Vlorë is the 3rd most populous city in Albania. The ë in Albanian is pronounced like “uh”, so the name becomes Vlora. There’s a long promenade along the coast, which is named with the Italian word lungomare.

Beach in Vlora

Lungomare road

While the sea in the city seems filthy with lots of seaweed, it’s much more pleasant a little bit further away.

Bluish greenish water

Calm

Street art

There’s not much to see in the city. On a scorching hot square, stands an even hotter monument of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, which was declared in 1912 right here in Vlora.

Independence Monument

Old Mosque

Main street

When you leave the main street, the houses become shabby. It becomes apparent that Albania is a poor country. The mismatched windows and balconies are barred even on the 4th floor. However, I stayed in an area like this and it seemed safe.

Albanian houses

I walked towards the outskirts of the city and the houses became even more dilapitated. When I started hitchiking towards Zvernec, surprisingly the second car that passed picked me up. Shortest hitchiking wait I’ve ever had.

Dilapitated

Zvërnec

Zvernec is located 10km away from Vlore. I visited it in order to see the St Mary’s Monastery located on an island in a lagoon.

Lagoon

Bridge to the island

St Mary's Monastery

Inside the church

Flags of Albania and of the Albanian Orthodox Church

Honestly the place is underwhelming: the lagoon is flithy, the church is mildly remarkable and the rest of the island is blocked of by a questionable fence.

Then, I walked towards the sea along the dusty roads in the fields.

Landscape

Here it is

View

Naturally, I went for a swim.

Swimming

I was lucky that there were other people, with whom I hitchiked back to the city with. We spoke Italian, which is widespread as a foreign language in Albania along with English. We stopped for beer on the way.

Hitchiking