Albania with children: rivers, castles and a warm coast

Albania is one of the most rewarding countries in Europe for a family looking for something different. It is close to home: Tirana is about three hours' flight from London. It is generally safe and very welcoming, and Albanian culture is deeply family-centred. Children are welcomed everywhere, fussed over in cafés and restaurants and treated as guests of honour. The distances are short, the landscapes are spectacular, and there is plenty to do that will appeal to children: castles to explore, rivers to raft, ruins to clamber over and a warm, clear sea to swim in.

Castles and cable cars

Albania has castles everywhere, many of them on hilltops with views to match. The castle at Gjirokastër, the stone-built Ottoman town in the south, is one of the largest in the Balkans, with vast vaulted halls full of old cannons and tanks. On its ramparts sits an American jet aircraft from the Cold War, displayed by the old regime as a captured spy plane, which tends to fascinate children. Down on the coast, Porto Palermo has a small, triangular fortress on a promontory in a sheltered bay, associated with Ali Pasha, the Ottoman governor of the region. Exploring its dark rooms and battlements is a good adventure.

Above Tirana, a long cable car climbs from the edge of the city to Mount Dajti, swinging high over the forest, with views across the capital and the plain to the sea. At the top there are walks, places to eat and room to run around.

Rivers and ruins

The Vjosa River, in southern Albania, is one of the last wild rivers in Europe, flowing freely without dams through gorges and wide gravel valleys. In 2023 it was declared a national park. Near the town of Këlcyrë, the river runs through a narrow gorge, and gentle rafting trips there are suitable for families, with stretches of mild rapids between calm water and towering cliffs.

Apollonia, near the coast, was an ancient Greek and Roman city on a hill above the plain. It was founded around 600 BC, and the young Octavian, later the emperor Augustus, was studying there when he heard of the assassination of Julius Caesar. Much of it is still unexcavated, and the site, with its monumental façade, its little theatre and a Byzantine monastery, is spacious and quiet, with room to wander.

The coast

The Albanian Riviera, along the Ionian Sea in the south, has white pebble beaches and clear, warm water. Himarë is a small resort with a family-friendly beach and a castle on the hill above. Vlorë, further north, is a larger seaside city. The water is calm and clean in summer, though the beaches are mostly pebbles rather than sand, so water shoes help.

Explore Worldwide's Family Albania Adventure, seven nights, is designed for families. It includes Tirana and Mount Dajti, Gjirokastër, the Vjosa River and the Këlcyrë gorge, Porto Palermo and Himara on the coast, Vlora and Apollonia. It runs in May, July, August and October.

For older children and teenagers who enjoy history, Explore Worldwide's Highlights of Albania, ten nights, takes a longer route through Tirana, Lake Ohrid at Pogradec, Korçë, Gjirokastër, Butrint and the coast.

Gjirokastër itself is a good place for a family to stay, with its steep stone streets, its old houses to explore and the castle on the ridge above. The town's Cold War tunnel, a vast network of rooms and corridors dug into the hillside under the old town in case of attack, has been opened to visitors and is a strange, slightly spooky adventure. Older children, especially, tend to find the idea of a whole town ready to go underground fascinating. In the evenings, families stroll the old bazaar and children play in the squares until late, as they do all over Albania.

A few practical points

Albanian food generally goes down well with children: grilled meats, meatballs, chips, salads, yoghurt and byrek, the savoury pie found in every bakery, along with excellent fresh fruit. Roads in the mountains are winding, so anyone prone to car sickness should be prepared. Summer is hot, so plan the busy parts of the day for the morning and evening. May and October, outside the school summer holidays, are cooler and quieter, if your family's calendar allows.