Zvernec

The St. Mary's Monastery, also known as the Monastery of Dormition of Theotokos Mary, is a medieval Byzantine church in Zvërnec Island inside the Narta Lagoon northwest of the city of Vlorë. One of the most interesting places to visit, apart from the clean coast line where the Ionian sea touches the ground, in Zvernec tourists get fascinated by the ancient Monastery. It is a treasure of locals’ religious history which unfolds the suffering of a nation during the communism period where from 1967 until 1990 the sacred place was abandoned. Built in X century A.C, the Monastery is situated in a tiny island in front of the village and it is connected with the land by a 100 meter wood bridge. The Monastery was restored and maintained regularly after the communism fall in 1990 and now plays the role of a religious place where locals and others hold pilgrimage each August 15th of every year (the birth date of Saint Maria).

Vlore

Vlorë is the third most populous city of Albania. It is the capital of the surrounding Vlorë County. Located on the southeastern Adriatic Sea, it is one of the country's southernmost dominant economic and cultural centers. Vlorë was founded as an Ancient Ilirian city in the sixth century BC under the name of Aulona and has been continuously inhabited ever since. It became the seat of a bishopric. In modern times, the city served briefly as the capital of Albania. Notably, the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed here on November 28 in 1912. Culturally and economically it is one of the most significant cities of southwestern Albania. Vlorë is home to Albania's second largest port, the Port of Vlorë.