I went and visited Butrint, an ancient city once inhabited by Greek and Roman Colonies. It is located in the county of Vlorë, Albania. I took the public bus from Ksamil to Butrint which cost me 50Albanian leke and arrived within 5 minutes. I went in the afternoon during the peak of the heat. Upon entering Butrint, you walk on a path engulfed by trees, which then lead you to the theatre, where many statues have been found, such as that of Zues. The sound of Cicadas floods the area. Continuing on the path around Butrint, I then came across a wall which had Greek inscriptions on it. After, I approached the Gymansium. There was a fountain, and after doing some research, I found out it was gifted to the Nymphs in the 2nd Century AD. In Greek mythology, nymphs were nature goddesses which inhabited the earth. I then came across the Baptisery of Butrint, which is well known for its mosaic pavement. It was constructed in the 6th Century AD and was rediscovered in 1928. Due to the nature of the mosaic, being exposed to air and water will lead to its deterioration, which is why it remains covered. However, every few years, it is uncovered for a short period of time for the public. I then went on a mission to climb the hills of Butrint so I could reach the Venetian Castle. I walked through Lion’s gate, climbed uo countless of steps and eventually reached the fortress. This castle saw many wars between Venice and the Ottomon Empire until 1572, when it was abandoned and the administration of Butrint moved to the triangular castle just on the outskirts of Butrint. The castle was conquered by the local Ottoman governor, Ali Pasha of Tepelene in 1799 and Butrint was then ruled by him. The city remains as Albanian’s most important archaeloagical sites, and in 1992, was declared a Unesco World Heritage site. There’s so much history behind this once thriving ancient city. I highly recommend visiting ❤️ It cost: 600Albanian leke to enter which is about £4.45 Tips: • bring water (a lot of it - believe me) • either go in the morning or evening as it can get too hot • wear comfortable trainers Have fun

What can I say? After two weeks touring Albania and its beautiful scenes and archaeology we came to the jewel in the crown; Butrint. The site is very impressive. Good area for parking outside the park and entrance fee pretty good value. We must have spent around 2-3 hours inside the park itself touring the ruins. The site even has a very easy to follow, and logical route around the outer walls and then up to the castle and museum. The ruins themselves are extremely impressive and much better preserved at other local sites like Apollonia. The most impressive being the Basillica, the mosaic and the amazing theatre. Most of the walk is shaded and there is a cafe at the top (but when we went they only had soft drinks - expensive ones at that) but I'd recommend taking water in summer. Be wary of the midges and mozzies from the lagoon, especially near the lower ruins. Otherwise take a camera and enjoy the stunning site, it's truly beautiful.

I’m no historical buff but I had a great time at Butrint, the time flew by and I ended up spending 3 hours there. The location is really peaceful on the water with views across to Corfu. The ruins are in pretty good condition give that they’ve been standing for 2000+ years! The signage provides enough information in English as does the museum inside. I’m glad I visited. It is probably best to go here in the morning or afternoon to avoid the heat of the day, but the site is quite shaded so the heat isn’t bad. Some general fitness is required enough for some walking and stairs, unfortunately this place is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Entrance is 1000 LEK and you can easily spend 2-3 hours here so it is worth it. Inside there are toilets, café, and plenty of benches to relax on. Buses to Butrint are every hour, and take 10 mins from Ksamil and about 40 mins from Sarande. The bus stops in Ksamil don’t have timetables unfortunately but from my observations the buses which leave Sarande every hour at half past, reach Ksamil about 20-30 minutes later. Buses back from Butrint leave every hour at half past, there is a nice café near the bus stop if you have time to kill.