Eleven point nine million tourists visited Albania in 2025 — nearly double the number from just six years earlier, according to UN Tourism. The Balkan country that was sealed off under dictator Enver Hoxha for decades is now firmly on the mainstream map, and the reasons why are worth knowing before the crowds get bigger.

The rise follows a familiar Balkan pattern. Croatia went mainstream after Game of Thrones, attention drifted south to Montenegro, and now it's Albania's turn. Budget flights did a lot of the heavy lifting: Wizz Air opened a base at Tirana in 2020, linking the capital to cities like London, Rome, Barcelona and Budapest. Cheap buses also make multi-country trips through North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro easy to stitch together.

What keeps people coming is variety. Tirana works as a cheap, lively city break — start at Skanderbeg Square, then dig into the darker chapters at the House of Leaves museum about the Sigurimi secret police, or Bunk'art 2, a bunker turned museum in the square itself. (The larger Bunk'art 1 sits near the Dajti cable car station.) Note the National Historical Museum is shut until 2028. Afterward, the Blokku district delivers the nightlife: Hemingway for jazz and rum cocktails, Radio Bar for a classic, or Ruka's Bar 1991 for a beer.

North of the capital, Shkodër sits beside the largest lake in southern Europe, shared with Montenegro. It's a slow-down sort of place — cycle around the shore, visit Rozafa Castle, and eat well; the restaurant at Hotel Tradita, a boutique stay in a 1694 building, serves traditional food with live Albanian music. The Shala River and Lake Koman make good day trips, and hikes into the Albanian Alps start here.

Those Alps deserve their own mention. The Valbona-to-Theth trail is the headliner: 12 kilometres of dramatic peaks and wildflower meadows, taking seven to 10 hours on foot.

Then there's the coast. The Albanian Riviera has been tagged the "Maldives of Europe" for its clear water and sandy beaches, and it's the country's biggest draw. Vlorë has seen the largest influx, with Dhërmi, Sarandë and Ksamil close behind. The boom is funding serious hotel stock — Green Coast Hotel (MGallery) opened in June 2024, the Crowne Plaza Durrës followed in 2025 — though part of the appeal remains that prices undercut neighbours.

Who is this for? Anyone who liked Croatia or Montenegro a decade ago and wants similar scenery at lower cost, plus hikers and history nerds who want something genuinely different. The trade-off: Albania is growing fast, so go sooner rather than later if quiet beaches are the point.

Getting there is straightforward — direct flights into Tirana from hubs including London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Istanbul (many seasonal), or buses from Skopje, Ohrid, Podgorica, Budva, Prishtina and Prizren.

Credit: Euronews Travel