Many landmarks, milestones and historic towns dot the Via Egnatia, a Roman-era road that traverses a 1000 km route stretching from Dyrrachium on Greece’s western Adriatic coast eastward to Istanbul on the Black Sea. It crosses the Balkan peninsula through Macedonia, what is now known as Albania, Greece, and European Turkey, visiting mountain towns and Aegean Sea towns along the way. This difficult route also follows the banks of the beautiful river Shkumbin, from its mouth on the Adriatic into the mountain backbone of Greece and Albania, where for centuries it has served as a cultural and linguistic border among the Albanian people. Armies and Merchants Via Egnatia gets its name from Gnaeus Egnatius, a Roman senator who ordered its construction in the 2nd Century AD to unite the Roman Colonies in the region of the Southern Balkans. During Caesar’s Civil War, his soldiers and soldiers of Pompey marched the Via Egnatia, and for many years, this route remained the most vital link to the far Eastern reaches of the expanding Roman Empire. By the 5th century AD the Via Egnatia had fallen into disuse, but during the Byzantine Empire it re-emerged as a major trade route for western Europe. A special gate, the Golden Gate, was erected in Istanbul during this period to mark the true beginning of its urban area, and for triumphal entries of the Byzantine emperors. The Via Egnatia eventually became the vital Silk Road link between Asia and Europe. Albania Close-up As you drive along the Via Egnatia, be sure to stop in Albania to enjoy our Best of Albania tour where we will take you to see the highlights of Tirana, Korca, Vlora and many more cities. Your visit to Albania will reveal what few people have seen: an untouched coastline, hidden valleys, and rugged mountains. This tiny
Many landmarks, milestones and historic towns dot the Via Egnatia, a Roman-era road that traverses a 1000 km route stretching from Dyrrachium on Greece’s western Adriatic coast eastward to Istanbul on the Black Sea. It crosses the Balkan peninsula through Macedonia, what is now known as Albania, Greece, and European Turkey, visiting mountain towns and Aegean Sea towns along the way. This difficult route also follows the banks of the beautiful river Shkumbin, from its mouth
