Underwater Archaeology Tour in Albania

Arrival at Rinas airport and transfer to Durres for the overnight stay.
Check in at Hotel Arvi, a 4-star hotel in the center of the town, then a short walk in the old town.
Included dinner in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel. Guided tour of the Roman Amphitheater and the Archaeological Museum.
Lunch on the beach. After that, adjustment of the diving equipment and try the first dive. Excursion along the coast.

– Durrës: Cicero called it the "free" city (civitas libera) while Catulla called it "the tavern of the Adriatic". From 30 BC it was a Roman colony. Dyrrhachium is one of the oldest bishoprics in the Balkans. In August 1501, the Ottomans conquered the city through an organized coup.

-The Amphitheater, from the time of Emperor Hadrian: it had room for 16,000 to 23,000 spectators and was certainly one of the largest in the Balkans.

-Archaeological museum: with Greek, Illyrian, Roman and late antique Finds from the city and its surroundings. Trade relations in antiquity. To better understand the trade relations of Dyrrhachium, it is best to look at the transport amphorae with which wine and also olive oil and garum were imported.

Breakfast in the hotel. Boat trip to the shipwreck Albano; Visit the wreck. Lunch on the beach. After lunch free time. Dinner and overnight in Durrës.

-The Periskaf "Albano", 86.86 long, was built in 1918 as a transport ship and belonged to the "Società Italiana di Servizi maritime". On January 2, 1941, it was hit by an English torpedo 40 days after starting its military career and sank near the port of Durrës.

After breakfast, boat trip to the place where the shipwreck of Pozsony lies and visit the wreck. Lunch on the beach. Then drive to Apollonia to visit the ancient city. Dinner and overnight stay in Fier at Hotel Fieri, a 4-star hotel in the center of the town.

-The "Pozsony", a transport ship 52 m long and 7 m wide, was built in 1908 in Kiel built. On August 19, 1916, she sailed on a sea mine and sank about 4 km outside the port of Durrës. (Lit.: C. Balzi, IL RELITTO DEL POZSONY, in Scuba 36, 2017, 45-48).

-Apollonia is the largest and best preserved Greek colony in southern Illyria and today one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania.

After breakfast, drive to Vlore, where the remains of the "PO" lie. Visit the wreck. Lunch on the beach. Afternoon free time. Dinner and overnight in Vlore at hotel Partner, a 4-star hotel in the center of the town.

-The transport ship "Vienna", later renamed "PO", was built between 1909 and 1911. In 1916 it was converted into a hospital ship with 600 beds. On March 14, 1941, it was hit by a torpedo and sank about 3 km outside the port of Vlore.

-Vlore, the second most important port in Albania, is located at the entrance to the bay of the same name and is only separated from Italy by the Strait of Otranto. This is only 72 km wide, separates the Albanian from the Italian coast and marks the border between the Adriatic Sea in the north and the Ionian Sea in the south. With a length of 19 km and a maximum width of 16 km, the bay at the southern end offers excellent anchorage facilities, there are the ancient port city of Orikos and the modern military port Pashaliman.

After breakfast, drive to Sarande. Coffee break at the stop on the top of Llogara with a unique view of the coast and the sea. Continue towards Borsh, where we take lunch amidst rushing streams. Continue to Sarande, check in at Hotel Brilant (4* hotel in the center). Drive to Butrint for a visit to the ancient city and the museum. Return to Sarande for dinner on the beach and overnight stay.

-Butrint has a long and well-documented history. The Hellenistic and Roman legends say that Helenos, the son of the Trojan king Priam, was the mythical founder hero of Buthroton. After 27 BC, the name was changed to Colonia Augusta Buthrotum. Because of its Asklepieion and theater district, its imposing city walls and its early Christian buildings Butrint in 1992 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After breakfast, boat trip to the place where the shipwreck of the "Probitas" lies. Visit the wreck. Lunch on the beach. After lunch, drive to Gjirokastër. On the way, visit the impressive natural phenomenon "Syri I kaltërt" (Blue Eye). Dinner and overnight stay in Gjirokastër.

-The transport ship "Probitas" was built in 1919. Transport capacity 5084 tons, length about 115 m, width about 16 m. On 15.9.1943 it was attacked and sunk in the harbor of Sarande by the German Luftwaffe.

-The ‘museum city’ Gjirokaster has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. The city has retained much of its charm as a 19th-century town in the old center, a walk through the cobblestone streets is almost like a journey through time. Ali Pasha’s fortress now serves as a war museum, as a memorial to political prisoners who are imprisoned here, and as a venue for the grand, traditional folklore festival.

After breakfast, drive to the airport. Coffee break in Elbasan.