-
Korça, Lycee
With bilingual Albanian and English captions that read “The Lycee at which Comrade Enver Hoxha studied and taught in Korça,” this unused card from 1985. Heavily aged memento of the era. Grade: 2
-
Kruja, aerial view
The perfect town for a day trip out of Tirana, Kruja has something for everyone, including a really wonderful street lined with souvenir shops. Plan ahead and you’ll never need to buy Christmas gifts ever again. This Arba card 347 was mailed from Tirana with two different stamps and partial postmark, as well as bilingual Par Avion label. Grade: 1
-
Kruja, The Castle
Although Kruja is an attractive small town in its own right, this postcard of the castle looming above is especially flattering. How, somehow, did they make it look like Switzerland? Unused Arba card 557. Grade: 1
-
Kruja, road
Unused Arba card 350. Grade: 1
-
Kruja, The Old Market
We can see where this would have been an old market area but it has been substantially transformed into “souvenir street”. They do sell things that make you wonder: “Who thought of that?” Unused Aeditions card 734. Grade: 1
-
Kruja, The Skanderbeg’s Museum
Unused Aeditions card 45. Grade: 1
-
Kruja Castle (cen. V-VI AD)
Unused Aeditions card 802. Grade: 1
-
View of Kruja
Older (1988), unused card before all the development took off. Grade: 1
-
The castle of Kruja
Unused card from 1988, once again before development started to take over. The fundamental scene remains, though. Grade: 1
-
Ksamili
Ksamil (Ksamili) is in the Butrint/Saranda area, within easy reach of lots of Greek tourists. Less so for most of us, but worth the effort. Unused 4-1/4″ x 7-7/8″ card. Grade: 1
-
The Ksamili Islands, Saranda
Aeditions card 408, unused. Grade: 1
-
The Ksamili Islands, Saranda 596
Unused Aeditions card 596. Grade: 1
-
Ksamili Islands, beach
Unused Aeditions card 923. Grade: 1
-
Ksamili’s Islands
Unused Arba card 385. Grade: 1
-
Lezha, Castle and Skanderbeg Tomb
Unused Arba card 488. Bilingual captions. Grade: 1
-
Lezha, The Castle and Skanderbeg’s Tomb
Unused Arba card 619. Bilingual captions. Grade: 1
-
View of Driloni, Pogradec
An old (1988), unused, Albania postcard from the transitional period. Grade: 1
-
Saranda, View from Krorezi Beach
But those few people are huddled out on the pier … Unused Arba card 306. Grade: 1
-
Saranda, bay view
Unused Arba card 210. Grade: 1
-
Saranda, The Blue Eye
Looking here much like a Louisiana bayou, we did a search for the Blue Eye, and faithful Wikipedia gave us this: “The Blue Eye is a water spring and natural phenomenon occurring near Muzinë in Vlorë County, Albania. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles forth from a stunning, more than fifty-metre-deep pool.” Yet the postcard does say Saranda. Unused Aeditions card 189. Grade: 1
-
Saranda, aerial view of bay
Unused Aeditions card 680. Grade: 1
-
Saranda, Lekuresi Castle (Cen. XI AD)
We think of castle postcards, we think of Scotland or Germany or wherever, but Albania is replete with old structures that seem still to be in use, one way or another. Here’s Saranda’s entry, on an unused Arba card 389. Grade: 1
-
Saranda, Tourist Hotel
Although this unused card only dates from 1989, the area, the name, and most likely the building itself would have been swallowed up by what Saranda is becoming. (If you know the current name, could you let us know? Thanks!) Aging card, but clean. Grade: 1
-
Lezha, Shengjini Beach
Send some of that blue water over here, eh? Unused Arba card 382. Grade: 1
-
Shkodra, The Mesi Bridge (cen XIII)
Unused Aeditions card 541. Grade: 1
-
Shkodra, Pijaca
Unused Aeditions card 593. Grade: 1
-
Shkodra, street view
Why were they so intent on keeping people out of the scene? This makes Shkodra look like an unused movie set. The card, however, Aeditions 905, is indeed unused. Grade: 1
-
Shkodra, Rozafa Castle
We don’t do this to you often — we like to tell stories but not open a schoolroom — but in this case, just because the castle’s history goes so far back, we’ll tell you what Wikipedia says (slightly abridged): “Due to its strategic location, the hill has been settled since antiquity. It was an Illyrian stronghold until it was captured by the Romans in 167 BC. The fortifications, as they have been preserved to date, are mostly of Venetian origin. The castle has been the site of several famous sieges, including the siege of Shkodra by the Ottomans in 1478 and by the Montenegrins in 1912. The castle and its surroundings form an Archaeological Park of Albania.” And this is an old, transitional-period (1988) unused postcard. Grade: 1
-
Shkodra, Catholic Churches
Unused Arba card 535, very minor curling and creasing. Grade: 2
-
Shkodra, Rozafa Castle 232
Unused Aeditions card 232. Grade: 1
-
Shkodra, Buna river
Unused, aging, but otherwise clean card from the transitional period (1988). Grade: 1
-
Shkodra, Museum House of Luigj Gurakuqi
Luigj Gurakuqi was an Albanian writer and politician. He was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening and was honoured with the People’s Hero of Albania medal. And here’s his house, on this unused but highly aged Arba card 140. Grade: 2
-
Shkodra, The Castle (4th cen.)
Unused, very very slightly smudged Arba card 542. Grade: 1
-
Japanxhe
Unused old Albturist card showing early 20th-century women’s wear. Grade: 1
-
The Best of Shkodra (folio, 20 photos)
See our description for item 20501045. Same concept. Unused. Grade: 1
-
Tepelenë, multiple views
Unused Klea Kolor card 96/4282. Grade: 1
-
Thethi, view
A town we finally got to see, and it was worth the considerable effort to get there. Glance at the postcard, and you could guess why. Unused Aeditions card 817. Grade: 1
-
Thethi’s Waterfall
Unused Aedition card 701. Grade: 1
-
Thethi, farm
Unused Aeditions card 620. Grade: 1
-
Thethi, multiple views
Unused Klea Kolor card 96/4315. Grade: 1