Vlore

Vlore puts the Albanian Riviera within free reach: the compact old town around Independence Square costs nothing to wander, and the palm-lined Lungomare promenade along the bay makes for the city’s best sunset walk without spending a cent. History here is open-air and gratis, from the square that marks where Albania declared independence in 1912 to the Ottoman-era Muradie Mosque. Use the city as a budget base before the coastal road climbs the Llogara Pass south toward Sarande and the Riviera beaches, and remember that Vlore is a working passenger port, so the Brindisi ferry can be a cheap, scenic way in or out of Albania. Prices across town run low by Western European standards, which means a few euros stretch a long way on food and a bed near the water.