Korçë

Korçë (Korça) is the principal city in the district of Korçë in Southeastern Albania.

Understand

Korçë
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       2.3     40 27       3.5     45 29       2     46 30       2.1     57 39       3.9     66 48       1     75 53       0.7     82 57       0.4     84 59       2     72 51       3.2     62 44       5.2     50 38       2.1     43 31 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       58     4 −3       89     7 −2       51     8 −1       53     14 4       99     19 9       25     24 12       18     28 14       10     29 15       51     22 11       81     17 7       132     10 3       53     6 −1 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

A few miles from the Greek border, this city is Albania's cultural capital. It is full of life during the summer when you can find couples and families strolling through the city's main park, Parku Rinia. You can hike to the top of the beautiful mountain Morava and view the city and its surrounding landscape.

• 🌍 Visit Korça Region Info Center, Blvd Shen Gjergji, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 

Get in

By train

An interesting, though slow, way to get to Korça from Tirana is to take the train. The train leaves at 06:00 from Tiranë. Because the train makes a big detour via Durrës, it arrives no less than four hours later at Elbasan, about 35 km from Tiranë, so it should be possible to make a shortcut. The price is very favourable (295 lek). The second-hand German carriages are OK, though for some unclear reason all windows are damaged, apparently by bullets. The scenery is beautiful, and until October it is possible to have the window wide open.

By bus

Furgons to Tiranë depart every 20-30 min from the fork of the main road on the north.

Furgons to Voskopojë depart at 07:30, 10:00, 13:00, 15:00 from the fire station.

Buses going to Sarandë depart early in the morning from the 🌍 central bus depot, across from bazaar.

From Pogradec to Korçë, it is a short trip by "furgon". There is also a bus connection with Berat.

Get around

Korce is surrounded by mountains and nearby natural parks.

You can go by fourgons around. But the easiest way is by car.

You have urban buses in the city but everything is close, so you can walk or ride a bike (rent a bike is possible in the city).

See

In the city:

• 🌍 National Museum of Medieval Art (Muzeu i Artit Meshetar Shqiptar) (near the Orthodox cathedral). M-F 08:00-14:30, 17:00-19:00; Sa Su 09:00-12:00, 17:00-19:00. Fantastic collection; if the door is locked during opening hours, ring the buzzer.  
• Korça Brewery (Birra Korça). Famous throughout Albania, sponsors a week-long Beer Festival in the summer.  
• 🌍 Bratko Museum. A museum dedicated to Asian art.  
• 🌍 Archaeological Museum. 
• School museum
• French liceu
• Martyrs cimetery
• French cimetery
• Main Orthodox Church (in the town center). 
• Mosque
• Romanian House (now Gjon Mili Museum of Photography)
• New library and Art Gallery

Around the city:

• Pustec is home to Prespa National Park and multiple medieval cave churches.
• Small Prespa lake and Trenit cave
• Pogradec - a balnear city
• Historic and alpine villages of Dardhe, Moscopole (Voskopoje in Albanian), Boboshtice, and Vithkuq

Do

• Take part in the Byrek Day (Festa e Lakrorit) showcasing local delicacies
• Go for a walk in the evening as part of the traditional Xhiro (walkabout)
• Go for a hike in the Morava Mountains
• Visit the 🌍 Fir of Drenovë National Park  .
• Celebrate Earth Day Festival in Dardha
• karnaval in June
• Beer Fest in August (with many concerts)
• 🌍 Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre.  

Buy

The famous 🌍 Bazaar of Korça has been renovated. You can find souvenirs shops there, along with fruits and vegetables market every day (until 13:00).

You can also have a walk on the pedestrian street or on the main street (Republic boulevard).

Eat

Try Lakror, a type of byrek with spinach.

• Teru (Formerly Peking Restaurant), Midhi Kostani (Near the Grand Hotel). 

Drink

• Raki from mulberry fruit

Sleep

• Hotel Kocibelli (Formerly Hotel Turizem in the communist days), Sheshi Kryesor (just north of the bus station). Refurbished, quite clean. Rooms are not as modern as façade, but OK. Free Internet. Breakfast included. English-speaking receptionists. 
• Guest house Bujtina Leon, Shpresa Palla 3 (behind the cathedral, next to the greek consulate), ☎ [phone]. Very nice little traditional hotel, ideal for relaxation. Renovated, offers flat screen TV to every room and breakfast in a beautiful room of wood and stone by the fireplace. The only hotel so far that offers online booking. €45. 
• 🌍 EcoHostel Stars of sunrise (Stars of sunrise Hostel), Rruga Foqon Postoli, nr 22 (10 minutes walking from the bus station. Reach the central place (tourist info, theater...) at the beginning of the pedestrian street. Go to the cathedral at the end of this pedestrian street. Turn left and walk until Kinema building on your right side. Turn at the second street on the right (Rruga Stephan Andrea)), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Located in a house with a beautiful garden, it’s a modern and cosy place, between a hostel and B&B, next to Doctor Polena house. Beds in a dorm and a double room are available, or you can camp in the garden or park your campervan. Local products are cooked by Aurora at breakfast. Snacks are also available at the bar. They're also willing to share lots of travel advice for Albania. 11€-45€. (updated Dec 2018)

Connect

Consulates

• Greece (Γενικό Προξενείο Κορυτσάς), Pavllo Katro Nr.4 (Behind the cathedral, big blue-painted building)), ☎ [phone], [phone] (Emergencies), fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 09:00-15:00. 

Go next

• Pustec is home to Prespa National Park and multiple medieval cave churches.
• Kastoria, Greece
• Kozani, Greece
• Pogradec - overshadowed by its glitzy neighbors on the Macedonian side of the lake, the town of Pogradec has been experiencing a revival recently.
• Historic and alpine villages of Dardhe, Moscopole (Voskopoje in Albanian), Boboshtice, and Vithkuq
• Ohrid, Makedonia
• 🌍 Prespa National Park