Korçë County

On a high plateau at around 850 meters, surrounded by mountains, lies Korça – the city Albanians regard as a stronghold of culture, serenades and good beer. A trip to Korça County also takes you to Lake Ohrid and to mountain villages with Byzantine churches.

Korça: Boulevards and Beer

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Korça was a center of the Albanian national movement; the first school with Albanian as its language of instruction opened here in 1887 and is now a museum. The old town, with its townhouses, the Orthodox Resurrection Cathedral and the restored Old Bazaar, feels almost Central European. The National Museum of Medieval Art displays a large collection of icons. Korça beer has been brewed here since 1928, and it is celebrated every August at the Beer Festival, which draws thousands of visitors to the city. In the evening, locals stroll along Shën Gjergji Boulevard, and the taverns fill with the melancholy serenades the city is known for. Typical dishes include lakror, a thin flaky-pastry pie filled with vegetables or meat, apples from the plain and hearty winter fare.

Sights in Korça County

About 20 kilometers to the west lies Voskopoja, which in the 18th century was one of the largest cities in the Balkans, with a printing press and an academy. Of its once numerous churches, several survive with magnificent frescoes, and today the village is a destination for hikers and, in winter, skiers. To the north, Pogradec sits on the shore of Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest lakes in the world, which Albania shares with North Macedonia. Along the lakeshore you will find beaches, and in the restaurants the Koran trout, a species found only here, comes to the table. Near the town are the Drilon springs, with gardens and streams, as well as the district of Buçimas, with hotels on the lake.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

From Tirana, the drive to Korça via Elbasan takes three to four hours. The Kapshtica border crossing leads to Greece, and via Pogradec you can reach Ohrid. Summer and early fall are ideal; in winter there is often snow.