Ali Pasha Castle
One of the most interesting tourist destinations in Albania that are located along the wonderful Southern Albanian Riviera it certainly is the bay of Porto Palermo..
A wonder of nature where the sea and the mountains meet in a splendid inlet. Right in the center there is an islet (joined to the mainland by a thin strip of land) on which the Ali Pasha Castle.
Getting there by motorbike is a wonderful experience: you travel the mountain coast between Vlora and Saranda which is a continuous succession of curves and hairpin bends traveling on the mountains overlooking the sea.
By car or bus you can enjoy a wonderful panorama but the endless curves oblige you to make numerous stops along the way to avoid car sickness. Traveling with Holidays in Albania however, the stops will be appropriately programmed so as to combine the stages of the trip with moments of fun (swimming in the sea, coffee break and panoramic points).
Arriving at the bay of Porto Palermo, Ali Pasha Castle is immediately at the center of the scene.
The bay of Porto Palermo is a real natural refuge; a rarity along the coast of Albania where finding large coves is practically impossible. Nothing more strange then if the bay has been, since the most remote antiquity, used by sailors and fishermen as a natural refuge. Today boaters who cross along the Albanian coast consider it as one of the very few places to find shelter in case of a storm.
The bay of Porto Palermo is one of the most beautiful places to visit along the southern coast. The legend that tells its origin is proudly told by all Albanians.
Each tells the legend with some small differences but almost all converge on one thing: Ali Pasha da Tepelene had the fortress built for his wife.
The most romantic Albanians like to tell that it was a token of love while another version says that instead the castle was built to isolate the only non-Muslim wife from the others.
Once in Porto Palermo the first thing that strikes tourists is the beauty of the places: the castle is built right in the center of the inlet. The inlet is a real rarity in a coast where cliffs overlooking the sea predominate and a linear profile free of irregularities.
The good condition of Ali Pasha Castle is certainly the result of its history: over the years the castle has never been abandoned.
Thanks to its strategic position it has always been used for various purposes: during the Second World War it was used as a depot by the Italian Navy while the whole communist period was a guard outpost also used as a secret base for Russian and Chinese submarines!
A visit to Ali Pasha Castle is an experience able to project the tourist in different historical periods at the same time: entering the darkness of the rooms on the ground floor it seems to go back to ancient times when Ali Pasha's wife wandered in those rooms and the beautiful reproductions hung in the halls help to create the atmosphere.
Going upstairs, the large fortified terraces take you back to the long nights spent watching the sea waiting for the attackers who have tried to conquer the castle at all times.
The cannon shells that adorn the gardens of the restaurants near the Ali Pasha castle confirm the tales of the divers who found every kind of remnant of war belonging to the various historical periods on the seabed around the islet on which the castle stands.
Throughout its history, the castle has always been attacked and garrisoned, reconfirming what Ali Pasha had foreseen: such a beautiful bay was destined to be chosen as an entry point into Albania.
For this reason, he built the fortress at that point, artificially creating the peninsula that connects the islet to the mainland.
In addition, Ali Pasha was born in Tepelene, the city that was first exposed to an attack from the sea.
Legend has it that a wise ruler like him had the fortress built to conquer and conquer the love of his beautiful wife for eternity. All Albanians who pass on the legend teach us that it would be more beautiful if the story told the strength of love that builds immortal works instead of the battles that tried to cancel them.
It is nice to think that Albanians remember and pass on the legend of the castle built as a token of love rather than the infinite battles that fought under those walls.
How to reach Ali Pasha Castle
The most convenient access routes to get to Albania are the Port of Durres and theTirana international airport.
Once landed in Tirana the journey to Ali Pasha Castle is quite long and adventurous.
It must be covered the mountain coast road between Vlora and SarandaThe bay of Porto Palermo is located almost halfway. It can be reached by bus or car. We proceed on the super road to Vlora and then along the coast.
Countless tourist destinations along the way and the activities that can be carried out to complete the holiday.
Our itinerant trips often include a stop at Ali Pasha Castle. Consult the pages of the site that describe the travel experiences we offer: Itinerant Travel.
