Finding the Via Egnatia
Having spent a few days in Albania working on the Performative Journey project, Kate and Hüseyin set off to follow the Via Egnatia (VE). Walking from the village of Mirake, we soon found the section of the VE illustrated on Holger and Marietta’s excellent guidebook.
We were surprised at how much of the original route is intact. The hospitality in Albania is remarkable – in spite of language difficulties, we were welcomed with offers of accommodation in the villages. We finally crossed the border to Northern Macedonia, where there is a beautiful section of the road leading down to lake Ohrid.
So, in only a few days we covered a variety of sections of the VE. The route follows the main, but now hardly-used, railway line and the river Shkumbin, which winds from east to west. It then crosses a ridge to the gleaming, calm lake Ohrid, which Albania shares with Northern Macedonia.
The first stage, Dürres to Elbasan, runs through rural landscapes with low hills, with an intact section of the route at Peqin. Just before Elbasan, in the bed of the Shkumbin river, are the remaining pillars of a long Roman bridge which linked an alternative branch of the VE coming from the south. The ancient castle, built over the original Roman fort, is remarkably intact and has pleasant restaurants and old houses within the walls.
The next stage climbs the hills to the south of the river, cutting off a long bend. Here the ancient road was partly reconstructed by the Italian army during the 2nd World War, so it is still easy to walk. It passes pretty villages and dramatic waterfalls before descending again towards the river.
The river Shkumbin’s source is on a large plain, and beyond that rise hills that block the route to the east. There are at least two alternative routes to the pass and the border; scholars are not decided on where the VE ran. We chose to stay at Lin, on lake Ohrid, where there is an ancient basilica with mosaics atop a hill. New boutique hotels in traditional stone are shooting up in the flower-filled village. From here we walked across the border to Radhozda, encountering an amazing paved stretch of the VE in the woods above the village.
We now have discovered direct flights from Antalya to Albania, so we will be back for more!
