Korça is one of Albania’s most beautiful cities and unofficial capital of culture. It has a history that dates back to the 13th century. It’s known for its role in Albanian culture and intellectual heritage (most famously for being home to the first Albanian language school), world-class museums, beautiful old churches, and pretty architecture. Korça gets its idyllic nickname, ‘The City of Serenades’, from the love ballads men used to sing out from the balconies and courtyards of their villas.
In contrast to ‘living museums’ Gjirokaster and Berat (ADD LINK PER KETO QYTETET NGA MYALBANIA) Korca is very liveable. Green spaces, a number of museums, beer gardens, a large university campus and several important institutions and cultural monuments characterise the centre. Strong connections to both Greek and Aromanian heritage give Korca a distinctive flavour – you can immediately feel it in the architecture, the cuisine, and the overall feel of the city.
Despite the magic of the serenades, the beauty of the town and its old bazaar, there's much more to see if you leave the town center and decide to explore Korça's spectacular outskirts. Medieval art, mountaineering and mountain tourism, magnificent lakes and many other surprises await you just a few kilometers from the city.
Korça is also a very good base for exploring many tourist points located in the nearby mountains such as Voskopoja, Dardha, Vithkuqi and Boboshtica where you can practice many outdoor activities or visit the impressive Byzantine churches of Vithkuqi and Voskpoja. Close to Korça you can visit Prespa Lake (the country’s largest National Park), Morava mountain (2042m) and Drenova National Park and its breathtaking views form the Church of St Elias, the Illyrian tumulus of Kamenica and much much more.
Let us take you on a virtual tour of the main attractions of the city.
National Museum of Medieval Art
The National Museum of Medieval Art in Korce is a tour de force display of medieval art. Here you will be able to get up close and personal with precious rescued artworks, bringing the Byzantine era back to life.
The museum boasts over 7,000 works of art and cultural objects, mainly icons, as well as works in wood, stone, metal and textiles that illustrate the entire history of Albanian iconography. The Golden Wall, which covers 10 meters, over two floors, exhibits the impressive 16th-century collections. The White Balcony display icons from the 14th century. The Red Room shows the 18th century icons.
Here you can find the rare and highly symbolic icon from the Church of St. Mary, depicting St. Michael (Shën Mëhill), holding the globe with Christ's initials engraved on one hand, and a sword on the other.
In the main hall there are paintings from Onufri, Onufër Qiprioti, Teacher Kostandini, Jeromak Shpataraku, David Selenica, and the Zografi Brothers.
The National Museum of Education
Situated in the center of the city, few steps near of orthodox cathedral, you can found this little museum, "Mesonjtorja e pare shqipe" called by Albanians, which was opened in 7 march 1887. The history of Albanian writing, the different alphabets up to the alphabet used today, the history from the first Albanian alphabet to the latest one, are showed in this little museum. There are pictures of the first students, and a part of the museum's space is also devoted to the modernization of Albanian education and school in the post-World War II period.
The museum is a live proof of how the Albanians fought for educational and language rights, highlighting the importance in the formation of any national identity of the development of a common written language, and the education of children. This is the first Albanian school where students boys and girls, were able to speak and be taught their own language, an important milestone in education in the country which has suffered so much unrest.
The Prehistoric Museum or the Archaeological Museum
The Korça Archaeological Museum is housed in two typical 11th-century buildings (godina eshte me te vertete e shekullit te 11te?) in the heart of the town. The Museum of Archaeology is exceptional in its field. Its main focus is on the prehistory of southeastern Albania, from the Neolithic to the later Iron Age. The museum features more than 1200 artefacts from a number of important prehistoric towns, including Maliqi, Potgoria, Dunavesi and Trajani, and a brief discussion of the post-prehistoric period concludes.
The Cathedral
he Resurrection of Christ Cathedral is the largest Orthodox cathedral in Albania. It sits proudly in the heart of the city and is Korca’s defining landmark. Built in the same place of the original Saint George’s church destroyed during the Communist regime in 1968, the new cathedral was a symbol of the rebirth of the Orthodox faith in Albania after years of repression.
