BALKANERS WHO’VE BEEN TO ALBANIA: Did you find Albania to be more similar to your country than you expected? Or did you find it to be very foreign?
Posted by Substratas@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 252 comments
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
My parents said it felt quite foreign.
I haven’t been.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I’m afraid to ask why since you didn’t elaborate…
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
They, i think, felt isolated due to not stumbling to other Serbian tourists around during their stay, (plus it was corona year, so there might have been a fewer tourists in general), and neither them, nor their Albanian hosts knew English very well, which contributed to them feeling isolated.
They said the vibes get drastically different from basically one corner to another. From luxury hotels and cars, to a lot of beggars on the street just around the corner. The drop was jarring.
Lot of modern/ new architecture.
They saw women go into the sea fully clothed.
They said the people were generally nice and it was generally cheaper.
That’s what I remember.
They are people, who, for the last 10-15 years only went to Greece and Montenegro, so they are used to being around a lot of Serbian tourists and going to monasteries at stuff, as field trips. So they might not be representative for this.
bebilov@reddit
How safe it is for an Albanian to go as a tourist to Serbia? Is there any other cities to visit apart from Belgrade
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
Fairly safe i think. No one would really bother you, if you mind your own business.
I would recommend Vojvodina, if the cities are what you’re looking for. Novi Sad, Subotica, Sremski Karlovci…
bebilov@reddit
It’s cause we always have news of people being stopped at the border for having Albanian shirts and stuff like that. Not sure what that is about but I wondered if normal people care
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
I mean act normal, and no one would bother you.
bebilov@reddit
Huh? Me having a country’s t shirt while strolling down the street isn’t acting normal? Would you also say I’m not normal if I had a t shirt written USA in bold? That’s the thing I’m asking about. Saying I’m Albanian openly is it an issue and cause for racism for your countrymen?
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
They were having symbols of Great Albania and chanting profanities in Serbia for the anniversary of NATO bombing.
Causing national, racial and religious hatred and intolerance, is penalised in Serbia.
If you think that is acceptable, don’t come.
bebilov@reddit
Who even does that? They stop people at the border and search and if they see an Albanian flag on their clothes or inside the car it’s a problem suddenly. How is that chanting profanities and being hateful ?
I think your news outlets gaslight you guys tbh. I guess engaging in racial hatred is a better diversion than going against your politicians
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
Yeah, don’t come.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Very safe.
I’ve had multiple friends from Tirana travelling to Belgrade and they love it! A friend of mine was together with a Serbian guy for many years and she was travelling there back & forth to Serbia - zero problems.
Particular-Highway89@reddit
Im from Croatia and I found it to be very different than Croatia. I think it looks more Turkish, in terms of the way people look and dress and how the roads look etc
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
Like Turkish? Well, it looks like you have never visited Turkey in the first place, and neither Albania.
Particular-Highway89@reddit
I have visited both, a couple of times. The surrounding nature was really dusty it gave off Middle East vibes, and people looked Turkish, not all tho but maybe it was emohasized by them dressing in Turkish style clothes.
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
First time I’m hearing this. Albania has Ottoman influence, but to say it’s the Middle East, I don’t know. Anyway, that’s just your opinion.
35BCx1405AD@reddit
Get this fuckin map out of here and be ashamed of yourself.
Shqiptar89@reddit
Edhe une e shajta. Prej krejt hartave e qet qeni tserbies
riquelm@reddit
Very similar but even crazier somehow
Innocentish@reddit
I was in Albania and Montenegro solo tripping in 2021. I rented a car in Pristina and road tripped. When I got to Montenegro protests and riots caused a shit ton of chaos and shut down all the highways. I drove in the sticks for hours in the dead of night from Podgorica to Kotor with zero GPS and it was wild.
People did NOT like the Kosovo plates on my car, I tell you what.
When I got to Albania I cruised down the coast down to Berat. It was so peaceful the whole time. I felt like I was in the Shire.
Best road trip ever.
riquelm@reddit
I don't even know how Kosovo plates look like tbh, we don't see them at all
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Lmfao yes, yes!
harvestt77@reddit
Dude, say it again 😆
AccomplishedQuit6535@reddit
To me Albania felt very different from neighboring Mediterranean countries like Greece , Croatia even Montenegro. It is on the Mediterranean but it lacks this Mediterranean vibe. Esthetically and in every other way. It's an interesting country though.
PoppyGrower@reddit
Where did you go? Because from Vlorë downwards it’s about as Mediterranean as you can get especially in those cliff side villages like Himare, Dhermi, Vuno, Lukove etc
AccomplishedQuit6535@reddit
Dhermi is actually the only one that really feels Mediterranean. And you are right south of Vlore was much more beautiful than the North. . Sarande is horrible though. Construction is out of control. What Albania lacks is beautiful Mediterranean cities . Because of ottoman rule you don't have cities like Dubrovnik , Kotor or Corfu
PoppyGrower@reddit
I’d say take a look at Vuno because it’s one of if not the most beautiful village in Albania and is very Mediterranean, then theres also the old town of Himare, Lukove, Kudhes, Piqeras amongst others that have that feeling but for the construction and city part you’re right but cities like Sarande are basically present in every country
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Did you find it to be more similar to your country or did it feel foreign to you?
