Sarande Experience
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Port
Sarande, Albania
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$109.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3¾ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Take a scenic drive to Lekuresi Castle, built in 1537 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. It is located on a strategic hill overlooking the town of Saranda, and great views of Corfu and Ksamil islands dominate the landscape.
Next, you're headed to a famous local winery. Taste the traditional local brandy and a selection of wines made exclusively from estate grapes.
Back in Saranda, discover the city that is the gateway to the southern Albania, known in antiquity as Onchesmus. On a one-hour walking tour, you will see the archaeological site of the ancient Illyrian city of Onchesmos -- an important port in the 1st century BC. In the 4th century AD, the town was fortified and today the excavated remains of dwellings, water cisterns and an early Christian Basilica (complete with beautiful multicolored floor mosaic) are evident. Also of interest are the ruins of an early Christian Monastery dedicated to the Forty Saints, from which the modern name of Saranda is derived.
Notes:
Wear comfortable walking shoes. The wine tasting is a sampling of different local wines without explanations by a sommelier.