Quick peek into the land of bunkers
Who can tell me some facts about Albania without a Google search? Most of us probably have cloudy thoughts on a small remote country with lots of concrete bunkers in the Balkans. Our unawareness is not groundless.
Communism in Albania with its extremely high level of isolation created a metaphorical second Iron Curtain at the borders, thus it separated Albanians not only from the Western world but also from the Eastern bloc countries.
After Enver Hoxha, the Communist leader of Albania for four decades, had cut off his country’s ties with the Soviet Union and China, completely closed the doors of his land. He dreaded a nuclear bomb attack from the enemies and made the Albanians prepare for the inevitable armageddon with building over 700,000 concrete bunkers.
The time has passed, and surprisingly, no one wanted to destroy the country. Even though the Communist rule ended in 1992, the world still knows a little about Albania. Due to decades of separation, Albania was underdeveloped with enormous economic and social problems. There is a lot of work to do, but Albania is now a member of the NATO and an official candidate for membership in the European Union.
I was curious to find out what Albania could show me beyond bunkers. This time, I had only one day.
Saranda is one of the most popular towns among tourists in Southern Albania. Easily accessible by ferry from the Greek island Corfu and cruise ships have regularly arrived at the port since 2012. I saw so many construction sites in and around Saranda that my first impression was the town is swiftly developing.
My real purpose of travelling to Albania was visiting Butrint. This ancient town recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO is a superb combination of historic monuments and natural environment.
Butrint is a unique place due to having archeological remains from five historical eras. In the first place, it was built as an Ancient Greek town, then conquered by the Ancient Romans…
… who stayed after the empire had divided into two parts. This baptistery was that time the second largest and important in the Eastern Roman Empire after the famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Afterwards, the Byzantine Empire ruled Butrint. Looking at these robust walls, one can ponder how long modern houses will stand.
The rich and powerful Republic of Venice did not bother to occupy Butrint and Corfu as it had enough money to purchase the territory from the Angevins in 1386. Corfu was more valuable thanks to its strategic location. Butrint provided food supplies for the inhabitants and soldiers of Corfu, mostly with fishes.
The fishery is still significant near Butrint. The peninsula is surrounded by a lagoon with a blend of freshwater and seawater that is excellent environment for fishes and mussels.
I could spend only a day in Albania, but this short time convinced me that nature is beautiful and more to explore. The photos could not display the stunning colours of the Blue Eye spring.
There are 18 similar springs in the region, but this is the most spectacular. The water is transparent and cold, only 10 degrees, which was refreshing in the midst of the summer heat.
No one knows how deep the Blue Eye is, because scuba drivers could swim until 50 meters down but could not find the source of the well.
Agave cacti are mementos of the Communist era. Enver Hoxha had imported the seeds of the plants to make soap from them. Cultivating non-indigenous plants that are alien to the country’s natural environment is a fine example of the state control of the Communist economy. However, it seems to be that Agave cacti like the Mediterranean climate of Albania more than, for instance, the cotton plants liked the continental climate of Hungary in the 1950s.
Note that all my experiences are based on a single day, I feel the urge to come back to Albania. The nature is astonishingly beautiful and I could not have time to indulge in the Albanian cuisine or culture. Considering the increasing potential of tourism in Albania, I should hurry to arrive back before the country transitions from a quite unknown region to a popular tourist destination.
If you like this post, you may be curious about the first part of the journey.
