Butrint sits on a peninsula in southern Albania near the Greek border. The UNESCO World Heritage site contains Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian ruins spanning 2,500 years. Excavations began under Italian archaeologist Luigi Maria Ugolini in 1928. The theater dates to the 3rd century BC. The baptistery contains floor mosaics from the 6th century AD. The Venetians built fortifications in the 15th and 16th centuries. The site sits within Butrint National Park along the Vivari Channel across from Corfu.
Apollonia lies 11 kilometers west of Fier. Julius Caesar used the city as a military base. The poet Augustus studied here in 44 BC before returning to Rome after Caesar's assassination. The Library of Apollonia dates to the 3rd century BC. The Bouleuterion served as the city council meeting hall. The Byzantine Monastery of Saint Mary stands on the acropolis. Excavations started in 1924 under French archaeologist Léon Rey. The Archaeological Museum of Apollonia opened in 1958 in the former monastery building.
The Amphitheatre of Durrës sits in the city center. Construction dates to the 2nd century AD under Emperor Trajan. The structure seated 15,000 to 20,000 people. The amphitheater held gladiatorial contests and public spectacles until the 4th century. A chapel with wall mosaics was built inside the arena during the 6th century AD. Residential buildings covered the site until excavations began in 1966. The Roman Forum and Roman Baths are within walking distance of the amphitheater.
Byllis stands on a hilltop in south-central Albania near the village of Hekal. The city walls stretch 2,250 meters and enclose 30 hectares. Philip V of Macedon besieged Byllis in 200 BC. The stadium measures 160 meters long. The theater held approximately 7,500 spectators. Early Christian basilicas from the 5th and 6th centuries contain mosaic floors. The site remained inhabited until the 6th century AD when Slavic invasions depopulated the region.
Berat stands on the Osum River in central Albania. The designation "City of a Thousand Windows" refers to Ottoman-era houses with multiple windows on white facades. Berat Castle sits 214 meters above the city. People still inhabit houses within the castle walls. The Onufri Museum inside the castle displays 16th-century religious paintings by Onufri of Neokastro. The painter's work includes icons at the Cathedral of Saint Mary. The Mangalem and Gorica quarters face each other across the river. The Lead Mosque was built in 1555. Berat received UNESCO status in 2008.
Gjirokastër lies in the Drinos valley in southern Albania. Stone houses with distinctive tower structures line steep streets. Typical houses have ground floors used for animals and storage with upper residential floors. Gjirokastër Castle dominates the city from 336 meters elevation. The fortress contains a military museum and a captured United States Air Force Lockheed T-33 from 1957. Enver Hoxha was born in Gjirokastër in 1908. The Ethnographic Museum occupies his birthplace. The Old Bazaar dates to the 17th century. Gjirokastër received UNESCO designation in 2005.
The Albanian Alps extend across northern Albania into Montenegro and Kosovo. Mount Jezercë reaches 2,694 meters, the highest peak entirely within Albania. Valbonë Valley National Park covers 80 square kilometers in the eastern Alps. The Valbona River flows through the valley. Theth National Park lies 70 kilometers northeast of Shkodër. The village of Theth sits at 750 meters elevation. The Lock-in Tower (Kulla e Ngujimit) dates to the 19th century and relates to the Kanun traditional law code. The Grunas Waterfall drops 30 meters. The Valbonë to Theth hiking route takes six to eight hours covering approximately 14 kilometers.
Llogara National Park sits on Llogara Pass at 1,027 meters elevation on the road between Vlorë and Sarandë. The park covers 10.10 square kilometers. Caesar's Camp (Qafa e Llogarasë) marks where Julius Caesar stationed troops in 48 BC during his pursuit of Pompey. The park contains Bosnian pine, black pine, and oak forests. The road descends from Llogara Pass to the Albanian Riviera coastal region.