Displaying a great deal of national pride, Albania offers tourists and locals alike a plethora of museums which celebrate the nation’s finest craftsman and artists, while also delving into its storied history.
Albanian cuisine is excellent, with both Ottoman and Italian influences evident. There are many good restaurants throughout the country, although obviously in smaller towns the choice is more limited than in the cities. Vegetarians will find themselves eating a lot of salad; luckily for them, Albanian tomatoes and cucumber are delicious.
Historically, Islam has been the majority religion of Albania, despite Communist efforts to enforce an atheistic, secular state. In 1967, the government closed more than 2,100 mosques, churches, monasteries, and other places of worship and declared the country an atheist state.