Vlorë

Vlora is a municipality in the southwest of Albania with an estimated population of 130,827 in an area of 647.94 km2. It is the center of the municipality with the same name. The city is located on the Bay of Vlorë and the foothills of the Ceraunian Mountains at the Strait of Otranto along the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea within the Mediterranean Sea. Its climate is profoundly affected by the sea and therefore it experiences hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

The city was founded as Aulon by an Ancient Greek colony in Illyria and was centuries later conquered by the Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Venetians, and Ottomans. Culturally and economically, the city is one of the most significant cities of southern Albania and the region of Labëria which is traditionally popular for its traditions and folklore.

On November 28, 1912, Ismail Qemali declared the Albanian National Awakening in Vlorë and Vlora was back then the capital of Albania. In the city center, there is a monument of independence - a statue of the main figures that contributed to the act of Independence. While visiting the city, make sure to visit the Museum of National Independence, Ethnographic Museum, Muradie Mosque, and the amazing seaside of the city.