"Winter is always beautiful in Korça. Snowflakes that cover the city, little children & adults having a nice time playing in the backyard with snow, happy tourists enjoying good food and nice music at traditional restaurants, trying skiing in Voskopoja or Dardha village, visiting old churches, monuments, buying hand-made traditional souvenirs or gifts for your beloved ones at one of the most beautiful places in Korça such as “ Pazari i Vjetër” where coffee tastes like chocolate and sweet music softens your soul."
Since winter in Korça is amazing Genc and I decided to plan a nice excursion for our lovely clients who love adventures, art, history & culture and beautiful nature, for two days.
First thing we did was planning a nice program. We decided to plan a two days trip in Korça which is differently called "The Little Paris of Albania".
Korça is considered to be the ideal place for romantic tours also because The Autonomous Albanian Republic of Korçë was an autonomous state established in 27/10 December 1916, by the local French forces, after the city of Korça fell under their control, during World war I and lasted till 1920.
Korca is an important city to visit because of its Ottoman Old Town and also its pedestrian area followed by the Orthodox cathedral in the center of the city. This city has a very important South East Albanian tradition in lifestyle, food , music and Dancing.
Korca city is around 3 hours driving time far from Tirana the Capital of Albania. On the Way to Korca our trip was full of activities because we passed by the city of:
Elbasan city known for its Fortress in the center of the city , And also we passed by Ohrid Lake which is one of the Oldest Natural Lakes in the world (protected by UNESCO). Before arriving in Korca we stopped near the lake in one Small Village called Tushemisht full of History and Tradition.
We had a lot of fun during our trip. It was a nice weekend tour and I am sure you will be curious too after you will read the program we have below.
Our Experience During the Trip
Genc & I met up with the group and the bus driver at the entrance of University of Tirana. After accommodating the group in the bus Genc explained the trip program to the clients.
The first stop we had was to Elbasan fortress.
Elbasan city had something special. Its old gobbled stone streets, the beautiful fortress and old houses made this city picturesque on its own. We stopped for a coffee break at a cafe inside Elbasan Fortress and took some nice photos with the clients.
After that we departed to Pogradec city. On our way to Pogradec, the bus driver put on the radio some traditional songs for the guests so they could dance and sing along with us.
The distance from Elbasan to Pogradec is usually 2 hours. Before arriving in Pogradec, we stopped the bus to take some nice photos by Lin Lake. The beauty of the lake and the panoramic view mesmerized the clients.
Entering Pogradec city we stopped at Tushemisht village. Tushemisht is well
known for its traditional handmade foods that old ladies prepare with love for tourists and sell in front of their houses or at the pavements, its floral honey and virgin olive oil, hand-knit dolls for children and where an Albanian movie took place (Zonja nga Qyteti) since that, the village has been visited by many tourists and has became the favorite place to stop for a visit.
We decided to have a nice lunch at Millennium restaurant in Tushemisht.
We Tasted the traditional food of this region, which was Koran (fish) baked in the oven with tomatoes and onions and fresh beef, filled with mushroom cream.
After lunch we departed to Drilon which is 10 minutes away from Tushemisht. For a better experience we took the boat.
Drilon was amazing. The quietness of the lake, little white swans diving in the lake, fresh air and the beautiful nature hidden behind a big forest made this place magical.
After boat experience and this short dreamy walk through the forest we departed to Korça city.
The way from Pogradec city to Korça took us 1 hour. On the way to Korça we danced on the bus and laughed with one another.
Tourists were fascinated by Korça sweet serenates. Arriving to Korça we accommodated at one of the best hotels in the center of Korça, “Kocibelli hotel”.
After check in the hotel we relaxed a little bit in the hotel. In the evening we got ready for the dinner.
Genc & I made the reservation at a nice restaurant “ Panda restaurant”. Everyone enjoyed the cozy atmosphere, music and specially the dinner. Fresh beer, traditional meatballs and different types of meats were Korça’s specialities. The taste of beer was light and extremely delicious.
After the second drink Genc made sure that everyone was on the stage, dancing on their own and maybe singing a few words.
Day 2
After breakfast we departed to the city center for a short sight visit. What makes this city unique is the culture and their rare dialect. Korça is known as the city of Sweet Serenates, the city of Love, the city of Arts, the city of Beer and the little Paris because of its French- style villas and culture.
We stopped for a short coffee at the Pazari i Vjetër.
To be honest Pazari i Vjetër is the best place in Korça. It looks like it has been taken out of Fairy Tale books: old shops, gobbled stone streets, ancient houses & nice cafés. The best drink to order is Turkish coffee. It is always a good idea to buy traditional packed coffees and little souvenirs at the small shops.
We visited the first school " Mësonjëtorja e parë Shqipe", The largest Orthodox church in Albania and Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre.
After sight visiting we departed to Voskopoja village where art meets history. Voskopoja is well known for its history including here: 24 old churches, the cobblestone streets, traditional restaurants and friendly citizens. We visited Saint Maria church & Saint Koli church.
The backyards of the churches in the winter are filled with snow because the weather in Korça during winter is cold. We let our inner child had a good time by playing with snow outside and enjoying the fresh air.
After visiting the village we were ready for the lunch. We had lunch at one of the most traditional and friendly restaurants “ Taverana of Voskopoja”.
We enjoyed "Lakror and Petulla të fshira". Lakror is the specialty of this village. It is made with two slime layers of filo pastry filled in the middle with tomatoes or spinach based on your preferences. RAKI- a traditional alcohol drink that usually goes well with grilled lamb or beef meat.
Late in the afternoon we departed to Tirana.
This was the end of our trip. A long-lasting memory trip.
We invite you to have a beautiful experience with us!
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Posted by: Krisi Sula
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