Elbasan is the fourth most populated city in the Republic of Albania and the county and municipal capital of Elbasan. It is located in central Albania to the north of the river Shkumbin, between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain. Elbasan is a significant destination for travelers visiting Korca, Pogradec, and North Macedonia.
Elbasan is the fourth most populated city in the Republic of Albania and the county and municipal capital of Elbasan. It is located in central Albania to the north of the river Shkumbin, between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain.
Elbasan is a significant destination for travelers visiting Korca, Pogradec, and North Macedonia. To enter North Macedonia via the Qaf-Thana border, all travelers from Tirana and other regions of Albania must go through Elbasan.
Geography
Elbasan is located in central Albania to the north of the river Shkumbin, between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain. The administrative units of Bradashesh, Funar, Gjergjan, Gjinar, Gracen, Labinot-Fush, Labinot-Mal, Papr, Shirgjan, Shushic, Tregan, Zavalin, and Elbasan comprise the municipality of Elbasan. It encompasses 872.03 km2.
Climate
Elbasan has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) with an average annual temperature of 13.1 °C (55.6 °F), according to the Koppen climate classification.
Demography
At the 2011 census, the population of the municipality of Elbasan was 141,714, with 78,703 in the city proper.
Culture
Numerous groups, including the Serbs, Bulgarians, Austrians, and Italians, have controlled Elbasan. Even after the Ottoman domination, Elbasan remained an Islamic hub in Albania. After the 1908 Congress of Monastir (present-day Bitola, North Macedonia) voted to utilize the Latin alphabet for the written Albanian language, Muslim clerics inspired by the Young Turks staged many rallies in Elbasan in support of the Arabic script.
Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church is situated in the heart of the city. The church was constructed in 1830 on the ruins of an earlier church that had been substantially destroyed by fire in 1819. There are still visible paintings and frescoes of Onufri that were repaired by David Selenicasi and Kostadin Shelcani. The cathedral has served as a significant religious and cultural hub for the Albanian language. The church has been served by Teodor Haxhifilipi, Kostandin Kristoforidhi, and Aleksandr Xhuvani. They are the translators of several psalms into Albanian. The church edifice functioned as Elbasan’s first modern Albanian school, which opened in 1909.
Other orthodox churches in the Elbasan District consist of the Mameli church (built in the 17th century), the Saint Nicholas church (Albanian: Shen Kolli) in Shelcan (built in 1554), the Saint Nicholas church in Valesh (built in 1604), the Saints Cosmas and Damian church in Sterstan (built in the 18th century), the Saint Michael (Albanian: Shen Mehilli) church in Shals (built in the 17th century (built in 1554).
Approximately 7 kilometers from Elbasan lies a historic monastery and Orthodox church where Saint Jovan Vladimir was buried until 1995, when his bones were transported to the Orthodox Cathedral in Tirana and only brought back to the monastery for his feast days.
Elbasan is the seat of the National Autocephalous Albanian Church (Albanian: Kisha Autoqefale Kombetare), which broke from the Albanian Orthodox Church in 1995. The head of the new denomination is Father Nikolle Marku.
There is also a Catholic church in Elbasan. Elbasan has 4 museums:
Ethnographic Museum (1982) held in an 18th-century building
“Kostandin Kristoforidhi” house (started as a museum in 1978)
Shkolla NormaleMuseum
War Museum
Elbasan is the location of the Summer Day celebrations, a pagan festival commemorating the end of winter and the arrival of summer. The typical dessert given on this day is ballokume, a kind of cookie baked with butter and cornmeal, among other components. Since 2004, it has become a national holiday observed across the whole of Albania.
Economy
With the manufacturing of tobacco and alcoholic drinks, industrialization started under the Zog administration and peaked during the communist dictatorship. The city rose to prominence when the Chinese constructed a steel plant there in 1974. A travel writer conveyed from a discussion that under the communist government, “nearly everyone in the nation seemed to have a pistol, possibly made by this Chinese-funded plant in Elbasan,” and that the country lacked tractors, ploughs, and sewing machines.
In addition, the city is home to a ferrochrome smelter that was commissioned by the communist dictatorship in 1989 and is currently owned by the Balfin Group.
During the communist administration, the city was a centre for heavy industry, primarily metallurgical and metal processing companies. Elbasan is now regarded one of the most polluted towns in Albania due to the pollution created by all of these enterprises.
In recent years, Elbasan, along with the rest of Albania, has had to cope not just with local pollution, but also with what environmentalists refer to as “imported pollution” resulting from the importation of foreign garbage for recycling in private firms.
