Nord Park Resort

Cultural days out or exploring the countryside? You’re well set up for both at Nord Park Resort. If you need a breather, make a beeline for peaceful Çerkeza Lake (25 minutes’ drive), where you can walk or cycle around the shoreline, hire pedal boats to cross the water or soak up the mountain views. You can also hike up to dramatic waterfalls in steep Zezë Canyon (35 minutes). When it comes to Albania’s rich heritage, tour the site of the ancient Illyrian city of Albanopolis (20 minutes), its acropolis, defence walls and watchtowers. Visit the medieval mountain town of Krujë (25 minutes) to check out the hilltop castle, historic marketplace and ethnographic museum, or marvel at the tiny cave chapel in the Temple of Sari Salltik (40 minutes), accessed down steep mountainside steps. If you’ve a yen for some urban time, historic Tirana (40 minutes) can supply a host of cool bars and coffee houses, architecture from Ottoman to Soviet era, and Bunk’Art 2, a museum detailing Albania’s communist past and housed in a former Cold War-era bunker.