Albania and Macedonia to jointly develop Lake Ohrid tourism
Association of Women with Social Needs of Albania and Macedonia NGO Aureola are now collaborating to modernize tourism in Lake Ohrid region. By increasing the visitor's number, the 2 countries expect to make stronger cultural bonds between the people on both sides of the border of the lake.
Recently, Association of Women with Social Needs' president Bajana Cheveli spoke to a leading newspaper and told that they wnted to improve the image of the whole region and help to create a strategic vision for social and economic development, improve the economy as well as the cross border collaboration.
Project co-ordinator Nurie Zhaku stated that Albania and Macedonia will promote Lake Ohrid jointly at well known and popular European fairs. Nurie told that their top priority now is to advertise at fairs in Munich and London. They have much to offer and just few people outside Albania and Macedonia knows about it.
Aureola NGO president Ruhije Sulla told that more visitors and better promotion will also help local economies. He added that at this place, tourism lasts just 2 months, a short time for Lake Ohrid residents to live from tourism income. The place requires tourism for many months out of the year, which would impact the economies of both the countries. Right now, they need good infrastructure and that have to be improved.
Albanians enjoys Summer Festival
Albanians enjoy the Summer Festival in capital Tirana on 14th March, 2013. The event is celebrated to mark winter's end and the rebirth of nature as well as a rejuvenation of spirit among the people of Albania. Even though the epicentre of this event is in Elbasan, this event is widely celebrated in capital Tirana and other cities throughout Albania.
Since central and eastern Europe has become increasingly popular, tour operators are now expanding their travel offers to more and more places, such as - recently, Journeys International has expanded their tour offerings to include Albania and Czech Republic.
Albania came out from isolation in early 1990s, and travelers can anticipate to experience a different culture as well as a well-preserved natural environment. From white sand beaches of “Albanian Riviera” to rugged hikes terrains through “Albanian Alps,” Journeys travelers will get jaw-dropping scenery here without crowds and high prices compared other European countries.
Czech Republic visitors will explore cobblestone streets, rolling hills as well as castles in capital Prague,which is one of Europe's most beautiful capital cities. Walking tours will also take people beyond the capital city to find out deep forests as well as towns between Vienna (Austria) and Prague. The Czech Republic has a huge sense of history properly balanced with today's style. Visitors can see spired castles towering over traditional villages and can also visit Podyji National Park and Dyje River.
Behind the Iron Curtain
Today we will talk about a country which is a parliamentary democracy in the south eastern part of Europe and more importantly we will see the country with the eyes of Jim who grew up in that country. Davis recalled her childhood days and told that she did not have many toys. they did not have access to television or the media. They used to play outdoors. they used to play soccer or chess and reading was also a big part of her life.
She told that they would read the books of Russian authors. Albania was a isolated nation. When they had a good relationship with Russia, that time they were allowed to read the books of Russian authors. After that, when the relationship with Russia was broken, they would have a good relationship with China, and they would read Chinese books and authors.
Her country Albania was hiding behind communism's iron curtain. that time the border of the country were sealed with barbed wire and there were places those wires were charged with electric. No Albanians had the right to leave the country. Propaganda were everywhere, media and literature were tightly controlled.
When she was in school, she was taught that they always had an enemy and their biggest enemy is United States. She was taught that the people of United States eats rats and mice. They were only taught what was allowed to be taught by the communist party.
After communism fell in the year 1990. Davis mer her first American when she was in her first year in college. Davis told that the girl shared a gospel with her and later she became Christian. That was the very first time when she heard about Jesus or The Bible.
Albanians saved lives
Muslim Albanians saved the life of almost 2,000 Jews from exile to the camps of concentration during the great World War II. US author Johanna Jutta Neumann’s family was also there among those rescued from exile.
US author Johanna Jutta Neumann said that the Albanians were fantastic and also he said that there were more Jews than before after the war. During the 2nd World War, a Hamburg born Jewish woman found shelter with a Muslim family in Albania. Before the war, less than 500 Jews used to reside in the southeastern European country with an overall population of a million people. Not only that, about 2000 Jews called Albania their home after the World War II ended.
Today the author lives in Washington. The Albanian-German Friendship Association called her to Germany for presenting her book entitled Via Albania in which she has narrated the story of her family’s escape from Hamburg to Albania during 1938.
The Albanian Embassy in Berlin issued visas to the Jews till 1942. Till 1943 summer, several European Jews sent application to Albania for something that was no longer possible; asylum. Albanians during that time saved Neumann’s life from exile and extinction. Initially they used to live in hotels only for getting acquainted with the Albanian hospitality. Neumann said that they left the hotel after three months and started living with a Muslim family. He added that it was the first when the Jewish family experienced their first Bairam and Ramadan festivals. It was a wonderful experience for him as people over their treated them like their own family.
On the other hand, a New York dentist Anna Cohen’s family went to Thessaloniki and found shelter in a village named Tre Vllaznit near Vlora. Cohen said that she was born in Albania after the world war ended and she was brought up there. She added that she has always felt Albania as a Jewish heritage.
Albania buries remains of exiled king
Thousands of Albanians as well as the top leaders of the country were present at the burial ceremony King Ahmet Zog I to pay their last respect. Zog I was the only post-independence monarch of Albania. He died around 50 years ago and was buried in exile.
On Saturday, the television channels of Albania the burial ceremony live from the country’s capital. The ceremony took place a day after his remains came from France. Zog I was buried at the mausoleum of his family, alongside Queen Geraldina, his Hungarian wife.
Zog l proclaimed himself as the monarch of the country in the year 1928 and ruled the country till 1939. Once his monarch was occupied by Italy, he was force to leave the country. In 1946, after the Second World War, the communist rulers of the country abolished the monarchy.
In 1990, after the communists’ regime’s fall, Albania is now a parliamentary republic. The Royal Family came back to the country in 2002. Since then they lived a quiet life dispensing with the claim for the throne.
Sali Berisha, the Prime minister of the country, told that the people of Albania honor Zog l for his contribution to build the country. Albanian President Bujar Nishani as well as Kosovo President Ahtifete Jahjaga were present at the event, but the ceremony was unheeded by the opposition parties. Albanian President told that Zog l was one of the most prominent figures in the history of the country.
