VLORA Region is situated in the South-Western part of Albania, in a beautiful location stretching along the Ionian sealine. The main cities of the region are Vlora and Saranda.
Vlora city is situated in the front of Karaburun Peninsula surrounded by beaches and rocky sand. The city is the 2nd major port of the country. Vlora is an old city founded in the 6th century BC originally known by the name AULONA. The city carries historical importance to Albania as it hosted the First National Assembly, which declared the country’s independence from Ottoman rule on November 28th 1912.
The city of Saranda sits above its natural bay, opposite the Greek island of Corfu. The city’s built form still follows its natural geomorphologic form of an amphitheatre. Saranda was first made a port to service Finiqi, in the 3rd C B.C. and in the I-st C B.C. expanded to a settlement, called Onhezmus. Many remains of the Roman and Byzantine periods are to be found scattered around the present day town. The area around Saranda is also blessed with a number of archaeological sites. The most important of these is most certainly Butrint, a UNESCO protected World Heritage Site. The ecosystem surrounding the area is a national park, offering you the opportunity to walk in a real Mediterranean “jungle”.