The World of Epirus and Illyria Before Borders

Drive through southern Albania, and the scenery alone feels mythic. Sharp limestone peaks fall into river valleys, and the air carries that faint wild scent that ancient writers described as “Epirote.”

This was the homeland of Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great—a princess of Epirus, a frontier kingdom between Greece and Illyria.

Her world stretched from Dodona, the oldest oracle of Zeus, down to the valleys that now hold Gjirokastër and Përmet.

Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich Kiepert, 1902. Wikipedia

Begin in Gjirokastër, where stone roofs gleam like silver after rain. From the castle ramparts, the Drino Valley spreads below—the same valley that once divided Greek and Illyrian tribes. Walk through its museum to see bronze weapons and jewelry unearthed nearby, relics of the same 4th-century world Olympias was born into.

A short drive away, Antigonea Archaeological Park hides among olive groves. Founded by Pyrrhus of Epirus—Olympias’s descendant—it’s a silent city of stone streets and mosaic floors. Stand there at sunset, and you understand why Macedonian kings saw this land as sacred.

The Lost Kingdom of the Dassaretii

Heading northeast toward Korçë, the road climbs into the highlands of Dassaretis—ancient stronghold of the Dassaretii, Illyrian cousins of the Molossians. Their kingdom once stretched around the blue bowl of Lake Ohrid, where trade routes from the Adriatic met the interior.

Above the lake’s western shore lies Selcë e Poshtme, a site every history lover should see. Here, carved directly into limestone cliffs, are the Royal Tombs of the Illyrians. Massive stone doorways and chambers from the 3rd century BCE mark the resting places of noble families—possibly even the dynasty of King Bardylis, who once challenged Macedon itself.

When you step inside those tombs, time collapses. You stand in the same silence that Alexander’s northern rivals once knew.

Continue to Pogradec, a lakeside city that feels eternal. Walk the boardwalk in the morning mist, then drive ten minutes to Lin Village, perched on a peninsula shaped like a crescent. The early Christian basilica here, with its preserved floor mosaics, overlooks the same waters where the Enchelei—the “eel people” of Illyrian legend—once ruled.

Best time to visit: late spring or early autumn, when Lake Ohrid is mirror-calm and the hillsides glow in copper light.

Along the Roads of the Parthini

From Pogradec, follow the valley westward along the Shkumbin River. Two thousand years ago this was the road of the Parthini, Illyrians who guarded the pass that would later become the Via Egnatia—Rome’s highway between Durrës and Byzantium.

Stop in Elbasan, where the fortress walls rise over layers of Illyrian and Roman stone. Inside the old quarter, fragments of columns still peek through the cobblestones. It’s easy to imagine caravans loaded with copper, salt, and olive oil crossing this same route.

Further south lies Berat, one of Albania’s most picturesque cities and the heir to ancient Dimale, an Illyrian stronghold. Its white houses stacked along the Osum River hide traces of every civilization—Illyrian walls, Roman foundations, Byzantine churches. From Berat Castle, look east and picture the ridges once patrolled by Parthinian sentinels.

The Taulantian Shore

The road finally bends toward the Adriatic, where the Taulantii ruled long before Rome. They controlled the fertile plains from the Mat River to Vlorë, shaping the coastal identity of southern Illyria.

In Durrës, their ancient capital Dyrrhachium lives on beneath modern streets. Visit the Roman Amphitheatre, one of the largest in the Balkans, and peer into its tunnels lined with early Christian mosaics. Then drive south to Apollonia, founded by Greek colonists but sustained by Illyrian labor and local kings. Its colonnaded streets, still standing against the sky, tell a story of coexistence rather than conquest.

When the sea breeze drifts through the ruins, it carries both salt and the scent of sage from the hills—the same fragrance that must have filled the sails of Illyrian ships.

Why It Matters

Albania’s southern landscape is more than geography; it’s continuity. The same mountains that once guarded Illyrian tribes later sheltered Byzantine monasteries and Ottoman villages, and still cradle the Albanian language today.

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Olympias’s world was one of frontiers, and that spirit survives here. The locals of Gjirokastër, Pogradec, and Vlorë speak Albanian, a language that likely carries echoes of those early Illyrian dialects. The architecture, the music, even the rhythm of life in these valleys—all reflect layers of civilizations that never fully replaced one another, only merged.

Traveling here isn’t about finding ruins alone. It’s about realizing that the line from Illyrian queens to modern Albania is unbroken.

Suggested Route

Gjirokastër → Antigonea → Përmet → Korçë → Pogradec → Lin → Elbasan → Berat → Durrës → Apollonia

• Distance: roughly 500 km
• Recommended duration: 5–7 days
• Ideal for: cultural travelers, historians, photographers, and anyone fascinated by origins

Practical Notes

• Season: May–October offers the best weather; mountain routes can ice over in winter.
• Guides: Local archaeologists in Pogradec and Byllis often host private tours.
• Museums: Don’t miss the Archaeological Museums of Tirana and Korçë for Illyrian artifacts.
• Stay: Family guesthouses in Lin or boutique stays in Gjirokastër and Berat give you proximity to both heritage and local hospitality.

Your Turn to Visit

To walk this route is to walk through layers of identity—Greek, Illyrian, Roman, Albanian—all intertwined.
When the wind rises over Lake Ohrid or the sun sets on the stone roofs of Gjirokastër, you feel the same awe that must have stirred Olympias herself.

In the end, history here isn’t buried—it’s alive, speaking softly over the mountains. You’ll feel it on your visit.