Korçë and Pogradec Guide: Southeastern Albania

Korçë's old bazaar is regarded as the historic urban core of the city, and within it stands the Mirahori Mosque, built between 1484 and 1495 by Iljaz Bey Mirahor and considered Albania's second oldest mosque. Stone lanes, restored inns and cafés give the quarter its rhythm. Korçë is also known for the first Albanian-language school, opened in 1887. When planning a visit, current timetables, prices and opening details are not written without sourced verification; where details are missing, we say we do not know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

The Resurrection Cathedral, in the centre of Korçë, is widely described as the largest Orthodox church in Albania. It was built in the Byzantine Revival style and is reported to have been completed in the mid-1990s. It replaced the earlier St George's Cathedral, demolished by the communist authorities in 1968, and so stands as a symbol of faith returning after it was banned from 1967 to 1991. For exact dates and visiting conditions, current timetables, prices and opening details are not written without sourced verification; where details are missing, we say we do not know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

On Fan Noli Boulevard, the National Museum of Medieval Art holds more than 7,000 art and cultural items, mainly icons. The collection includes works by celebrated iconographers such as Onufri, David Selenica and the Zografi Brothers, with some pieces reaching back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The museum reopened after building works in 2016. Because displays can change, current timetables, prices and opening details are not written without sourced verification; where details are missing, we say we do not know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

Pogradec is a lakeside town on the southwestern shore of Lake Ohrid, lying at about 735 metres and roughly 40 kilometres from Korçë. Lake Ohrid is one of Europe's oldest and deepest lakes; its North Macedonian side was inscribed by UNESCO in 1979 and the Albanian side was added in 2019. The lake's emblem is the endemic Ohrid trout, known locally as koran. The Drilon springs near Tushemisht are also worth a stop. For shore facilities, current timetables, prices and opening details are not written without sourced verification; where details are missing, we say we do not know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)

About 21 kilometres from Korçë, Voskopojë (Moscopole) was in the 18th century the cultural and commercial centre of the Aromanians, and is said to have hosted the first printing house in the Ottoman Balkans outside Constantinople. Five churches survive today: Saint Athanasius, Saint Elijah, Saint Mary, Saint Michael and Saint Nicholas, along with the Monastery of St John the Baptist. The frescoes in Saint Nicholas are attributed to David Selenica. For reaching the village, at about 1,160 metres, current timetables, prices and opening details are not written without sourced verification; where details are missing, we say we do not know. (Source: Wikipedia, Wikivoyage)