ALBANIAN

All international flights land at Mother Teresa Airport in Tirana. There are no direct flights from Russian cities to Albania. That's why you have to fly with a transfer using such airlines as Austrian Airlines (via Vienna), Alitalia (via Milan), Adria (via Ljubljana), Lufthansa (via Frankfurt), LOT (via Warsaw), and so on. Travelling time taking into account the transfer – 6 hours.

Monetary unit – the Lek (ALL), there are 100 qindarkas in one Lek. You can exchange currency to the Albanian Leks in banks and exchange offices (kambim valuator). USD and EUR are equally willingly accepted. Banks are open from 8:30 to 14:30, except on Saturdays and Sundays, the exchangers do not adhere to a strict schedule, but it is not recommended to delay the exchange of money for the late evening. In some hotels it is possible to exchange currency at reception.

The visa is not required for citizens of Russia, as well as the citizens of Belarus and Georgia, for trips to Albania in the period from May 15 to November 1, 2016 on the condition that period of stay does not exceed 90 days, and the purpose of the visit is tourism, transit or private visit.

In all other cases it is necessary to arrange a visa in advance at the consulate of Albania in Moscow. The validity of passport at the time of entry into the country shall not be less than three months.

Albania can offer a number of historical attractions, the architecture of the country is a motley mixture of many religions, styles and cultures, from the monuments of the ancient Greek period to Muslim minarets, from the idyllic mountain resorts, many of which founded by the Romans, to the monasteries of all religions.

Due to the almost 400-year of Ottoman rule, the Albanian cuisine is the successor of Turkish gastronomic traditions. In the local restaurants you can taste different kinds of kebabs and chebureks, generously seasoned with spices. It is washed down with familiar to all of us Central Asian buttermilk. The most commonly used meat is lamb.

You can move around the country on the minibuses, buses and trains. Minibuses, which are called "vans" here, are the most popular form of transport. Nine or twelve-seater white and red colored minibuses hit the road when all the seats are occupied. Each city has one or more "van" stations. The greatest activity is observed there in the morning, the afternoon activity considerably decreases. The greatest activity is observed there in the morning, the afternoon activity considerably decreases. Payment is made directly to the driver, the price is very low.

There are flights to neighboring countries from Tirana Airport and a number of European airports. There are no direct flights from Russia to Albania. However, several European airlines offer flights with change.

The cellular communication standard GSM 900/1800 evolves extremely rapidly across the country. The major operators are AMC Mobile and Vodafone Albania. However, the cellular coverage is limited by major cities and coastal areas. The roaming for Russians is provided by both companies, and they provide even a wider range of services than providers of some more developed Albania's neighboring countries.

Albania has a lot to offer for cultural tourism fans – here are a few of the attractions of the UNESCO World Heritage list, not to mention an impressive number of less significant sites. The historical points of attraction includes Berat, the oldest Albanian town with unique Ottoman architecture, Gjirokastra and its ancient castle on a hill in the center of the city of Butrint, a major archaeological park with the excavation of the ancient Greek settlements and Korca – the cultural capital of Albania.