Apollonia is one of the main tourist attractions in Albania and rightly so. Now Unesco world heritage sight, Apollonia was founded on the banks of the river Vjosa by the Greeks in 588 b.C.

Cicero called Apollonia magna urbs et gravis, a great and important city. As an important sea port, Apollonia grew rich under Roman rule. In the 3rd century aD an earthquake shattered the hopes and dreams of the Apollonians: it changed the flow of the river Vjosa, and split the harbor in two, turning the inland area into a mosquito paradise, spreading malaria.

Apollonia declined as the nearby harbor town of Vlöre, or Vlora, prospered and was mostly forgotten until excavations started in the 20th century. Today, a lot still lies undiscovered, though through the years, many fine artefacts have been dug up, on display at the monastery and at the archeological museum in Durrës.

The nearby coastal town of Fier offers plenty of wonderful hotels to make your stay a memorable one.

Vlora best hotel

Vlorë used to be an important Roman port, back in the day. Nowadays, it´s still Alabnia´s second largest port, after Dürres, with almost 100.000 inhabitants.

Hotel New York Vlora

Vlorë has a mediterrenean feel to it, as if you´re in Italy or Spain, but it´s much quieter and cheaper as well! Vlorë´s city centre, though it has its perks, can get noisy, so Hotel Nju Jorku (New York) on the coast is a safe bet. Modern, friendly staff and the view from the ocean rooms is wonderful, swimming pool on the rooftop and satellite tv. Mind you, you only get BBC World and Al JAzeera in English, the rest is Italian or German.

At night they serve excellent thin crust pizza on the roof for only about 2,5 euros.

Rruga Justin Godard, Lagje Hajro Cakerri,Nr.72 , Vlore, ALBANIA
Tel :++355 3324648/24649
Mob: ++355 682035054