Korce Favorite Tips by JLBG Top 5 Page for this destination

University Kristal

Favorite thing: As far as I haveunderstood, University Kristal, open in 2005, seems to be a private university. It has three locations, Tiranë, Korcë and Fier. It teaches both sciences (informatics, electronics, information technology, etc), health (pharmacy, nurse, medical laboratory technician, public health, dentistery), law, sociology, finance, psychology, communication sciences etc…. It follows EU rules and delivers Masters under the ECTS system recognized by other European Universities.

Small classical church

Favorite thing: Side by side to the unusual “salt crystal house” presented in the previous tip stands a small very classical church. It was closed and nothing allowed its identification. It seems to have been built recently and seems a church for worshipers, not for tourists.

Amazing crystal like architecture

Favorite thing: Along the street that leads to Korcë’s Park, I noticed this amazing house that must have been a playground for an architect looking for something special : two cubes melted together, just like what salt can give when it crystallize. This is a structure that exist in nature !

A green city

Favorite thing: Several avenues in Korcë are shaded by old horse chestnuts. Some have even lawns and flower beds in the middle. Besides, there are several parks. This gives to the city, when visited in May, a very “green” aspect. The Korcë park is a large area with playgrounds for the children where citizens are many at the end of the afternoon. There are also several bars with terraces overhanging the park.

Older buildings

Favorite thing: However, no need to go far away from the city center to find buildings remaining from the Hoxha period. Some have kept the look they had when I first visited the city in 1988 (photo 1). Others seem to have been partly improved (photo 2). Few of them are good looking (photo 3) and I have been unable to determine if that was old building that had been deeply improved or if they have been built recently..
Anyhow, I have not got in Korcë the same feeling that in Vlorë, in Sarandë, Fushë-Krujë or even in the modern parts of Berat and Gjirokastër where there is an amazing number of new buildings and where the vitality is great. Except for cars, I have felts that Korcë was almost the same than in 1988, which is not true of course !

Modern city center

Favorite thing: This photo shows a view of the main square, the city center, close to Bulevardi Shën Gjergji, Rruga Ismail Qemali and Rruga Edit Durham. The old state hotel has been put down and recently replaced by two modern hotels, the Grand Hotel (on the right) and Kocibeli hotel (on the left). The main Post office is on the other side of the street together with several pleasant cafes with welcoming terraces.

Bird’s eye view on Korcë

Favorite thing: This is not fully a bird’s eye view as I have not been on top of one of the mountains that stand over Korcë, for example from the cemetery of the heros.

This photo was taken from the fourth level of hotel George (rruga Korcë-Mborrjë) and shows only the northern part of the city. Hotel George stands on the outskirts of Korcë.