Nice_Bite2673@reddit
Qka osht kjo map OP varikarsi
Maximum-Quantity854@reddit
Tirana feels to much old Communist vibes, I have not been to other cities
Itchy-Quit-9807@reddit
Look at the bitange that put ulcinj as ulqin
Separate-Date-6518@reddit
Tirana is nice, Durres was nice, Kruje has a great view. I need to visit the South though, Gjirokaster and the coastal parts
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Did u find Albania to be more foreign or relatively familiar? Like, is it very different from the place you’re from?
Separate-Date-6518@reddit
A lot of similarities, i live in Athens and Tirana is probably cleaner and it gives big city vibes. There was also a funny contrast in Tirana, watching women with burqas and a couple of minutes later watching girls with mini skirts. I encountered the same thing in Istanbul.
IfICode@reddit
Very few women in albania wear burqas, and all of them mainly live in Tirana. The number is like less than 150 women.
They are paid by saudi to do so, extremely small group of people and we are hoping to ban it
Substratas@reddit (OP)
He probably meant headscarves. Many people use the word burqa for that.
IfICode@reddit
Headscarves are even less common, because they get paid for burkas. Not hijabs.
So there is no money in the hijab
Skärp dig
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I never said there are a lot of hijabi girls in Albania, however, I’ve lived in Tirana during the 2000s & early 2010s and I can probably count with one hand the number of hijabis I saw back then.
I see many more now, in 2026, as a tourist for just a few days in Tirana than I have seen during 2000s altogether.
I don’t know if they’re Albanian or not, but I certainly noticed that there is an increase in their number, especially in contrast to the 2000s when they were virtually non-existent.
IfICode@reddit
Yeah increase from 5 people to 12, what a shocker. Half the world is touristing in albania
Substratas@reddit (OP)
https://i.redd.it/u350yxbv1zvg1.gif
IfICode@reddit
Saudi is that way 👉
Separate-Date-6518@reddit
Yeah i didn't notice them anywhere else, besides a few of them only in Tirana
Inductiekookplaat@reddit
Berat and Gjirokaster are nice!
NewIdentity19@reddit
Most Albanians and Kosovars will want to have a word with you for your map showing Kosovo still belonging to Serbia.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I know. I had to block my DM because I was getting death threats from different people for this innocent mistake I made - and it’s very telling.
Any-Consideration470@reddit
O bythqir muti
Substratas@reddit (OP)
?
Any-Consideration470@reddit
You know what you did don’t act stupid
Hristo_14@reddit
Felt like Syria to me
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
Really?weird that Albania is being visited more than Bulgaria
dwartbg9@reddit
It's not though.
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
???
dwartbg9@reddit
Albania isn't more visited than Bulgaria
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
Did you google it?
dwartbg9@reddit
Google what? 13,6 million foreign tourists visited Bulgaria last year, and 12,7 million in Albania
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
https://sofiaglobe.com/2025/02/17/foreign-visitor-arrivals-in-bulgaria-for-holidays-in-2024-up-8-8-y-y/
Google it genius
dwartbg9@reddit
Literally in the official statistics of Bulgaria and everywhere online. Love how you're teaching me about my own country...
https://www.nsi.bg/en/statistical-data/280/837
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Bulgaria
https://seenews.com/news/foreign-visitors-to-bulgaria-increase-2-7-percent-in-2025-1289850
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
I did not know the exact numbers but Bulgaria is like 3.5 times bigger in size and its population is also 3 times Albania so getting almost the same amount of visitors is an achievement and not taking intk account that Albania just started to invest in its tourism.
dwartbg9@reddit
The thing is you're the one who started with the mockery and acting superior and you saw you're wrong.
And as you can see, I could have acted like that too, yet I provided the real numbers for Albania and even said you had great growth in numbers.
As for the size of the country - this doesn't matter at all... So many smaller countries have high numbers of tourists obviously, like take a look at the Netherlands, for example.
As for who's doing good, in a way this also applies to us. BUT - your country started heavily investing in tourism and marketing, you're heavily advertising yourselves. We're not doing that AT ALL, we see how you're not even aware about us being the 3rd most visited destination on the Balkans. And many of us are in a way pissed at our government for that. We are not advertising ourselves, not doing propaganda online to try hard and attract tourists. People just know about us and still come. If we were advertising heavily, we can easily beat Croatia and have like 17-18 million tourists, since the gap between us is getting smaller.
Also in a way - you took "our spot" for being known as the cheapest place where someone can go in Europe for a nice beach vacation. Bulgaria ain't that cheap anymore, and even most tourists are already aware of that. They come just because they've either already been here before or just know that it's worth it to visit.
But still as I wrote in my other comment, in absolutely no way I'm not saying that what you did isn't amazing nevertheless. The difference being only 1 million people ain't that much. We will see what happens this year.
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
You’re kinda overselling Bulgaria here.
It’s not some hidden giant that can just “overtake Croatia” if it tries harder. That’s not how tourism works.
