I thought I should give a brief review of each of the cities we visited in the Balkans. I have rated the tourist crowds with 1 being very few tourists and 10 being way too many tourists. We were travelling in September so the numbers would be much higher in the summer months.
Berat, Albania: it was the first city we toured with our guide. The old city is divided by a river. The Muslim district on one side of the river and the Christian side on the other. It has survived the centuries very well and if you are able to traverse steep roads and stairs it is worth at a day. Tourist rating 8
Gjirokaster, Albania: This one is worth a day’s exploring. We didn’t do much of the town itself but the castle/fortress is in pretty good shape and there are some great panoramas of the city and the surrounding areas. Tourist rating 7.
Tirana, Albania: I liked the city. There is some good wandering to be done. The House of Leaves is something to see. The bunk art tunnels were OK. The Blloku area where the regime mucky, mucky lived is sort of interesting. The tram ride to the top of one of the adjacent mountains is NOT worth the trouble or the admission. Tourist rating 2.
Ohrid, North Macedonia: Nice town but I am not sure I would put it on the must-see list. The boat ride was in my opinion boring. St. Naum’s monastery was OK but I don’t think worth all the hub bub unless you are a history buff or a linguist. Tourist rating 6.
Bitola, North Macedonia: Again, a nice town. Smallish and good for a stopover on your way to somewhere. You could arrive there in the afternoon and see all there is to see before dinner. Tourist rating 5.
Skopje, North Macedonia: There are a few things to see in Skopje and it is worth the stop. I think a day max. I personally did not think too much of the place, bad vibes, but that is me personally. Tourist rating 5.
Prizren, Kosovo: Another small place and I like it. It is more of a real town as opposed to a tourist attraction or destination. It is definitely worth a stop but again one day would suffice. Tourist rating 4.
Kolasin, Macedonia: Ski town, didn’t get to see much we arrived late. What I saw from the car. It looked interesting as a ski town but not much else. Tourist interest 1. Tourist rating 1(but we were there off skis season)
Kotor, Macedonia: Nice village, outstanding setting. Roads are pathetically small so traffic is horrible. Very good castle. Not much else in town. Tourist rating 10.
Shkoder, Albania: Kind of a dumpy place most of the city is not kept very well. Castle is OK but I don’t know if it is worth the trip to Shkoder. Tourist rating 5