Golem Impression

Golem - is part of the Albanian city of Durres. When you head from the center along Rruga Pavaresia to the south, you will pass through Arapaj, Shkallnur, to Golem, alongside Shkëmbi and Kavajes, to Mali i Robit. All these parts are overcrowded with hotels, restaurants and everythingtourists need during their stay.

Golem beach

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The location near Shkëmbi i Kavajes is my regular residence during my stay in nowhere. whether I choose a hotel or a private accommodation. This place lives its tourist life. In the summer it is teeming with vacationers, vendors and locals. Despite the fact that in Albania you will also find nicer holiday destinations, I still come back here because it is close to everywhere. From the city you can take a bus to every corner of the country. The airport is only 30 km and the port directly in town. The beach either suits you or not.

This year I was pleasantly surprised and shocked by the changesthat struck me in just a few minutes. The biggest change was the normal road.Where there was only a dirt road in 2016, a new asphalt is now stretched. So "Rruga e re"¹ became my most frequent albanian word in following days.

Golem - before

Golem - after

Another absolute shock followed when we came to the beach. Where we had waded in the sand before, because there was no other option, there is now a promenade (promenade)The promenade stretches along the entire beach. At regular intervals there are trash baskets and lighting. Waste disappeared from the beach.

Promenade under construction

Except to the waste, people with bad social conditions disappeared from the beach, who were hovering along the beach in the hope that someone would help them with some remedy. The beach boys were constantly chasing them away to protect tourists. Now the beach boys care about policia bashkiake²which is crossing the beach several times a day and the beach boys have to move their shezlongs off the road³ .

Many hotels have been modernized. New, very luxurious hotels are being built. Hotels that still evoked the communist era and are transformed into accommodation that can easily be compared to modern hotels in Europe.

Similarly, shabby small markets are changingand growing, with a couple of shelves with chaotically stored goods and staff who could not even greet in English. Today you will get the answer for your question " A keni leke?"⁴ in english “Yes, sure. How many do you need? ” Many markets have reconstructed the interior and expanded the range of goods. On the streets there is a sign for the nearest market. Opening hours are still "as long as tourists come," which is ultimately advantageous.

The city evidently restored the largest supermarket in the area. I was not inside, but it was clear from the entrance that the interior had been restored and the product range had increased. In addition, a number of other good-level markets have emerged.

Golem - Big market with very similar products as ours

„Akullore" ice cream could be bought on the street about 500 meters from our hotel in 2016. It was a wicked fridge with about 4-5 kinds of ice cream without a denomination and price, and an older ice cream maker couldn't tell you the price and kind in english anyway, as she spoke an Albanian dialect. In 2019, there was a more modern ice cream cooler in the same place, even the types and price were already marked. The ice cream was sold by a flawless English-speaking girl.

Golem - new Akullore

Since 2016, many new restaurants and very nice bars have been opened. However, in those who have already been, you will finally distinguish the kamarier⁵ from the visitors and the “menu vetëm në shqip”⁶ has replaced by “menu in english”. Kamarieri⁷ already speaks english (some also serbian and macedonian ).

Other positive changes in Golem are new road signs,restaurant and hotel signs for drivers. Albania is also gradually renewing its trains.From the city there is several times a day dispatched train to several cities. So, finally, overgrown rails are being used again. The trains are the same old trains, which we still have in Slovakia. Depart on time and are clean.

Durres- railway station

Time schedule of train departures

The country is moving forward, opening up to the world and tourists. Albanians try their best. This progress will surely be reflected in service prices over time. Naturally I keep their fingers crossed, but I hope Shqipëria⁸ will remain Shqipëria. But everything cannot be perfect and flawless. The imperfection finally fits her in some way. What would it be like Albania if you did not find a tangled ball of electric cables on at least one nearly rolled wooden pole, which is supposedly still under power, children playing football under it and a few steps of parents drinking coffee with the philosophy of "s'ka problem"⁹? At that moment, what I hope to a nation like this will cease to exist, and it will never happen and will withstand with such pressure ... The cables will continue to be seen there.

Some things do not change