Croatia has places like Dubrovnik and that whole Adriatic coast, which is just on another level in terms of scenery and global recognition. Same with Albania’s south coast and spots like the Accursed Mountains , they’ve got that dramatic, “wow” factor people travel for. Climate is also more favorable in Albania and even Croatia than Bulgaria.
Bulgaria has nice stuff too, the Black Sea, Nessebar, the mountains, but it’s a different kind of tourism. More regional, less “bucket list” for the average international tourist.
And Bulgaria isn’t some undiscovered place either. It already had its tourism boom years ago in the 2000s. Since then it’s just been steady, not suddenly building toward domination. So yeah, it’s good, but this idea that it’s about to pass Croatia or whatever if it just “tries harder” isn’t really realistic, you’re too far from Croatia in this aspect, and 3 or 4 years later even too far from tiny Montenegro, let alone Albania.
dwartbg9@reddit
You seriously don't know much about Bulgaria if you think it doesn't have "Wow factor" hahaha... What a copium and biased thing to say.
And no we didn't have our "tourism boom" in the 2000s. If anything we had more tourists during communism than the 2000s. The boom is literally riggt now - 2024 and 2025 are our strongest years in history.
dwartbg9@reddit
As for the climate, you're wrong once again. You see what I mean, we're not adverised heavily and people have absolutely wrong impression about tje country. Imagining it's some cold, siberian hellhole or something...
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
And some statistics helps too:
https://www.worlddata.info/climate-comparison.php?r1=albania&r2=bulgaria
dwartbg9@reddit
Well yeah and compared with Albania, what do we see?
We have more sunshine days per year and a lot less precipitation.
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
Do you even have an sense of logic, my friend?
You assume that you have more hours of sunshine and fewer hours of rain, because in Bulgaria it rains in summer and snows in winter, while in Albania rain falls only in winter and snow in mountainous areas, and in summer there is none, only sun.
This is because it is a continental climate versus a Mediterranean climate. Your logic is that Hungary is hotter than Italy just because it rains more in Italy. Do you realize how much of ignorance you are showing?
If you could ask a person to stay on a beach in Bulgaria in mid-August where the temperature is 28–29 degrees and the water temperature is around 14 degrees, versus a beach in Albania or Croatia where the temperature is 35 or 36 degrees and the water is 20 or 21 degrees, well, most people would choose the second one. Not everyone would tolerate the cold in Bulgaria anyways.
dwartbg9@reddit
What water temperature of 14 degrees in August dude? Wtf are you talking about?
https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/bulgaria/sunny-beach.htm
And I literally sent you how Bulgaria has one of the most diverse climates in the world - so your argument "continental" doesn't work. Almost every region is in a different climate zone dude.
And it rains in summer? Where did you see that for Bulgaria too? You and I literally posted the data, and we saw how Bulgaria has less year precipitation and more sunshine days than Albania and Croatia.
WHEN you started it by saying how bad the climate is in Bulgaria.
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
Those photos are showing the opposite of what you want to tell me: Albania is warmer and has a more favorable climate than Bulgaria. For god sake why should you get triggered about the fact that Bulgaria doesn’t have a Mediterranean climate but a continental one?
Substratas@reddit (OP)
They do have Mediterranean too though (Csa & Csb), but in Albania it’s the predominant climate, while Bulgaria is quite mixed.
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
I didn’t say that they are not influenced by Mediterranean climate, especially the places close to Greece, but what is known and accepted is that: Albania is a Mediterranean country, and Bulgaria is a country with a continental climate. Simple.
dwartbg9@reddit
This is the water temperature in August dude... Do you not even remember what you're writing? You said - Bulgaria having 14C water in August and being cold and I went to show you that water temperature in Albania and Bulgaria is almost the same...
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
That was an example. You don’t use assumptions in Bulgaria or what?
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I do agree that Bulgaria is more diverse than Albania in terms of climate systems which certainly gives more opportunities for diverse tourism, but Albania is definitely sunnier than Bulgaria - Mediterranean climate basically means ”seasonal desert” because the summers are nothing but an extended drought.
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
And you don’t seem to know much about Croatia or Albania either. I have visited Bulgaria, and like many other tourists, that was the impression I got of your country. I get that you want to portray Bulgaria as a nice little paradise where all other countries are in misery, but that’s not the reality. Bulgaria is a nice place, but it can’t really compete with Mediterranean countries tourism wise.
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
Country size does matter and you are sincerely daydreaming about surpassing Croatia .
dwartbg9@reddit
How does it matter. Can you tell?
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
The impact tourists have ,country size and population sieze the smaller the bigger the impact
Holiday-Swordfish-27@reddit
yes, Bulgaria knows how to make tourism.Although we are on the same Black Sea, the greatest part of romanians go to bulgarian resorts from the Black Sea than to the romanian side.And nobody is complaining of anything wrong
Substratas@reddit (OP)
But did you see any similarities? Or did you feel it was very different from Bulgaria?
Hristo_14@reddit
Not really, it felt very islamic and Mediterranean
Laluci@reddit
Islamic how?
Hristo_14@reddit
A lot of women in headscarves and mosques
ClementineCrisp@reddit
Why are you lying mate?
