Vuno

Kaninë is a village 6 km from Vlorë, gathered around its ancient castle. Walk between stone houses and along narrow cobbled lanes, stop at the quiet church of St Mary and try the local food before heading back to the city.

Orikum is a small coastal town between the Bay of Vlorë and the start of the Riviera, where fishing, olives and vineyards carry on beside a modern port. In summer many families take in guests, and the ancient ruins, the lagoon and Llogara’s trails are nearby.

On the edge of the Narta Lagoon, the village of Zvërnec brings together open water, pine woods and the island monastery of St Mary. Nature watchers come for the waterbirds, and a path through the Soda pine forest leads down to the sea.

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.