Tourism In Elbasan
The castle district (Kala) represents the historic city center of Elbasan, where you can still view the old city walls erected on the remnants of the Roman and Byzantine defences by the Ottoman ruler Mehmet II, who gave the city the name Eli-Bashan (“I placed my hand”). In 2003, a project to restore the historic stronghold was initiated; it has since been successfully completed, and the fortress has returned to its previous city walls. You can see the corner towers guarding the perimeter, along with the curtain towers and the guarded entrance.
The Royal Mosque, constructed in the fourteenth century, the Orthodox Church of St. Mary, constructed in 1650, and the Byzantine Church are all located inside the citadel. The city is one of Albania’s cultural centers and is home to several museums.
In the home where Alexander Xhuvani was born and raised, to the north of the stronghold, there is a museum devoted to him: he was highly involved in politics, culture, linguistics, and education, becoming one of the key leaders in the Albanian national resurgence. In a building from the seventeenth century, the Ethnographic Museum was established in 1982 to conserve the archaeological history of Elbasan’s dwellings. The School Museum ultimately represents and glorifies the Albanian educational system.
Depending on the season, the Theatre Skampa is also an excellent venue for concerts and theatrical performances.
How To Travel To Elbasan
Approximately a 45-minute bus trip from Tirana along the new expressway that is currently under construction as of 2018. You must first proceed to the Terminal to catch the bus in front of the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana, in the “Qyteti Studenti” neighborhood on “Arben Broci” street. The new highway was inaugurated in 2012, making travel between Tirana and Elbasan significantly quicker. Alongside the new highway are breathtaking vistas. Elbasan is located 54.7 kilometers from the Tirana International Airport. There, you may take a cab.
How To Travel Around Elbasan
On foot
All the major tourist attractions in Elbasan are within walking distance of the city center, so you can easily visit them on foot.
By taxi
Taxis are available in close proximity to the city’s central plaza.
By bus
Bashkia stop. To get to the thermal baths(Llixhat) take the bus from here, east of Elbasan Central Palace. The ticket is 50 lek for the 12 km.
Elbasan
Elbasan
Elbasan is the fourth most populated city in the Republic of Albania and the county and municipal capital of Elbasan. It is located in central Albania to the north of the river Shkumbin, between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain.
Elbasan is a significant destination for travelers visiting Korca, Pogradec, and North Macedonia. To enter North Macedonia via the Qaf-Thana border, all travelers from Tirana and other regions of Albania must go through Elbasan.
Geography
Elbasan is located in central Albania to the north of the river Shkumbin, between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain. The administrative units of Bradashesh, Funar, Gjergjan, Gjinar, Gracen, Labinot-Fush, Labinot-Mal, Papr, Shirgjan, Shushic, Tregan, Zavalin, and Elbasan comprise the municipality of Elbasan. It encompasses 872.03 km2.
Climate
Elbasan has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) with an average annual temperature of 13.1 °C (55.6 °F), according to the Koppen climate classification.
Demography
At the 2011 census, the population of the municipality of Elbasan was 141,714, with 78,703 in the city proper.
Culture
Numerous groups, including the Serbs, Bulgarians, Austrians, and Italians, have controlled Elbasan. Even after the Ottoman domination, Elbasan remained an Islamic hub in Albania. After the 1908 Congress of Monastir (present-day Bitola, North Macedonia) voted to utilize the Latin alphabet for the written Albanian language, Muslim clerics inspired by the Young Turks staged many rallies in Elbasan in support of the Arabic script.
Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church is situated in the heart of the city. The church was constructed in 1830 on the ruins of an earlier church that had been substantially destroyed by fire in 1819. There are still visible paintings and frescoes of Onufri that were repaired by David Selenicasi and Kostadin Shelcani. The cathedral has served as a significant religious and cultural hub for the Albanian language. The church has been served by Teodor Haxhifilipi, Kostandin Kristoforidhi, and Aleksandr Xhuvani. They are the translators of several psalms into Albanian. The church edifice functioned as Elbasan’s first modern Albanian school, which opened in 1909.
Other orthodox churches in the Elbasan District consist of the Mameli church (built in the 17th century), the Saint Nicholas church (Albanian: Shen Kolli) in Shelcan (built in 1554), the Saint Nicholas church in Valesh (built in 1604), the Saints Cosmas and Damian church in Sterstan (built in the 18th century), the Saint Michael (Albanian: Shen Mehilli) church in Shals (built in the 17th century (built in 1554).
Approximately 7 kilometers from Elbasan lies a historic monastery and Orthodox church where Saint Jovan Vladimir was buried until 1995, when his bones were transported to the Orthodox Cathedral in Tirana and only brought back to the monastery for his feast days.
Elbasan is the seat of the National Autocephalous Albanian Church (Albanian: Kisha Autoqefale Kombetare), which broke from the Albanian Orthodox Church in 1995. The head of the new denomination is Father Nikolle Marku.