Hristo_14@reddit
I'm not, why would i?
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
Yes you are.
SwimmingSell1845@reddit
You asked for his opinion, you didn't like it so now you say he's lieing.
doingmyjobhere@reddit
You want to say Christian/Orthodox women don't wear head scarfs? The Balkans and especially Bulgaria are very similar. Someone from Bulgaria saying Albania looks like Syria is very ignorant because probably you have never been to Syria and secondly, Bulgaria is not more developed from other Balkan countries.
dwartbg9@reddit
Bulgaria is a lot more developed than Albania though.
Laluci@reddit
No way. I go to Albania almost every summer and you rarely see women in head scarves. I lived there when I was young and I had no idea women did that because we didn't see it.
The mosques...ye there are plenty. And they're empty 99% of the time.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I’n all fairness, the last time I was in Tirana I noticed more women with headscarves. Nowhere near as to feel really ”islamic” (you’ll see more in Western Europe for sure) but back in the 2000s & early 2010s they were virtually inexistent. Now u see some.
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
But how many are local and how many are tourists? Most of the time I did see headscarves they were definitely not Albanians.
Competitive-Read1543@reddit
Most likely foreigners
Laluci@reddit
Yes def more than 2000s cause they've taken "refugees" and are holding them before transfer to Europe. I noticed some of those as well. But not actual Albanians in headscares.
Kaer__Morhen@reddit
Empty places of worship are more common than cigarettes in the Balkans and yet we will slaughter each other like cattle because of our "religion"
Laluci@reddit
Agree with you over the stupidity of it. It's a battle of people that pretend to like Santa Claus more than the tooth fairy.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
I've seen more women in headscarves in the West than I've seen in Albania. Did you probably see some tourists?
ThickCaterpillar9867@reddit
That is just a lie,you see way more women in hijabs in western cities than Albania
OverallPhrase4623@reddit
You barely women in headscarfs in Kosovo so it’s interesting that you saw in Albania which is very godless lol maybe middle eastern tourists cuz they go a lot there
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
You have to be trolling. I stayed there for 6 months and can count on one hand the times I saw a headscarf.
Legitimate-Glove5126@reddit
People that claim to have visited Albania and call it Islamic is a three finger moment
AccomplishedQuit6535@reddit
I had the same impression. It is on Mediterranean but doesn't have this mediterranean vibe . Very different from Greece , Croatia even Montenegro Widespread garbage is a critical, systemic issue in Albania, with waste frequently dumped along roadsides, in rivers, and on beaches.
Subject-Count6284@reddit
Lol not the slightest from my experince in Tirana
harvestt77@reddit
Have you been to Syria?
fbass@reddit
Not a single thing remotely similar
OrlandoFurioso1@reddit
Mate you’re basically Austria…
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Uhmm no, it’s Austria that is basically Slovenia now.
Third_Rate_Duelist_@reddit
Everyone had a generic license plate on their cars there, unlike other Balkan countries. They have a big coastline, beaches and ports, slightly different vegetation like palm trees, olive trees, and the grass seemed different and there were more mosquitoes. The climate is more Mediterranean and I don't know how to explain this, but the land seemed sandy or dusty. There's a bigger Italian influence, many boutiques and restaurants have Italian names and more people there know Italian as a second language. It was hard to find someone that speaks adequate English, in Macedonia every second person knows at least broken English. There weren't many mosques, which I expected there to be since Albania is mostly Muslim, there are more mosques in Ohrid(8th biggest city in my country and a historic-christian-orthodox center) than in Vlore. But overall the development is similar, maybe they're a bit less.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
That’s the curse of high humidity. Albania has historically had problem with mosquitoes because the climate & geography of the country are like a mosquito’s Disneyland. Even the tiger mosquito came to Europe through Albania.
Malaria used to be so rampant in the pasy that Albania today is one of the countries with the highest number of children born with thalassemia (a blood disease from a mutation that arose to prevent malaria) in Europe.
Lord-Francis-Bacon@reddit
Mosquito Disneyland lmao
deathflowerprincess@reddit
Excuse me? I never knew that the tiger mosquito came through Albania???? That’s so hectic… I was dying there from bites
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Gurl yes, we were the kings of malaria in Europe until 1967. The infection rate was as high as 50% of the population in some parts.
deathflowerprincess@reddit
Omg 😳 the africa of Europe
Substratas@reddit (OP)
No-Specialist-1435@reddit
As someone from Bosnia flying over Macedonia and Albania, both look sandy-dusty to me.
Particular-Highway89@reddit
Land did seem very dusty almost like in a desert
Third_Rate_Duelist_@reddit
Yeah, it gave off middle-eastern vibes
Substratas@reddit (OP)
My husband noticed that as well.
tamzhebuduiya@reddit
Generally, Bulgaria have more in common with eastern Europe than rest of the Balkans, and for me, Albania was the least similar.
Albania is full of people, colorful, packed, crowded, while Bulgaria is pretty dull/sterille, wide, low crowded and green.
