As ruins go, Butrint spans a large time span and covers a large area. You find Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian buildings and remains. The site also holds floor mosaics, but these are buried below sand to protect them from the humid climate. Only every two years are they uncovered and made visible to the public.

Rising water levels constantly endangered parts of Butrint. The Triconch Palace is a good example here, being built on the shoreline.

When the Venetians in the 16th century built the fortress on the other side of the canal, the city was finally abandoned. The new fortress controlled access to the lagoon and the rich fish reservoir, so a settlement in Butrint was no longer needed.

Getting There

The hub for Butrint is Saranda. By ferry, you can visit from Corfu. By minibus, you can connect to all over Albania (Gjirokaster) and Greece. If you are so inclined, you can visit both Gjirokaster and Butrint in a day by getting a taxi in Saranda (should go without saying: agree on a fixed price). But personally, I liked Albania better than Corfu, so for me, Corfu would be the day trip.

From Saranda, hourly line buses depart half past from the bus station on Rruga Skënderbeu facing the ruins of the old synagogue. The bus stop is 50m from where the minibuses to Tirana and Gjirokaster depart. In addition, there are also private buses that run along the same road and continue south.

The bus stop for the private buses and the line buses in Butrint are different. The distinction is important as it made me miss my return bus. The private buses will drop you off directly in front of the entry gate. The line buses park a little up the road on the bus parking lot. The line buses leave Butrint at half past.

If you feel bored waiting for the bus, I recommend hiking up the hills direction Ksamil. There are no dedicated hiking trails through the nature reserve (at least I saw none). But the road isn’t that busy and there is even a sidewalk. The bus will pick you up along the road if you signal it.

Note

Extensive works were done by Augustus. This should also have a Roman Empire connection. If it existed.