ALBANIA is situated in Eastern Europe, bordered by Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, and Greece, with the Adriatic and Ionian Seas to the West. It is mountainous and forested, with many beautiful lakes, and fine sandy beaches along the coast.

The capital, Tirana, has museums, an art gallery, and the Ethem-Bey Mosque.

Situated on Lake Shkoda, on the Northern Border, is the town of Shkoda, dominated by the ruins of an ancient fortress

In the centre of the country is the museum town of Berat, built on the slopes of a mountain, and boasting a magnificent castle.

On the coast are the ports of Viora, Durres (colonised by the Greeks in 627BC ), and, in the South, opposite the island of Corfu, the resort of Saranda.

The climate is temperate, with the wet season from October to May.