Located on the peripheries, Korçë rarely makes it to the list of the best places to visit in Albania. The competition is hard. The museum cities of Berat and Gjirokaster, the sunny beach towns by the Adriatic, and the wild Accursed Mountains – Albania has simply too many tourist attractions. You can’t be too surprised that tourists often overlook this town close to the Greek border. It’s a pity – there are plenty of things to do in Korçë, no matter if you love history, art, nature or food.
Located on the crossroads, Korçë has been an important hub for traders travelling from Turkey and Greece. Until today, you can feel the cosmopolitan vibe, unusual for a city of just 75 000 inhabitants.
The proximity to Greece has its imprint on the architecture in Korçë. What’s more surprising, some 19th-century villas have a strongly French style, which is why Korçë is called “The Little Paris of Albania”. I hate that urge we have to compare places and I don’t see a point in calling every other city a Paris of something.
Korçë is very artsy and has a bohemian vibe, but it feels nothing like the French capital. In a good way. Maybe if you added some communist blocks, decaying villas and vast mountain range around, Paris could be the Korçë of France.
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The best things to do in Korçë
Visit the Resurrection Cathedral
In Korçë, you can grasp how different religions peacefully coexist in Albania. With a large Greek population, many inhabitants of Korçë are Greek Orthodox
The Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Korçë is the biggest orthodox church in Albania. Despite its young age (it was built in 1995 after the original church was destroyed by communists in the 1960s), the temple is worth visiting.
You won’t miss it for sure, as its majestic silhouette with beautiful domes dominates the Boulevard Shen Gjergji – the main walking street in Korçë.
Inside, you will find vibrant frescos, an impressive wooden-carved iconostasis and an intense aroma of incense.
Take a stroll on Shen Gjergji Boulevard
Korca’s main pedestrian street tends to be busy. There is a pinch of Eastern-European nostalgia you can feel when looking at the locals unhurriedly heading to do their errands or just having their evening stroll.
Look around to appreciate the beautiful secessionist architecture.
If you need a break, there are plenty of cosy cafes where a cup of Turkish coffee will give you an energy boost to continue exploring Korçë.
Visit the Gjon Mili Photography Museum
Walking down St. George Boulevard, a bright yellow building will surely catch your eye. It is called the Romanian House. If you’re passionate about photography, you must go inside and visit the Gjon Mili Photography Museum.
Gjon Mili was the most famous Albanian photographer working for Life magazine. He was also one of the first photographers who experimented with stroboscopic lights to show the movement and sequences of his photographs.
You know those photos with really long exposure when the portrayed person is painting lines with the light? Gjon Mili was a pioneer of that kind of photography. He brought it to the next level, especially in his series portraying Pablo Picasso.
The cool thing about the Gjon Mili museum is that you don’t only see Mili’s genius pictures, but you can also try out his methods yourself!
Important info: the Gjon Mili museum is closed on Mondays.
Study hundreds of faces on the facade of Korçë theatre
Korçë is a constantly evolving city with many recent projects aiming to transform the urban space giving it a modern, progressive look. One of the most remarkable contemporary buildings is the Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre.
Adding hundreds of comic and dramatic masks to the facade transformed a grey soviet-style building into a vibrant piece of Balkan art deco. Each mask has a different facial expression and shape, and I spent quite some time staring at them.
View the panorama from the Red Tower
Right next to the theatre, you will find the Red Tower. It has the best panoramic view of Korçë. Take a lift to the 10th floor for just 50 leks to admire the red rooftops of Korçë and the beautiful Morava mountains.
See one of the oldest mosques in Albania
Iliaz Bej Mirahorit Mosque in Korçë is the second oldest mosque in Albania. The 15th-century ottoman mosque is also the oldest building in the city.
Travelling through the Balkans, you encounter plenty of mosques, but the one in Korçë is special. It’s one of the few buildings made of lead cubes. Thanks to this sturdy material, it survived an earthquake in 1960 (although the minaret collapsed).
During communism, the Iljaz Mirahorit Mosque served as a warehouse as the regime banned all forms of religion.
The interior is modest, with some faded 18th-century paintings.
Next to the mosque, you’ll see another landmark of Korçë: the clock tower.
Explore the Old Bazaar
Despite its name, Korçë’s Old Bazaar looks pretty new and modern. That’s because, in the late 19th century, an extensive fire destroyed the 500 years old Ottoman marketplace. The bazaar went through a renovation recently and transformed into a tourist hub.
You can still find charming ottoman caravanserais (inns where the merchants would have a meal or drink after a long day of travelling and trading) where you can feel the atmosphere of the old times. Many cafes and pubs of the old bazaar are modern, and names like The Beatles show clear inspiration from western culture.
Kooperativa is a great place to have a cup of coffee or a drink in a nice vintage-looking bar.
Have a Korçë beer
Nearly every bar in Albania has Korca beer on the menu. Albania’s most famous and oldest beer comes from Korçë, so you cannot miss visiting the brewery.
Sitting in a garden at the foot of Morava mountain and sipping a glass of Korca is the best way to relax after sightseeing and walking around.
Walk up random cobbled streets to find secret wonders of Korçë
Korçë is one of these towns where beautiful details hide behind every corner. Crumbling villas with ornamental balconies and towers are reminiscent of a 4-year-long French occupation of the province during WW1.
Immerse yourself in the decadent and romantic ambience but watch out, so your feet don’t slip on the rounded cobbles.
Learn about education and the Albanian language
Albanian language (alb. shqip) is unique on the European scale. When travelling through the Balkans, you’ll notice that languages in most countries are similar. That’s because they are all Slavic languages.
But Albanian is different, It doesn’t sound or look similar to any language you know.
That’s because Albanian is an independent sub-branch of Indo-European languages, directly not related to any other language spoken in Europe (or anywhere else in the world). It has some similarities to Armenian and Greek, but they are so indirect that you wouldn’t spot them even if you knew all these languages fluently and paid close attention.
If you’re a language freak or love to deeper understand a country you’re visiting, the National Museum of Education in Korçë will satisfy your curiosity. The school in Korçë was the first one to hold classes in Albanian. The school educated both boys and girls already in the late 15th century. The schools in Korçë were financed by religious communities but emphasized respecting other religions.
In the museum, you’ll find plenty of documents illustrating the evolution of the Albanian language. The exposition has descriptions in English.
Visit the National Museum of Medieval Art
The National Museum in Korçë will not disappoint you if you love art and history. With about 7000 items like icons, iconostasis and paintings, it will take you on a fascinating journey through the 13th and 14th history of the Balkans. It’s one of the largest museums in Albania.
I am usually sceptical when I read on the Internet that something is a hidden gem. Most of the time, I later find information about that place in every other guidebook and blog. But the tiny 13th-century Holy Resurrection Church in Mborje wasn’t even marked on Google Maps when I accidentally ran into it. I guess that classifies it as a hidden treasure, although I am pretty much aware that the minute this post gets published, it won’t be so hidden anymore.
Nonetheless, I don’t assume this place to be visited by crowds of tourists anytime soon anyway.
The church in the mountain village Mborje is a cultural monument of Albania and is one of the oldest churches in the Balkans.
The dim interior hides striking frescos portraying angels, saints and demons. If the guardian of the place is not around and the door is closed, ask the locals, and they will help you find him.
The walk to Mborje from Korçë takes about 30 minutes and gives you a chance to breathe in the mountain air and admire the incredible views of the city and the peaks surrounding it.
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