The Resurrection of Christ Cathedral is a stunning example of Byzantine architecture. The exterior is adorned with intricate details and designs, while the interior is decorated with beautiful frescoes and iconography.
The cathedral is not only a place of worship but also a cultural center. It has hosted numerous concerts, art exhibits, and other events.
Voskopoja
Nature meets art and history in Voskopoja (Moscopole), making it a favorite destination for tourists year-round. Located only 21 km (13 miles) away from Korça, Voskopoja is surrounded by hills and forests and, with its altitude of 1160 meters above the sea, and is a favorite spot for winter sports lovers. You can also sample here amazing local delicacies making your stay unforgettable.
Voskopojë was a small settlement until the latter part of the 17th century when, despite its isolation, the settlement grew into a cosmopolitan center of learning. It was a significant center of Aromanian (Macedonian-Romanian) Christianity during a time when the Ottomans ruled the Balkans. The city was hope to the first printing press of the Balkan region outside Istanbul. It was an important education and religious hub in the 17th and 18th centuries, with more than 24 churches, where only five survive named after the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Saint Athanas, Saint Nicolas, the Prophet Elijah and the Dormition of Our Lady.
The National Park of Prespa
The National Park of Prespa, one of the biggest and most impressive natural parks in Albania. Its two wonderful lakes of Prespa e Madhe 54m deep, bordering Albania, Greece and North Macedonia (the Greater Prespa Lake) and Prespa e Vogël (the Small Prespa Lake) have kept each other company for over 5 million years.
The real protagonist of the Great Prespa Lake is undoubtedly the island of Maligrad, uniquely attractive because of its sloping limestone, with its many caves. Though the area is mainly sandy and rocky you can find several types of trees and a huge biodiversity.
For those who wish to visit the island, there is a pleasant surprise waiting for you: the cave church of St. Mary (built in 1369), with its unique old fresco paintings as well as archaeological remains that prove very early settlements here. On the western side of the lake, near the villages of Treni and Devoll, do not miss the Cave of Treni and admire prehistoric paintings dating back to 6,000 BC.
Dardha village (Dardhë)
Do not miss this wonderful panoramic village if you are in Korca. Thanks to its position at 1344 meters above sea level and surrounded by mountains and forests, Dardha is the perfect vacation spot for all seasons. Its extremely clean air revives both body and soul and, during the winter, the green forests and houses made of stone are all covered in snow, granting the place a fairy-tale appearance. This 300-year old village is a cozy place that looks and feels like home. And, like Voskopoja, Dardha is also a preferred spot for winter sport lovers. Do not leave without enjoying the traditional organic food and plum liquour.
Boboshtica
In the Middle Ages, Boboshtica was a well-known economic and cultural medieval center., where three medieval churches still remain in good condition (the church St. John, St. Mary and St. Dimitry). The scenic landscape with its hilly mountainous position, wonderful nature with air and clean waters, diverse vegetation from perennial fruit trees, especially the mulberries, conifers and many medicinal plants make the area a great destination. of the village, particularly its old mulberry trees, make this area an aesthetically-pleasing and calming sight.
The mulberry liquour, raki mani, produced from the centuries old mulberry trees and served in the local tavernas accompanying mouthwatering local delicacies is one of the best-tasting liquors in Albania.
Vithkuq
Similar to other parts of this region, Vithkuq is another ancient settlments dating from Iron Age. Similar to Voskopoja and Boboshtica, Vithkuq metamorphosed from a developed city during the Middle Ages to a quiet and peaceful village. There are many churches and monasteries around Vithkuq, with six being in very good condition, especially the Church of St. Michael (1728), the largest church in the village, with a spectacular colonnade and beautiful frescoes.
To fully experience the ancient tradition of Albanian hospitality, no other place compares to Vithkuq, where the doors to every house are opened to all tourists who may want to stay there. The guests are served delicious local delicacies. This village is also the birthplace of Naum Veqilharxhi, the creator of ‘Evetar’, the first Albanian children’s elementary book in 1844.
