Another characteristic element of this city is the set of stately houses of Ottoman architecture. They are constructions of two or three heights, the lower ones made of stone and the upper one smooth with large windows. Finally, slate roofs crown them. Among them, we recommend that you look at the Zekate and Skenduli houses.

Precisely, one of these mansions is the one that saw the birth of Enver hoxha, dictator of the country for forty-one years. Currently, it is the headquarters of Ethnographic Museum. For his part, the Ali Pasha Bridge It is an old aqueduct from the 19th century. It is far from the center, but offers you wonderful views of the area.

Tirana

As with any other nation, to get to know Albania, the cheapest country in Europe, you have to visit its capital. It is a city of approximately eight hundred thousand inhabitants that has its origins in the Neolithic. Its nerve center is Skandenberg Square, where the best hotels are and around which the main monuments are located.

It is dominated by a statue dedicated to the character that gives it its name, the country's national hero, as we have already mentioned. You can also see there the Nacional History Museum, with a spectacular mosaic on its façade, and the palace of culture. For its part, Et'hem Bey Mosque It dates back to the 18th century and is very close to the Clock Tower, a century younger.

Likewise, it is spectacular Tirana castle, which competes with Petrela's, the latter twelve kilometers from the city. But the capital also has several Catholic churches of great beauty. Among them, the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection or the tempos of those of Santa María and San Procopio. Finally, other buildings such as the spectacular Pyramid (actually a museum dedicated to Hoxha), the Presidential or Brigade Palace, the one of University of Tirana or that of the Academy of Sciences They complete the monumental heritage of Tirana.

Tips for traveling to the cheapest country in Europe

To give you an idea of ​​the prices you can find in Albania, we will tell you that a hotel night can be around sixty euros and a meal twenty. However, as you can imagine, these references are valid for certain areas of the country, but not for others. For example, Tirana and the tourist area of ​​the Albanian Riviera are more expensive. As for flights, you can get round trip from Madrid o Barcelona for about one hundred and fifty euros.

On the other hand, the best time to visit this Balkan country is summer if you want to enjoy the beaches. However, spring and autumn are also pleasant to discover it. As for the language, it won't be difficult for you to be understood. In tourist areas, many people defend themselves in English and in others they do it in Italian taste because of the proximity of this nation.

The coin is the lek, whose exchange rate is unbalanced with the euro: one of these is equivalent to 105 leks. But in most businesses they accept the euro itself. However, we advise you to change because, if you pay in our currency, you will lose money.

In conclusion, the cheapest country in Europe to travel in summer is Albania. And, as you see, it has a lot to offer you. To the places that we have recommended, you can also add the city of Kruje, where the Albanian language was born and the country's nationality began to take shape. Come and get to know Albania and enjoy it.