PELLUMBAS
The cave of Pellumbas (Spella e Pëllumbasit or Shpella e Zezë) is a karstic cave in central Albania, located in the gorge of Skorana near the village of Pëllumbas in the Tirana region. The cave is one of six karst caves in Europe.
The cave has a length of 360 m and a width that can vary from 10-15 m. The height of the cave can reach up to 45 m. Despite its small size, it is considered one of the most beautiful caves in the country and attracts numerous visitors. The cave is located in the Dajti National Park and has been declared a natural monument of national and international importance by the Ministry of Environment. The importance of the complex can be traced back to the remains of the ancient human culture that belonged to the Paleolithic period. The cave was inhabited by the extinct cave bear that lived 10,000 to 400,000 years ago.
ELBASAN
Elbasan is a town and municipality in the district of Elbasan in central Albania. Albania's third largest city is located on the Shkumbin River in the district of Elbasan and the county of Elbasan.
In Greek, it was called Neocastron "New Castle", in Slavonic Novigrad ("New City") and in Italian Terra Nuova ("New Land"). The current name derives from the Turkish il-basan ("the fortress").
In August 2010, archaeologists discovered two Illyrian graves near the castle walls of Elbasan.
In the second century B. C. a trading post called Mansio Scampa developed near the present-day Elbasan, close to a crossroads of two arms of an important Roman road, the Via Egnatia. Via Egnatia connected the Adriatic coast with Byzantium. It was one of the most important routes of the Roman Empire. In the third or fourth century A. D. this place had developed into a veritable city which was protected by a mighty Roman fortress with towers. This city appears on late antique routes as Tabula Peutingeriana or the Itinerarium Burdigalense as Scampis or Hiscampis.
It took part in the spreading of Christianity along the Via and had already in the fifth century a bishop, a cathedral and basilicas. As a city in a wide river valley, it was vulnerable to attacks as soon as the legions were withdrawn, but Emperor Justinian endeavored to improve the fortifications. The city survived the attacks of the Bulgarians and Ostrogoths and was mentioned in the work of Procopius of Cæsarea.
In 2014, ruins of an early Christian basilica from the 5th or 6th century AD were found.
The place seems to have been abandoned until the Ottoman army built a military camp there, which was followed in 1466 by urban reconstruction under Sultan Mehmet II. Mehmet built a massive four-sided castle with a deep moat and three towers. He had built the castle because of an ongoing conflict between Ottomans and Albanians and to fight against Skanderbeg.
Course of the day:
08:30 Meeting and greeting with your local guide.
08:45 Drive to Pellumbas.
09:30 Arrival in Pellumbas and start of the hiking and exploring tour (hiking in nature and visiting the cave)
11:30 Free time in the village of Pellumbas
12:00 Departure to Elbasan.
12:40 Arrival and lunch in a botanical garden inside the castle.
14:00 Sightseeing tour with the local guide (Fatih Mosque, Castle, Basilica, Monuments etc.)
15:15 Return to Tirana
16:15 Arrival at the hotel and farewell.