There is also a Catholic church in Elbasan. Elbasan has 4 museums:
Elbasan is the location of the Summer Day celebrations, a pagan festival commemorating the end of winter and the arrival of summer. The typical dessert given on this day is ballokume, a kind of cookie baked with butter and cornmeal, among other components. Since 2004, it has become a national holiday observed across the whole of Albania.
Economy
With the manufacturing of tobacco and alcoholic drinks, industrialization started under the Zog administration and peaked during the communist dictatorship. The city rose to prominence when the Chinese constructed a steel plant there in 1974. A travel writer conveyed from a discussion that under the communist government, “nearly everyone in the nation seemed to have a pistol, possibly made by this Chinese-funded plant in Elbasan,” and that the country lacked tractors, ploughs, and sewing machines.
In addition, the city is home to a ferrochrome smelter that was commissioned by the communist dictatorship in 1989 and is currently owned by the Balfin Group.
During the communist administration, the city was a centre for heavy industry, primarily metallurgical and metal processing companies. Elbasan is now regarded one of the most polluted towns in Albania due to the pollution created by all of these enterprises.
In recent years, Elbasan, along with the rest of Albania, has had to cope not just with local pollution, but also with what environmentalists refer to as “imported pollution” resulting from the importation of foreign garbage for recycling in private firms.
Tourism In Elbasan
The castle district (Kala) represents the historic city center of Elbasan, where you can still view the old city walls erected on the remnants of the Roman and Byzantine defences by the Ottoman ruler Mehmet II, who gave the city the name Eli-Bashan (“I placed my hand”). In 2003, a project to restore the historic stronghold was initiated; it has since been successfully completed, and the fortress has returned to its previous city walls. You can see the corner towers guarding the perimeter, along with the curtain towers and the guarded entrance.
The Royal Mosque, constructed in the fourteenth century, the Orthodox Church of St. Mary, constructed in 1650, and the Byzantine Church are all located inside the citadel. The city is one of Albania’s cultural centers and is home to several museums.
In the home where Alexander Xhuvani was born and raised, to the north of the stronghold, there is a museum devoted to him: he was highly involved in politics, culture, linguistics, and education, becoming one of the key leaders in the Albanian national resurgence. In a building from the seventeenth century, the Ethnographic Museum was established in 1982 to conserve the archaeological history of Elbasan’s dwellings. The School Museum ultimately represents and glorifies the Albanian educational system.
Depending on the season, the Theatre Skampa is also an excellent venue for concerts and theatrical performances.
How To Travel To Elbasan
Approximately a 45-minute bus trip from Tirana along the new expressway that is currently under construction as of 2018. You must first proceed to the Terminal to catch the bus in front of the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana, in the “Qyteti Studenti” neighborhood on “Arben Broci” street. The new highway was inaugurated in 2012, making travel between Tirana and Elbasan significantly quicker. Alongside the new highway are breathtaking vistas. Elbasan is located 54.7 kilometers from the Tirana International Airport. There, you may take a cab.
How To Travel Around Elbasan
On foot
All the major tourist attractions in Elbasan are within walking distance of the city center, so you can easily visit them on foot.
By taxi
Taxis are available in close proximity to the city’s central plaza.
By bus
Sights & Landmarks In Elbasan
St. Mary’s Church In Elbasan
Elbasan, AlbaniaShebenik-Jabllanice National Park
Rrajcë, Rajcë, Elbasan, AlbaniaMuzeu Etnografik Elbasan
Elbasan, AlbaniaKing Mosque, Elbasan
Rruga Xhaferr Kongoli 14, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaFood & Restaurants In Elbasan
Restorant Vila Benvenuto
Lagja 28 Nentori, Rruga Elbasan- Metalurgji (Lulet), ElbasanRestaurant Taverna Kala
Rruga Xhaferr Kongoli 1, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaPanorama Resort Restaurant
Rruga Teqes, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaIl Gusto Del Mare
Rruga Kadri Hoxha, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaShopping In Elbasan
Qendra Tregtare Orti Elbasan
E852, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaElbasani Store
Bulevardi Qemal Stafa 3, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaNightlife in Elbasan
Truth Lounge Bar
Bulevardi Qemal Stafa, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaPrada Lounge Bar
Rruga Kozma Naska 64, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaLiving Bar Elbasan
Elbasan, AlbaniaGlow Club Elbasan
Rruga 28 Nëntori, 3001, Elbasan, AlbaniaKeep Exploring
Choose a category and discover interesting places in Albania.
Bars / Clubs
Beaches
Churches / Cathedrals
Entertainment
Fun & Games
Gyms
Hotels
Monuments / Statues
Mosques
Museums / Galleries
Nature / Parks
Night Clubs
Nightlife
Restaurants
Shopping
Shopping Malls
Shopping Stores
Sights And Landmarks
Spa&Wellness
Street Markets
Streets / Squares
More posts