Butrinti

Butrinti

Butrinti is an archaeological museum-reserve in southern Albania near Saranda, near the border with Greece. It is located on the shore of the lake of the same name, two kilometers from the Ionian Sea, opposite the island of Kerkyra. Near Butrinti is a modern Albanian village.

General information

The ancient ruins of Butrinti are rightly considered the pearl of the Adriatic. According to Virgil, this settlement was erected by the Trojans, but despite the fact that the area here has been thoroughly explored, there is no evidence of this to this day. True, the locals still consider themselves descendants of the glorious Troy.

For centuries Butrinti was a large trading fortified city with its own acropolis (its ruins can still be visited today). It was also home to the vacation homes of the local nobility. In a dense forest, a little below the acropolis, are the remains of an ancient theater dating back to the third century BC. In the neighborhood of Butrinti you can see the local thermae, decorated with original geometric mosaics, and going even lower – the wall with inscriptions in ancient Greek (VI century BC). All this is decorated with unique mosaic images of animals and birds.

In 1992, the excavations of the Greek and Roman cities were included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 1999, the site was expanded to include a medieval Venetian fortress.

Tourists

Don’t be lazy to visit this amazing place and spend at least 3 hours (this is the necessary minimum, the city is big) of your time. You will not regret, because you will get a unique chance to touch centuries-old history. To enter the area you need a ticket, on the back of which will be a map of the city. The paths are marked with signs and there is a circular route. It will be cool in the dense shade of the eucalyptus trees that will accompany you everywhere. Be careful: photography is forbidden in the museum. For the convenience of visitors, there is a hotel right at the entrance of Butrint.