FRONT DE MER DE VLORA

The Vlora seafront (Bregdeti i Vlorës) stretches 4 km from north to south, between the port and the Vlora tunnel leading to Radhima. It consists mainly of a long strip of sand known as the "new beach" (Plazhi i Ri). This is bordered by SH 8 (or Murat-Tërbaçi Street), the main road to the "Albanian Riviera", which is heavily congested with motor traffic in summer, and a whole series of unattractive apartment blocks and hotels. The beach may seem tempting. But bathing here is inadvisable due to the pollution generated by port activity and the city's dirty water, which is discharged into the sea without a treatment plant. However, since 2015, a major development project co-financed by the European Union has been underway. Called Vlora Waterfront, it is led by Belgian architect Xaveer de Geyter (b. 1957). It aims to transform the entire waterfront with a long promenade, parks, wooded areas, playgrounds and sports fields. Parts of the project have already been completed, with a park and helicopter runway in the northern part and another park planted with Aleppo pines in the central part at jetty level. While there are no real plans to improve bathing water quality, the Albanian authorities' ambition is to make the town more attractive. With another international airport project due to be launched in 2021, 10 km to the north, Vlora is set to become the new gateway to the country and the capital of Albanian tourism.