Sunday, October 26, 2014

 

 Lonely Planet discovers Kiparo and Pilur of Himara Region are Greek villages



Mountain villages of Albania: A stay in two Greek-Albanian mountain villages, Qeparo and Piluri – located about 4km apart along the old Vlora–Saranda road near the Ionian coast in southern Albania – is a memorable immersion in traditional local hospitality and simple highland cuisine. Piluri is claimed to be the birthplace of traditional Albanian iso-polyphonic singing (which is inscribed on Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage). It has fewer than 100 residents, but still keeps the singing tradition alive. Qeparo preserves the original architectural style of the region and guards some hundred-years-old olive trees. It also holds the dubious fame of being connected to an ex-head of the CIA, whose emigrant family originated from here. An easy nearby excursion is the Porto Palermo castle (associated with the notorious Ali Pasha), set on a picturesque peninsula overlooking the eponymous bay.

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