Things to do in Vlorë.
Where two seas meet.

Built in 1542 under Ottoman rule, the Muradie Mosque is attributed to Mimar Sinan, the empire’s court architect. It stands in the centre of Vlorë, simple and elegant in form, with a plain, naturally lit interior; dress respectfully if you go inside.

The National Museum of Independence is housed in the building where Ismail Qemali’s first Albanian government sat after independence was declared in Vlorë on 28 November 1912. Opened in 1936, it displays original documents, flags and patriots’ belongings.

Kaninë Castle crowns a hill south of Vlorë, with views across the bay. Its origins are Illyrian, and it was rebuilt in turn by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans; in the 14th century it was the seat of the Principality of Valona until the Ottomans took it in 1417. Its walls and towers can still be explored.

Zvërnec Monastery, dedicated to St Mary, stands among pines on a small island in the Narta Lagoon, reached on foot across a wooden bridge. Its medieval church, usually dated to the 13th–14th century, keeps fragments of frescoes and has been a listed cultural monument since 1963.

Narta Lagoon is a shallow, brackish lagoon of more than 40 km² by the Vjosa delta, part of the Vjosë–Nartë Protected Landscape declared in 2004. UNESCO describes it as a key stopover and wintering site for migratory birds such as the greater flamingo, so binoculars are worth bringing.

Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park, declared in 2010, is Albania’s first marine park, protecting about 12,500 hectares around the Karaburun peninsula and Sazan Island. Sea turtles live in its waters and the rare Mediterranean monk seal has been recorded in its sea caves; diving follows park rules.

Llogara National Park, protected since 1966, lies about 40 km from Vlorë, where the SH8 road crosses the 1,027 m Llogara Pass on its way to the Riviera. Its black pine and fir forests include trees bent by the wind into flag shapes, and around 1,400 species of higher plants have been recorded.

Founded in 1962, Vlorë’s History Museum traces the region from antiquity to the present in a distinctive building in the city centre. Displays include finds from the ancient sites of Orikum, Amantia, Mavrovë and Kaninë, plus medieval documents and weapons.

Gjiri i Inglezit (English Bay) is a quiet, unspoilt inlet of the Karaburun peninsula that no road reaches. Boat trips along the coast stop here for the clear water and for Shpella e Inglezit, a nearby cave with notable rock formations and traces of history.

On the fertile Dukat plain, about 24 km from Vlorë and close to the Ionian coast, this agritourism farm shows rural life at first hand. It produces organic wine, raki, olive oil, fruit, vegetables, eggs and medicinal herbs; contact them before visiting.

Sazan, at the mouth of the Bay of Vlorë, is Albania’s largest island and spent many years as a closed military zone. Tourist boats from Vlorë now bring visitors to its wild Mediterranean scrub, clean beaches and the tunnels and buildings of a Cold War base.

Zvërnec Beach lies near the Narta Lagoon and the Zvërnec monastery, away from the crowded resort areas. The water is calm and the shore is framed by unspoilt landscape and woodland, a good setting for a quiet day and nature photography.