On our trip to Albania, in June, we planned to visit the archeological site of Byllis. It was not easy to discover this place on the map of Albania. However, gathering internet data about cultural monuments in Albania, we succeeded in finding some information about this ancient city, whose remains are situated north-east of Vlore, […]
Author: Marianne van Twillert
TREASURES OF THE ZETA RIVER
After a busy day, I feel totally relaxed when I spend an hour or so in Rogami, on the bank of the Zeta river, at a 10 minutes drive from the center of Podgorica. Do you know the meaning of the name “Zeta”? One theory is that it derives from an early root meaning “harvest” […]
ALBANIA: THE CHURCHES OF VOSKOPOJA
On our round trip through the southern part of Albania last month, we were very curious to visit Voskopoja, as this village was once the largest town in the Balkan region, after Istanbul.
BUKUMIRSKO LAKE, THE HEART OF THE KUČKA KRAJINA MOUNTAINS
Wishing to escape from the hot city, we decided to spend a day in the mountains of Kučka Krajina and to visit Bukumirsko Lake. This Lake is situated at an altitude of 1,440 m above sea level and at a distance of only 45 km from Podgorica. On the 20th kilometer of the road to […]
LAKE OHRID – MONASTERIES, TROUT AND THE BAY OF BONES
Two weeks ago we visited Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. Of course, the town of Ohrid itself is the most popular tourist resort on the lake and all tourists coming from Western Europe (and in particular from the Netherlands) are interested in seeing the beautiful monasteries of St. John Kaneo, Plaošnik, the church of St. Sofia […]
THE MYSTIC MONASTERY OF ARDENICA
I have visited many Orthodox churches and monasteries all around Europe. They were often drenched in gold-leaf and full of precious icons, but none of them could match the beautiful icons and frescoes in the church of Ardenica. The monastery of Ardenica is standing on the highest hilltop overlooking the plains of Myzeqe, in the […]
ALBANIA: BLUE EYE, A PLACE OF LEGEND AND BEAUTY
I have visited Albania several times, but I still believe that one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in this country is “Blue Eye”, a water spring with blue water that bubbles from a stunning and more than fifty meter deep pool. Blue Eye, known in Albanian as Syri i Kaltër, is located on […]
BUDVA: THE FRESCOES OF MONASTERY PODMAINE
When I visited monastery Podmaine in Budva for the first time forty years ago, it was located in peaceful green surroundings, far away from the settled areas. Last month I discovered that the situation has totally changed: one of the main tourist attractions of Budva is now surrounded by apartment buildings and boarding-houses. The full […]
BERAT: THE TOWN OF A THOUSAND WINDOWS
During our trip through Albania in May we also visited Berat, one of the country’s most beautiful towns. In 2008 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it is a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town. The road from Tirana to Berat is in rather bad shape. Most people use furgons, […]
THE MAGIC OF ROME
It is a great experience to spend a long weekend in Rome, where you can really find it all: impressive churches, ancient ruins, powerful monuments, but also an excellent cuisine and attractive fashion shops. Paul and I had four days available and wanted to get a complete picture of the city, but of course, we […]