Albania plus Corfu
September 28 – October 13, 2002
Led by Dr. Mattanyah Zohar


After 50 years of isolation Albania has opened its doors to Western tourists. Those of us who take up this invitation will be amazed by Albania’s dramatic natural beauty and the wealth of historic buildings and ancient sites to be found within. Surrounded on three sides by mountains and lakes and on the fourth by the Adriatic Sea, one is never far from the grandeur of remote landscapes and brilliant blue waters. In antiquity Albania was the home of the Illyrian tribes, followed by Greek settlers colonizing the coast. It later became an important Roman outpost and then a stronghold of Christianity as the Byzantines fought the Barbarian invaders. Finally, taken by the Turks, the population was converted to Islam. We shall see the temples, theaters and town sites from the earlier periods as well as unique churches and mosques from the later. We will also visit Berat and Gjirokastra, considered to be the best preserved examples of Ottoman towns outside Turkey, the marvelous frescoed churches on Lake Ohrid and spend a relaxing overnight on Corfu to visit the acropolis of Analipsis and its fine museum.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Tuesday, September 28, 29, 30 & October 1: TIRANA: Depart New York in the evening and arrive into Tirana midday Sunday. The next three nights will be spent at the centrally located Hotel Europapark. Sunday evening we will meet with Mattanyah Zohar for our opening lecture and dinner at the hotel. Touring highlights include: the National History Museum, the Tirana University Museum, the ancient Greco-Roman port city of Dyrrhachium (Durres), the remains of Arapaj, one of the largest early Christian churches in the Balkans, medieval Kruja, Lezha, an Illyrian settlement, and Zgerdhesh, a lovely Illyrian town.
Meals: Breakfast daily, 2 lunches & 2 dinners

Wednesday, Thursday, October 2 & 3: OHRID: Two nights in the peaceful village of Ohrid at the lakeside Hotel Metropole. Highlights of these days are: the Roman Via Egnatia, the Roman baths and nymphaeum at Mutatio ad Quintum, Elbasan (ancient Scampa), the rock-cut tombs at Selca, and the wonderful mosaics in the tiny stone village of Lin. In Ohrid we shall see the small Archaeological Museum and the most important of the forty remaining churches, including Sv. Kliment, Constantine and Helena and Sv. Sofije, with frescoes dating from the 11th century. A boat trip on Lake Ohrid will bring us to Sveti Naum, which sits on a rocky promontory at the end of the lake
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Friday, Saturday, October 4 & 5: KORÇA: During our two-night stay at the Regency Hotel in Korça we will visit the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Medieval Art, the 15th-century Xhamija e Mirahorit mosque, and the Old Bazaar and Han of Elbasan. In Mborja, we visit the Church of Christ’s Ascension (Kisha e Ristozit), with its outstanding frescoes, and in the little rural settlement of Voskopoja we will visit several churches, including Shenkolle, notable for its frescoes.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Sunday, October 6: GJIROKASTRA: A spectacular drive takes us through the awesome Grammoz mountains to the lovely old Ottoman town of Gjirokastra, with visits along the way.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, October 7, 8 & 9: SARANDA & CORFU: During our two nights in Saranda we will visit the site of ancient Antigoneia, the Church of St. Nicholas at Mesopotam, the Greek settlement of Phoinike and perhaps the most romantic archaeological site in Albania, Butrint. We take a ferry across the Adriatic to Corfu for a night at the Hotel Corfu Palace, visiting the museum, the acropolis of Analipsis and the Byzantine Church of Ayion Iasonos kai Sosipatrou.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily

Thursday, Friday, October 10 & 11: BERAT: After a spectacular drive up the coast via Orik (classical Oricum), we cross the Cika mountains and continue our touring at Illyrian Amantia and the ancient Greek settlement of Apollonia. Two nights will be spent at the Hotel Tomori in Berat. Visits include the Old Town, the painted Mosque of the Bachelors, the Leaded Mosque, the Tekke of the Helvetis, the Citadel and the Onuphre Icon Museum. A tour highlight will be our excursion to Byllis. The joy of discovery will be ours as we climb over this remarkable, untouched site.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily

Saturday, Sunday, October 12 & 13: TIRANA: We return to the Hotel Europapark in Tirana for our farewell dinner. On Sunday we fly back to New York.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner