Monuments in Vlorë

Monuments in Vlorë

Vlore is a harbour city that holds special meaning for Albanians, as this is where the country declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire at the start of the 20th century. So you can take a whistle-stop tour of monuments and museums celebrating the statesman Ismail Qemali’s first government, and in doing so get to know a little more about what it means to be Albanian.
If you’d like ideas for days trips, the wider region is both untamed and beautiful. Relaxing tourist beaches with clear waters are just a handful of kilometres away, and if you follow the coastal road south there’s a string of charming little resorts punctuated by the vast mountainscapes of the Llogora National Park.

1. Independence monument

As the centrepiece of Vlore’s Square of the Flag, the Independence Monument marks Albania’s declaration of independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. It was designed by Mumtaz Dhrami, a prolific 20th-centrury sculptor who completed a host of works around Albania in communist times. His Independence Monument is from 1972 and exemplifies the socialist-realist style, so today it memorialises both Albania’s independence and the country’s difficult post-war years. The square is fringed by palm and pine trees, and there are benches where you can sit and watch the city go by.

2. Muradie Mosque

Vlore’s main mosque is a stunning Ottoman building and has been preserved for almost half a millennium, even managing to survive Albania’s post-war communist regime that oversaw the shuttering of many religious buildings. Muradie Mosque is an Albanian National Monument built by Mimar Sinan in 1537. Sinan was among the most vaunted Ottoman architects and remains a Turkish cultural icon to this day. He oversaw countless works throughout the empire and even had a hand in the design of the Taj Mahal in India. Try to get up close to get a look at the building’s ornamental stonework and admire the 18-metre-high minaret.

3. Zvernec Monastery

This majestic slice of Albanian cultural heritage is on an island in the Narta Lagoon, a short trip northwest of the city. You can reach it via a rickety wooden bridge that has seen better days, so you’ll need to take care on the crossing. Once you make it to dry land you can lose yourself in the island’s dense aromatic pine forest and wander around the rocky shoreline to look across the lagoon. At the centre, in a peaceful little clearing, is this monastery is from the 1300s, a lovely example of Byzantine architecture. Relatively few visitors make it to the island so Zvernec is a peaceful place for a picnic on a summer afternoon.