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This pint-sized, sunny slice of Adriatic coast has been ground down for years by poverty, blood vendettas, illiteracy and too many five year plans. For years boatloads of refugees have fled for a better life elsewhere, but Albania still manages to pack a wild punch of traditional Mediterranean charm and Soviet-style inefficiency. It is a giddy blend of religions, styles, cultures and landscapes, from Sunni Muslim to Albanian Orthodox, from idyllic beach resort and rocky mountain peak to intensely cultivated field. Relics from one of the longest dictatorships in Eastern Europe rub shoulders with citrus orchards, olive groves and vineyards. Decrepit, Chinese-built factories stand next to breathtaking mosques; ornately decorated Orthodox churches face off 'Soviet Brutal' palaces of culture.

Kicked around by the Balkan big boys for millennia and turned upside down by its very own Maoist Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Albania is now tentatively embracing democracy, the outside world and a few foreign travellers. Some things won't ever change, though: the spectacular forested mountains, the warm Mediterranean sun, and the heart-rendingly blue waters of the Adriatic all endure the country's ups and downs.

Warning

The security situation in Albania remains unstable. Visitors need to exercise extreme care, maintaining a high level of personal security awareness. The presence of unexploded munitions along the Albania/Kosovo border is suspected, and travel to the Bajram Curri and Tropoje area in particular should be avoided. Crime is rampant, with armed gangs operating particularly in the northeast near the border with Kosovo, in Shkoder and in the south between Memaliaj and Gjirokastra. Armed robberies, assaults, mobster assassinations, bombings and carjackings have been reported, and street crime (particularly at night) is a problem across the country. Visitors should avoid all large public gatherings and street demonstrations. Driving in Albania is hazardous due to atrocious road conditions and the inexperience of local drivers. Any nocturnal travel should be avoided. Visitors hoping to travel by road outside Tirana should use the services of a local driver/interpreter, but in general it's inadvisable to travel outside the main cities.

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