Gloyer, G: Albania

This new, thoroughly updated sixth edition of Bradt's Albania remains the only standalone guide to this dynamic and rapidly modernising eastern European country, from the capital, Tirana, a lively European city, with shopping malls, cycle paths, museums, galleries and historic buildings, to remote outposts where traditional ways of life prevail. Updated by expert author Gillian Gloyer, it includes all developments since the last edition, reflecting changes such as continued investment in the road network and construction of fast highways connecting main cities, improved hotel provision and new museums dedicated to Albania's communist history. Despite such modernisation, Albania is one of very few European countries where it is still possible to immerse yourself in traditional lifestyles and culture, and Bradt's Albania provides details of where to experience this for yourself. In highland villages, people tend their livestock and gather their crops with little or no mechanisation; they milk their cows and goats by hand, they make their own cheese and bread, they distil home-made spirits from local fruits and berries. In addition, many villagers have opened up their traditional homes as guest-houses, offering a wonderful opportunity to experience their culture first-hand. Bradt's Albania also includes details of watching the country's rare wildlife, such as wildcats, lynx, wolves and bears, and of visiting its three World Heritage Sites: the archaeological site and national park of Butrint and the Ottoman cities of Berati and Gjirokastra. Iso-polyphony, the traditional music of the south-west, is also listed as part of World Heritage by UNESCO. With rigorously researched historical and archaeological background information, detailed notes on popular and less well-known hiking routes and other outdoor activities, specialist contributors on wildlife, military history and other topics, and an unparalleled wealth of practical advice for the independent traveller, Bradt's Albania is the ideal companion for discovering this intriguing country.