In the western balkans alot of people live in houses, and there is alot of houses even next to highway, in Bulgaria you can drive for 30-40min and you wouldn’t see any village or house…
bebilov@reddit
Idk about Eastern Europe but as an Albanian I never thought to hear someone say my country is colourful or packed . I guess if you only visit in the summer months it can seem that way cause there are tourists , but winter/autumn here is pretty dead and depressing. 🥲
Substratas@reddit (OP)
By ”wide” do you mean there’s a lot of space between the buildings & that the streets are wide? Because this was one of the things I noticed in Poland as well, a thing that I found profoundly different from Albania (our streets are narrow & houses build so close to one-another).
dwartbg9@reddit
Yes, I believe this is what he meant. We have wide streets and boulevards at most parts, and a lot more urban greenery. One of the few nice things that the communists did, since the trees being plopped everywhere in the cities was mainly done by them.
SwimmingSell1845@reddit
As a Bulgarian I would disagree
FinestMarzipan@reddit
What do you mean by people living in houses? Most people in the world live in some kind of houses. 😅 Do you mean high rises? Or on the contrary – dreewss one family houses,
It Aa
MartinBP@reddit
I don't know if you've ever set foot in "Eastern Europe" but no, we absolutely have more in common with other Balkan countries, unless your knowledge of culture and history ends at communist-era blocks in northern Sofia.
TheTerrorBeyond@reddit
Ca e ke ket hart qe ke nxjerr mor te shkerdhefsha familjen
Proactive_Criticism@reddit
Edhe ti OP i karit a shqiptar je edhe e ki qit me kit hart a??? Familjen ta honkshim ren krejt Kosova
AskBalkans-ModTeam@reddit
Greetings,
Your post/comment was removed from r/AskBalkans for not following rule #4 "Post in English". Posts and top-level comments should be in English, so please translate whatever you had to say.
*Exceptions are posts flaired "Controversial" where all comments are to be made in English.
Cheers.
0-Satisfaction@reddit
Asht gjakprish vllai, mos ja rras shum mutit ,ose asht larper e ban me qellim.
Pjeter_Bogdani@reddit
Larper, se kurr se kam pa qe flet shqip ky bosi.
0-Satisfaction@reddit
Ma mori menja vllai, qe kur postovi at harte ashtu. Çja qr, pithropsh komplet.
Proactive_Criticism@reddit
Propagand e shkinis osht mesiguri, ska lidhje ky me gjak tonin
Opening-Lobster-6027@reddit
I am from Slovenia and I found Albanians from Albania totally different from what I expected.
In Albania, women can get jobs, they can get education. They don't need to be covered. They can learn foreign languages.
That is very different to Albanians from Kosovo, who live in Slovenia.
I can see more covered albanian (kosovar) women walking through random Slovenian town, than I could see walking on main square in Tirana.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I’ve actually heard it from a friend who visited Kosovo too - she told me she was appalled by how many women there were wearing headscarves. I’d still love to visit though bc I heard they’re so much more welcoming & kinder than Albanians.
tatariko@reddit
I once traveled through Albania on a motorcycle while heading from Macedonia to Montenegro, and it was a journey. This was a long time ago, so I doubt it’s still the same today. It started at the border: while I was waiting in the queue, a man crossed on horseback. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it certainly should have prepared me for the road ahead. While we were traveling, the scenery was absolutely stunning, but the heat was so intense that we had to stop for water almost every ten minutes. During one of those breaks, we pulled up to a roadside cafe. As I got off my bike, I found myself eye-to-eye with a bear. There was an actual caged bear in the cafe. The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful, but the beginning felt like a complete fever dream.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
The bear story is so sad 😭 I remember it was an issue in Albania until animal rights activists started to interfere.
Do Albania feel any similar to your country? Or did it feel very foreign?
tatariko@reddit
It did feel very foreign but the nature seemed similar to northern turkey with lots of cliffs and waters
shqipshqippp@reddit
ndyrshoje harten se me vine turp vetem me t’pa
0-Satisfaction@reddit
Remove or replace this f map. Where is Kosovo??
Igsp92ns@reddit
Where it belongs
0-Satisfaction@reddit
Im not talking to you ruskie.
Igsp92ns@reddit
And than yet you are. But it is a wonder you can even talk.
shqipshqippp@reddit
shko mor qiu se s’je gje
0-Satisfaction@reddit
You started yapping about
harvestt77@reddit
Make sure to save this thread 😂
Mantis-TobogganXXL@reddit
From Hungary. Not similar in the slightest, I had a huge culture shock. I’ve never left Europe, but Albania felt like leaving Europe. I liked it though.
Shqiptar89@reddit
Far shqiptar je ti kur harten pa Kosoven e ke qit?
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Did you find Albania to be more similar to your country than you’d probably expect or did it feel foreign?
Shqiptar89@reddit
Edhe ni her? Far shqiptar e qet harten ku Kosova nuk shihet?
Particular_Walk_5420@reddit
Absolutely not. I felt like i time traveled 40 years in the past
Holiday-Swordfish-27@reddit
I undestan you , Slovenia is very similar with Austria - from all points of view- in my oppinion
Majmunovic_Zdravolju@reddit
haha, Serbia!
Substratas@reddit (OP)
?
