Albanian Riviera

Albanian Riviera (Albanian: Riviera Shqiptare or Bregu) is a coastal area in the County of Vlorë, running along the Ionian Sea under the Ceraunian Mountains in Southern Albania. It should not be confused with the Albanian coastline as a whole, which includes both the Riviera, and the mostly flat coastline of central and north Albania. Traditionally, the region begins south of Llogara National Park, continues down along the coast through the villages of Borsh, Himara, Qeparo, and Piqeras, and ends at Lukovë. The Albanian Riviera was proclaimed as the 2012 Top Value Destination by Frommer's.

The region gained international attention after the 2009 reconstruction of the coastal road SH8, the 2010 tour stop of DJ Tiesto in Dhermi, and the filming of a Top Gear episode featuring a breath-taking car pursuit along the winding coastal road.

The area is a major nightlife, ecotourist, and elite retreat destination in Albania. It features traditional Mediterranean villages, ancient castles, Orthodox churches, secluded turquoise beaches, mountain passes, seaside canyons, coves, free flowing rivers, underwater fauna, caves, and orange, lemon, and olive groves.

In 48 BC during his pursuit of Pompey, Julius Caesar set foot and rested his legion at Palase. He continued onto Llogara Pass in a place later named Caesar's Pass. As part of the regional master plan, the World Bank and other institutions are financing local infrastructure projects, including the renovation of roofs and facades of traditional houses overlooking the Riviera, town squares redesign, and the construction of water supply and treatment plants. The whole coastline of Albania is over 476 km (296 mi) long and administered by the National Coastal Agency [2].

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