Korçë, Albania

House in Korçë, Albania
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korca_315.jpg
Author: Idobi


Korçë is a city in southeastern Albania. Also written as Korça, it is a city of about 105,000 people (2011 estimate) located at an elevation of 850 m (2,789 ft). The city is surrounded by the Morava Mountains. It observes the Central European Time which is an hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+1), and two hours ahead during Daylight Saving Time in summer.

Korçë experiences a Mediterranean climate. The hottest month is August, when the average high temperature reaches 25°C (77°F). Coldest month is January, when it drops to 2°C (36°F).

The city of Korçë has a history going back to the Neolithic age. Archaeological excavations in and around the city has produced pieces of Mycenean pottery from the late Bronze Age. That was when various tribes speaking the northwestern Greek dialect migrated through the area.

Korçë was known as Coviza in the Middle Ages. The present town dates to the 15th century, when the area was already under Ottoman rule, which began in 1440. The town was part of the Ottoman Empire right until the empire collapsed in 1912, which transferred it to Greek administration.

Marketplace in Korçë, Albania
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albania_323.jpg
Author: Idobi


During the Second World War, Korçë was ruled by the Italians and then by the Germans. After the war, it became a Communist-inspired center of resistance against Axis occupation. This led to the Socialist era in Albania which lasted until 1990.

Visiting Korçë

You can get to Korçë by taking a bus or minivan from Tirana.

Places of Interest in Korçë

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