Discover a town in Albania that was closed for half a century and experience the adventure of entering a bunker. From the walls of the Old Town, enjoy the panorama of Shkodra on the lake and three rivers. Find out why Shkoder is a centre of culture and how carnival masks are made in this mystical city. Finish the experience by reflecting on the trip in the Albanian ethnic village.

Albania is a country in Europe that was closed for about 40 years. How many secrets are hidden, how people lived during four decades of isolation in Albania, what today is evidence of Enver Hoxha's regime, how creative they are, what their culture is like, what their national cuisine is…find out during a one-day trip to the mystical Shkoder.

Discover the northernmost city in Albania, a country that until the beginning of the 90s was under the most repressive communist regime of Enver Hoxha, completely isolated from the rest of the world. After the death of Enver Hoxha, the borders of Albania opened and the land of eagles, mystical and unknown, attracted the attention of people from all over the world.

One of the testimonies of Enver Hoxha's rule is the bunkers. The first adventure on this special trip is entering one of the bunkers. During your stay in Shkoder, you will learn from the guide of the tourist agency Ave Tours how many bunkers have been built in Albania, and what their purpose is today.

Shkoder is a city of legends, but also a very rich history. This city was founded by the Illyrians and through history, Shkoder developed under the influence of different cultures and civilisations: from Byzantium, the Venetians, the Serbian Nemanjic dynasty, and the Ottoman Empire. For a short time, Shkoder was part of Montenegro.

From the walls of the Old Town, which is at an altitude of 150 metres above sea level, with an interesting history, you will enjoy the panorama of Shkoder, the city on the largest lake in the Balkans, Shkoder Lake, and three rivers.

You will find out why Shkoder is the centre of culture in Albania. The storey of why the “Marubi” photography museum was proposed for UNESCO protection will be particularly interesting to you.

Every civilisation has left its mark on this city. We meet the spirit of Venice, which once ruled Shkoder, by visiting the factory for making carnival masks. We will discover how carnival masks are made by hand on this tour organised by Ave Tours. Top artists in this factory in Shkoder also made a mask for Tom Cruise for the film that delighted millions of viewers.

We end the tour in a village household where you can enjoy the national cuisine of Albania, which is recognised for its quality and delicious food.