Guys, Albania is gorgeous. Tirana, the capital, is a little crazy and hectic, but man, the art scene is on point, and the rest of the country provides non-stop views. My fiancee and I were lucky enough to be invited to a friend's wedding in Albania's countryside. Obviously, we had to plan a more extensive trip around it and ended up traveling to Poland and Serbia beforehand. After spending time exploring Tirana in Albania, we decided to venture out of our comfort zone with the rental car we had as transportation to the wedding. We don't normally drive when we travel internationally. We most often just walk or take advantage of public transit. Rental cars, driving laws, and highway signs in other languages can be intimidating. But once you get out of the city limits of Tirana and the crazy driving by the locals (thinks roundabouts everywhere, a complete disregard for lane lines, electrical poles in the middle of the streets, and pedestrians walking in front of cars), the whole experience of Albania travel ends up getting much easier. Get ready to drive on very well-maintained highways that are relatively empty with the most picturesque rolling hills and farmland surrounding you on all sides. It has a similar feel to driving through the vineyards of Tuscany, Italy except with even more of a Mediterranean climate.

Head Up the Mountain Above Tirana to Mount Dajti National Park

As I mentioned, the city of Tirana can be hectic. It's a bustling metro center where both the locals and the street art are loud and boisterous. The good thing is that you can escape the craziness for a day without actually needing a rental car. Take a bus to the Dajti Ekspres at the north end of town. Here you'll be whisked away by the 15-minute ride up Mount Dajti to Mount Dajti National Park, which also happens to be the longest cableway you can ride in the Balkans.

The trip takes place inside a car with windows on all sides. As the car scales its way up the mountain and transitions from one cable to another (which is a little unnerving at first), you can look down to see farmland dotted with cows and chickens, forest in the distance, and of course, a few of the 750,000 bunkers throughout Albania. Once you reach the top, you can play mini-golf, go hiking or mountain biking on the National Park trails, or grab a meal at the Resturant Balkoni i Dajtit with views of Tirana. You can also trek to the cliff's edge (which is safely fenced in) to see the same views of town for free. The whole experience felt similar to when we took the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in California up to Mount San Jacinto State Park. In both cases you go from extremely hot weather in the valley to a steep temperature drop in the mountains, making you feel far removed from the city below. When you've finished exploring, take the Dajti Ekspres back down the mountain, or stay at the 24-room Hotel Belvedere up top complete with a rotating bar with even more views!

Hike Among the Many Windows of Berat

Berat is one of those small towns that I've randomly seen on social media, and I immediately HAD to know where it was so I could visit. This fantastic little place is lovingly known as the "city of one thousand windows" due to the white buildings with lines and lines of windows that almost look endless, running one after the other as the structures snake their way up the cliff's edge. You can grab the most postcard-perfect views of these windows by crossing one of the bridges over the River Osum and standing on the opposite side of town in what’s known as the neighborhood of Gorica. You can also make you’re way up the hill on this side for views of Berat from above. A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, Berat is a melting pot of countless different architectural styles that have merged, dating back to the city’s first inhabitants in the 6th century BC.

We stopped inside one of the white buildings to fill our stomachs with pizza before we continued. Walking the main street of town will lead you to the street of Rruga Mihal Komnena, which is a direct path to Berat Castle. The trek is steep on cobblestone, so you’ll probably end up very tired and winded, especially in the summer heat. I made the mistake of not drinking enough water, so I ended up with heat exhaustion afterward. Make sure you have a bottle of H2O with you! On your way up, you'll likely see goats on the hillside, grazing in the grass. Keep making your way up to just over 700 ft above sea level and you’ll finally see the ruins of Berat Castle, a fortress originally built in the 13th century. If you turn around, you also get a stunning view of the full town of Berat and the steep trek you just made (be proud of yourself!). This was the point where the heat exhaustion started to get to me, and unfortunately, I didn't have the strength to check out the rest of the castle and the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity. Just another excuse to come back!

Have a Beach Day in Vlore

Another town you should check out in Albania is Vlore, located on the Adriatic Sea. Originally founded as an ancient Greek colony, Vlore is now home to vast beaches and is one of the go-to vacation-spots for local Albanians. Known as the Albanian Riviera, the blue water sparkles in the hot Albanian sun and seriously makes you want to jump into the waves for a quick dip. For the cleanest and whitest beaches, take a boat trip to the Karaburun Peninsula. Make sure you grab a meal while you’re in town for fresh seafood and veggies all with a heavy Italian influence in flavors since Italy is right across the water. Despite my heat exhaustion, I made sure to step on a beach in Vlore and take in the salty sea air. It was a much needed break from hiking up steep hills and over cobblestone streets all day. I highly recommend staying in Vlore until dusk for stunning sunset views over the water.

We had so much fun exploring the vast countryside and small towns during our Albania travel excursion. From Tirana's outskirts to the far beaches of the Adriatic, each place you stop will be a completely different experience. This country I knew nothing about and never thought I'd visit quickly became one of my favorite destinations in Europe. I would love to go back at some point to check out more of the national parks and hiking trails (and hopefully not get hit with heat exhaustion again). If you’re looking for a warm-weather vacation spot that’s not the typical Mediterranean go-to’s, Albania is the place for you!