Idontusespacebars@reddit
te tregon qe je kali se nuk i shikon hartat para se i poston
GreatStrategist26@reddit
Macedonian here. I was first there in 2008 with my family and had my first and of the greatest vacations so far in my life. We were stationed close to Orikum, but explored Vlore and Durres. People were super friendly, warm and hospitality was great. Back then there were quite a few electricity shortages in the middle of the day. Since 2008, I visited the country three more times in 2009, 2021 and 2025, respectively. My favorite place is Dhermi and its coastline, I was fascinated how improved it was since my last visit in 2021. Also, Zvernec monastery is a must tourist attraction! And one more thing: In Albania as a Macedonian I felt like home and between people who genuinely liked tourists.
Particular_Walk_5420@reddit
Absolutely not. I felt like i time traveled 40 years in the past
Particular_Walk_5420@reddit
Absolutely not. I felt like i time traveled 30-40 years in the past
Wrong-Title549@reddit
The country in the top right is called KOSOVO btw. You’re welcome ☺️
Vaisiamarrr@reddit
That’s true only on the maps of 97 countries
Wrong-Title549@reddit
It exists in more developed countries, so it might not be in Romania ✌️
No-Sandwich2225@reddit
If you think România is not developed then you just called most of the Balkan countries undeveloped. Maybe next time look at GDP and the economy and you will realise that Romania is in the top 3 in the Balkans. So you basically tried to be rude, but with non factual remarks, typical of kosovars nevertheless.
rydolf_shabe@reddit
i swear to god i see more romanians talk about kosovo than serbs
No-Sandwich2225@reddit
It’s because Romanians and Serbians are kind of brothers. The conflict also sparked even more because of the latest football matches between România and Kosovo.
Inevitable_Virus_639@reddit
I heard that Serbians are thinking about recognizing Kosovo because they are tired of Romanians sucking their dicks.
MartinBP@reddit
Spaniards too.
harvestt77@reddit
Inferiority sentiment.
OverallPhrase4623@reddit
122 babes
SonilaZ@reddit
Good point!! Needs to be highlighted
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Oh crap, I just noticed! 🫣
StageFrequent4868@reddit
Kosovo is serbia ,serbia is kosovo🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸☦️☦️☦️
Powerful_Pirate_9617@reddit
I found my telephone working without roaming because I was able to receive signal from Kerkyra :D
papa_CLaude@reddit
How can you as an albanian use this map. Shame on you
avdaxumaxu@reddit
She lives in sweden. Married to a swedish man. Do with this information whatever you want.
papa_CLaude@reddit
That explains a lot
mexican_shawarma@reddit
what’s wrong with the map?
papa_CLaude@reddit
Its outdated
Shot-Life-362@reddit
He’s from Tirana.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
https://i.redd.it/slf7aqlf0svg1.gif
Citaku357@reddit
So why use that map?
TheGringoLife@reddit
Explains everything
TheTierney@reddit
I visited Albania from Tiranë to the south of it. Berat, Gjirokaster, Sarandë and some small places between them. I Honestly found it incredibly similar to my totally Balkan country. The culture feels similar. A lot of national pride (not in a bad way), pride for their country, the nature, the people, country's history and their food. People are very friendly, open and warming, everyone made us feel welcome. Food is also quite similar.
The main differences I felt were: - Tobacco, so much tobacco! - Religion, it is so cool to feel how two equally relevant but totally different religions can peacefully coexist in a country. As a guy told me in Kosovo: "First we are Kosovar. Then, we are Muslim or Christian." It always felt like your country and culture unites you far more than any religious difference sets you apart. It was still quite odd to see a woman swim in the sea wearing a full niqab. It is something I would never see in Portugal. - Degradation of some buildings in the centre of Tiranë. We also have similar problems, but it felt like it was worse, especially in the capital. Some buildings looked unfinished, there were additions to buildings that looked amateur-made and illegal. Some looked like a quite inebriated uncle came round last weekend and decided to make a new shed out of bricks on the roof of an existing building. And now there's a new room.
I absolutely loved my time there. Funnily enough, the only part that I wasn't really a fan of was Sarandë, which is where a lot of tourists enjoy going to. It didn't feel like Albania at all. It is kind of "its own thing", whether you like it or not. I found it kinda weird. The culture felt different and it reminded me of the quite touristy areas in the south of Portugal that have been over flooded with tourism.
VerkoProd@reddit
us greeks do the elbow-helmet thing too. its a way of having a helmet on while riding (which is required by law, bit doesnt specify where it should be worn)
FinestMarzipan@reddit
Yes, because why would you actually protect your brain, if you’realready going through the hassle of bringing the helmet with you, looking like a dweeb wearing it like a girly handbag in the crook of your arm, if you could stick it to the authorities? Am I right, or am I right?
Sponsored by Inat – hindering progress and giving great satisfaction to the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula since the early middle ages 😁
VerkoProd@reddit
bruhhh i think its stupid too but why do u have to be so passive aggressive😭😭😭
FinestMarzipan@reddit
Sorry, didn’t mean to cause offence, more like a sarcastic – and above all: self deprecating – joke. This comes from someone who grew up with a mother, who when seatbelts became mandatory, used to roll it out, and (sitting in the front passenger seat) hold the buckle in her left hand, by her left hip, just in case we met a police car. It would obviously have been easier just using it as intended, getting the protection too boot, but heaven forbid the authorities force a smart habit/practice on you. 😏
Inat is partly a super charming trait, and partly quite self destructive.
