Albanien

Albania looks back at a history with long periods of foreign rule and more than forty years of brutal dictatorship. Even 25 years after the political overthrow, the path of developing a democratic society, a competitive economy, and integrating into the European structures of social market economy has remained a long and arduous one. Administration and politics are still deficient of morals and integrity. This illustrated travel guide portrays the attractive aspects of a country that is still largely unknown, but does not leave out those that are deserving of criticism or scurrilous in character either. Albania is a country of contrasts. Cities with modern centres and seemingly well-off people, new factories, and modern agricultural enterprises exist alongside simple villages of self-sustaining communities where farming has remained hard manual labour with the aid of work animals. Albania is also unique with regard to its scenic diversity. It harbours wide, unaltered landscapes with untouched nature and a highly speciose flora and fauna, alpine mountain ranges, remote valleys, mountain chains, picturesque mountain sceneries, wild river valleys, deeply carved canyons, expansive forests, coastal lowlands, dunes, long beaches with fine sand, plains, lagoons, wetlands, rugged rocky coasts, intimate little bays, beaches with coarse sand, dammed-up rivers, lakes and thermal springs, just as well as romantic villages, interesting fortresses, citadels, castles, historic ruins, and buildings from the times of the Ottoman Empire. This illustrated travel guide is not only meant to provide ideas on travelling a unique country, but will also help to better understand the Albanian people who present themselves as unprejudiced and exceptionally hospitable towards tourists. Zweisprachige Ausgabe in Deutsch und Englisch.