# Albania & Balkans Info



## GE066 (May 21, 2011)

This doesn't contain anything amazing, it's merely some tips for anyone thinking of exploring in this region. Countries visited in Spring 2011 include Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo & Montenegro. I found there was distinct sparsity of places of exceptional interest. Due to the poor overall nature of these countries compared to wealthy countries with better explores (Germany, Benelux etc), most places in a rundown state were still in use or reused.

I'll put map locations at the end of the report if it helps anyone planning anything in the region.

As it's the largest of the countries, Albania had a few bits and bobs. It's of course most famous for these little acne spots on the landscape. Although loads can be found broken and upturned at the side of the road. Others used for storage in farms etc.









On the Southern coast is the tiny town of Porto Palermo, only reachable by nerve-wracking hairpin bends with rocks littering the road and stubborn cows appearing from the mist at altitude. It has an old fort in the bay.




A bit further on at the top of the bay, is a sub base. It now appears to be a coastguard station.




It does have some nice rusting guns on the beach though, i managed to capture them just before being escorted back to the road by some headscratching navvies.




The town of Kucove near UNESCO town of Berat, held some interest in the centre of the country. An old Powerstation in town.




I was thwarted in exploring it by a chap building a pen for his goats that wander the grounds, and pulling down someones garden wall I attempted to jump over. A young chap came over to me as i tried to move the bricks into the verge, "no problem, Albania!"
What the town's real gem is, sits just outside at the end of an airfield. Top Gear fans may recognise the MiG jets parked up. 




I wasn't expecting it to be as easy as the Top Gear monkeys make out, and it wasn't. There's a public road that goes across the runway. At either end is a large sign which includes the English "No Photography". You can also just make out in the picture a car opposite the jets. This had a civilian chap stood by it. However, if i'd had more time, I think it's possible to wander up the hill and, well, depends how close you want to get!
Near the border with Macedonia, is the town of Prrenjas. I didn't look, but it had lots of factories, some of which may or may not be derelict.




I forget the exact location, but I think in the hills near the oilfields East of Fier. A number of storage bunkers built into the hill. I looked in one and it was about 50m long and a dead end.




There were a couple of empty buildings stripped to the core, but Tirane held little of interest. For those intending to go this year, there is a 'skyscraper' being built there. As it appeared to be the tallest building in the city at 85m and 24 floors, the views were pretty good from the top. Another site with no work yet, showed The Green Tower was to be built to the same height. So something for 2012/13. Check skyscrapercity forums for progress. This is the T I D tower.




And this is a different viewpoint.





Macedonia also had a few explore opportunities...
The centre of the capital, Skopje, is being completely rebuilt almost. All along the river in the centre new buildings are going up. The columned building in the centre of this pic is the Court building, to the right over the river is the central bank building. Others sit near them. I climbed both, not really high enough for great views.




Anyone annoyed by the Fortress being closed or fancying some nighttime photos, access is pretty tough at a side gate.




Not an explore location as it was occupied, but some sort of bunker type place existed next to the Old Fortress.








The town of Tetovo, an hour from Skopje had an area filled with empty buildings handily near the bus station. It was rather weird, a factory joined onto physically the state university. An easy explore, just beware of the dogs, big dogs!




The lift in the Uni building was one of few highlights





The poorest and also newest member of Europe, Kosovo, had very few explores that I noticed. It has lots of vandalised and burnt out churches, including in the centre of Pristine, the capital. But little else. The only thing I had a quick 1 minute explore of as a bus driver had a fag, was this bar that had been attacked.




The country is heavily patrolled by KFOR troops, particularly around churches, and UN troops.

Montenegro, billed as the new Monaco but a bit bigger, had a few bits and bobs. Sadly I hadn't seen Happysacs sub base near Rose ([ame="http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=18695"]here[/ame]), which looked very interesting.
Instead I nipped up the roof of a factory in Kotor, 




Looked at some trains waiting to be scrapped near Podgorica's train station.








Pretty much every resort had it's abandoned hotel. Most were pointless and I didn't attempt any. I had a quick look at a big one in Igalo, near the Croatian borer, but it was tricky in daylight and I didn't have much time.




I think I really really want to climb, was this in Budva. However despite getting up at dawn to do it, some git was busy cleaning the place up, ready for the tourist season to start.




Those looking to hang out with Salman Rushdie, should consider exploring the Masjid being built at the town of Bar (actually in the hills behind the city near Old Bar).





LOCATIONS:
ALBANIA

Kucove MiGs - 
Kucove Power Station 
Përrenjas Factories & trains
Beline (Endless oil fields) 
Tajmiste (this area has loads of quarry like entrances looking disused in the hills by the main road)
If you fancy the moored subs near Orikum featured in Top Gear, forget about it. The road along the beach comes to a gatehouse just before the Pasha Liman Lagoon. Shame, as if you scroll north on googlemaps, you'll see more derelict looking boats and ships moored in little bays. There appear to be some buried bunkers or shelters here
Porto Palermo Fort and Sub Base.

MACEDONIA

Tetovo buildings
Gostivar (always difficult to tell, but it looked more abandoned than most. I quite fancied climbing up the vats.)
Kicevo (also had what appeared to be an abandoned factory)

MONTENEGRO

Budva Eiffel Tower
Igalo hotel
Podgorica (Train scrapyards)


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## Derelict-UK (May 21, 2011)

This is fantastic, thank you very much for taking the time to post it!


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## Snips86x (May 22, 2011)

This is a cracking report. I love those pill boxes and those AA's are superb. Great images. Thanks


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## GE066 (May 23, 2011)

Oddly, at work this morning an editor complained of a visual glitch on a Top Gear Ep. It was the Albanian ep. I looked again at the sub base, and they've edited together two places over an hour apart.
This is the Porto Palermo Subbase





This is a shot inside the entrance





and this is the subs that are moored at Orikum





The MiGs, so annoyed I didn't have more time to do a proper infiltration here.





The Ep is TX'ing on Dave channel on 30th and 31st May. Although sadly as it was cut for duration, the bit with the Jet's is missing. The difference between the good old Beeb and Commercial TV for you!


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## chris (May 23, 2011)

Great report - some worrying countries to be caught doing urban exploration in but great rewards


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