VerkoProd@reddit
no worries brother, in the end we all have that paradoxical balkan mentality
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Yupp, that’s because Saranda is the city that ”mastered the art of tourism” decades before Albania even experienced this touristic boom. They’re very seasoned while the rest of the country is still pretty wild & doesn’t know how to handle tourism well (yet) 😂
But I’m glad you enjoyed Albania overall 🫶
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Thank you for this detailed comment! You have no clue how much I love Portugal - I will probably travel back there, again, very soon 🥹
Which city / region in Portugal are you from?
TheTierney@reddit
<3 Albania too! I am from Lisbon!
Dimmesdalea@reddit
I am Turkish and been there. 🇹🇷
I find Albanian culture quite close to Turkish culture. How people look, behave, talk, think all these patterns were almost identical to us. I really liked Albanian people overall.
Also, the urbanization, shops, shopping malls, etc were alike when compared to Turkey. I felt like I was roaming in any city in Turkiye.
Fascinating country.🇦🇱
AntiKouk@reddit
Backpacked from north Croatia all the way to Greece. North Albania in the mountains it's very different. But the moment you get a little bit more central and south it just felt... familiar. Then I remembered the buildings in both were build by the same people hahaha. Much more similar to Greece than Montenegro B&H and Croatia
Zlatty@reddit
Tirane was wild. Three lanes, six car lanes queued up. Need a bathroom, here is one in the kitchen (watch out there is a step and no door). Shakes head for no, but that means yes and vice versa. Absolutely wild. But the people were awesome. So friendly, and curious.
ppppamozy@reddit
Only been to Durres and Tirana, both of which felt extremely similar to Western Turkey
Bro_said@reddit
It’s Turkey light
Markomannia@reddit
Skadar/Skodra felt like Egypt 😅 Mountanous region of Northern Albania copy/paste Nordeastern Montenegro 😍🏕
nimbuschingus@reddit
update the map o rrot kari
Valdrinbusy@reddit
What the f is this map?
Subject-Count6284@reddit
Im from Sweden but been to every Balkan country, Albania felt a bit different then the other Balkan countrys hard to say what it was.
But it felt very safe i must say, i was in Tirana👍
Danedesta@reddit
I'm from Bosnia and I based on my limited time in Albania, I found that the northern cities are perhaps more simillar to what I'm used to than those in the south. Also, cities in the north seemed to have quite a bit of modern buildings mixed in, which I didn’t really expect. And roundabouts, they're everywhere. We do have them too, but not too many outside of cities
Worldly-Surround7004@reddit
Yes I’m from Kosovo and I’ve been there. It’s my home. 🇦🇱 Don’t know why my home country is depicted as Serbia in this pic
Key-Performer-357@reddit
You can tell a Serb didn't make this map either because Pristina is not the capital of Serbia.
Proactive_Criticism@reddit
Why do the mods allow this , i can clearly see a pattern here , many posts like this mentioning Albania or highlights the flag and in the screen you see Kosovo as part of Serbia.
Please grow up from this foolish propaganda.
PresnikBonny@reddit
My grandparents live in Sarandë, and because of this I frequently visit Albania in the summer. It is very similar to neighboring cities in the border in many ways. Many people speak Greek to! Tho do note I have never been any north, I have only been to Vlorë.
diadosescatter17@reddit
Voreiohpeiroths?
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Which city did u like more, Vlora or Saranda? 😊
PresnikBonny@reddit
No, by Vlorë I meant Vlorë province which is where Sarandë is at.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
NoXi7@reddit
I haven't been but here's a story from my father (Bulgarians):
He went there for a few weeks for work sometime 1999 maybe? Goes in the nearest coffee shop and asks for a coffee ( he knows some words). - what do you want the coffee with? - Uhh water? - scoff Sure. Everyone around is drinking coffee with cogniac, whiskey or something.
GoryGent@reddit
Im from Kosovo and last year went to Italy. Albania looks closer to Italy, the way people behave, food, lifestyle etc than balkanish. Kosovo is way more balkan
dicky1977@reddit
I’ve been to Kosovo, which i guess is all the same and i loved it.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I’ve been told Kosovo has the best coffee in Europe & that people there are generally nicer than those in Albania, so it’s definitely in my travel bucket list 😍
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
And you believed them?
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
Kosovo had a different vibe to me, very hard to explain what was different exactly, but I felt it. Not in a negative way because I loved both countries. I spent more time in Albania though, so maybe I’d have a better answer if I spent more time in Kosovo. Or maybe someone else can explain it better lol.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
What kind of vibe? Never been to Kosovo but it’s on my bucket list ✨ Do you think Albania & Kosovo are most similar to one another or are they more similar to other Balkan countries overall?
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
Well they’re definitely more similar to each other than other countries but perhaps I felt the lingering influence of Kosovo once being part of Yugoslavia.
OkFee606@reddit
Im russian and i was there. Flight to Tirana, then rented a car. All coast part of tge country. I really liked it. Beautyful places and good people
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Thank you! 🫶 Did you think it was similar to Russia or did it feel foreign to you?
OkFee606@reddit
And it was cheapest then Croatia or Greece that i really liked)
OkFee606@reddit
Nope. Maybe similar to Crimea peninsula, but we haven't got too many ancient castles. I was really liked it because i love ancient and medieval history (sorry 4 my english). Girocastra was awesome
Otherwise-One8087@reddit
I’m from Greece and have been to Albania 5 times, mostly in the South. The spurts of Albania reminds me a lot of Greece, cities like Sarande, Vlore could be typical coastal Greek cities and others like Berat and Gjirokaster/Argirokastro are also very similar to inland Epirus villages. The nature as well but that goes without saying due to geographical proximity. But even culture wise it looks very alike, after all, we both have old people sitting on balconies (on those white plastic chairs most Balkan homes have haha) judging tourists and locals !
ThinkHog@reddit
I am challenger on geoguesser and had a lot of relationships with Albanian women (mostly 2nd and 3rd gen) in Grecia. I can't find a difference in the scenery.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Which part of the country are you from?
ThinkHog@reddit
Central
lorenc2@reddit
A bit more....all over the place compared to my country, but i like going to Tirana
Substratas@reddit (OP)
By ”wide” do you mean there’s a lot of space between the buildings & that the streets are wide? Because this was one of the things I noticed in Poland as well, a thing that I found profoundly different from Albania (our streets are narrow & houses build so close to one-another).
SolutionTime5811@reddit
Yes. Specially the language similarities with romanian.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Yesss, I noticed the linguistic similarities too! 😍 Which part of Romania are you from?
SolutionTime5811@reddit
It almost does not matter. Seems that beside the latin roots, the shepards from Iliria crossed the mountines. Is interesting how certain words are only in Romanian and Albanian language.
-MrAnderson@reddit
Most similar experience to a Greek city like Athens.
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
As an outsider who’s been to all the Balkans yes it is similar but has its own flavor somehow. I mean every Balkan country does. I guess you could say there is more passion in the interactions you observe, both positive and negative. And also everything is just super chill, but at the same time Albanians work hard as fuck. Was interesting to see how they strike that balance of really grinding but also knowing how to relax.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Did you find it to be similar to your country / culture or did it feel relatively foreign?
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
Definitely foreign to American culture. Balkan people anywhere are way more genuine in day-to-day interactions, which I really like.
Beautiful_Ad6686@reddit
Im from Kosovo 🇽🇰 and yes its like we live in the same country, same language , same culture and even the the struggle is almost the same
Substratas@reddit (OP)
❤️❤️❤️
Cold-Rest-2948@reddit
E ke flamurin Shqiptare nderkohe perdore harte qe e paraqet Kosoven si Serbi. Bravo
imborahey@reddit
Priština us the capital of Serbia? News to me
Substratas@reddit (OP)
?
imborahey@reddit
Legend says Star is National Capital, map says Serbia with the star on Priština
Fluid-Habit-3144@reddit
Because serbia is kosovo duh
No-Start-1748@reddit
BobRenoir@reddit
I am from Serbia.
I have visited all countries in the Balkans and 95% in Europe.
I would say that there are no real big differences among the countries. More or less it all comes to the same.
But what I did find surprising about Albania is this. People are beautiful! Men and women.
I had the experience that Albaninas in Kosovo (men) are rather ugly in general. Their faces are just...unpleasant.
Even worse, Albanians from North Macedonia are probably the ugliest people I have seen everywhere. I don't know if this is due to marriages between families/close people, but... Their facial phisionomy is borderline horror films faces.
So, I expected this to be the case in Albania.
But, no... Albanians from Albania are really beautiful and nice people.
And my general feeling is that Balkan people are nice/beautiful/handsome - counting Romania and Croatia and Slovenia as Balkan.
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
This comment took a turn
BobRenoir@reddit
Well this was what was the most surprising for me.
And the question is what is smth similar to your country.
I guess the similarity is that all Balkan people are eye appealing.
If I had not visited Albania, I would have the false notion that Albanians are generally not really appealing.
cevapi-rakija-repeat@reddit
Yeah, Albanians and Bosnians rank top I have to say 🙌
I inhaled my drink at those Macedonia comments, so thanks for that.
mne1237@reddit
Im from Montenegro and it feels similar. It is a little more urban and crowded. I only visited Shkoder and Tiranë.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Which city in Montenegro are you from?
mne1237@reddit
Zeta, a small muncipality south of Podgorica
timisorean_02@reddit
Similar in some ways, but very different in many aspects (opinion from Banat, Romania).
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Thank you! I love that you included the location as well. 😊
crivycouriac@reddit
I haven’t been but I do find them that way just based off of vibes
Substratas@reddit (OP)
Find who? Which way?
crivycouriac@reddit
Just off of vibes
Ujemegaz@reddit
Maps shows Albania instead of the Adriatic.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
That’s what it’s supposed to be.