What Are the Warmest Cities in Albania?

Albania may not be as popular of a tourist destination as Croatia or Greece. Nonetheless, it’s growing in popularity largely due to its spectacular landscapes and climate with mild winters and hot, sunny summers. The Albanian Riviera is becoming a tourist hot spot for those who want cheaper summer vacations while still getting abundant sunny days (with virtually non-existent rainy days over the summer months in the southern part of the country).

In this article I’ll share with you my list of the warmest Albanian cities with at least 5,000 residents. I’ll cover the top 10 in more detail and then present the entire ranking in a table with 17 major cities in the country.

Top 10 Warmest Cities in Albania

Here are the top 10 warmest places in Albania. They’re ranked by their annual daily mean temperature. Each city also includes temperatures in the coldest month (January) and in the warmest month (July).

1. Sarandë – 17.6 °C

The resort town of Sarandë in southern Albania enjoys the warmest climate in the country. Most tourists who visit Albania head to this region. It serves as the gateway to the rest of the Albanian Riviera. In the summer, rain is practically non-existent and temperatures stay between 30-33 °C. In the winter, Sarandë experiences 13-14 °C during the day and about 5-7 °C at night. Perhaps not beach day weather but pleasant anyway and you can still have a great time (particularly compared to northern Europe’s winters).

Average high temperature in January: 13.5 °C

Average high temperature in July: 33.5 °C

2. Berat – 17.2 °C

Berat is located inland, 83 km from the city of Vlorë that placed third. Surrounded by mountains and hills, it has its own microclimate that gives it higher daytime temperatures. Berat is much colder at night, though, with winter temperatures dropping to just 2-3 °C. In the summer, it’s similarly hot as Sarandë. If you want to live close to mountainous areas but still in a warm city, Berat is one of the best choices.

Average high temperature in January: 14.4 °C

Average high temperature in July: 33.4 °C

3. Vlorë – 16.5 °C

Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë is the third largest city of the country. The city lies on the Bay of Vlorë and neighbors the Ceraunian (Akroceraunian) Mountains that rise up to 2,000 meters. Vlore has similarly mild winters as the previous two places but its summers are more moderate.

Average high temperature in January: 13 °C

Average high temperature in July: 30 °C

4. Shkodër – 16.15 °C

Shkodër is located in northwest Albania, close to the border with Montenegro. It lies on the Lake Skadar which is the largest lake in southern Europe. It’s on the foothills of the Albanian Alps (Accursed Mountains) and 30 minutes by car from the beaches on the Adriatic coast. It’s noticeably cooler in the winter but has some of the hottest summers in the country.

Average high temperature in January: 10.3 °C

Average high temperature in July: 32.9 °C

5. Durrës – 15.95 °C

Durrës is the second largest Albanian city. This port city on the Adriatic Sea in the western part of the country enjoys mild winters and moderate for Albania temperatures in the summer. It’s also just a 30-minute drive from the capital, making it a convenient seaside destination with access to the infrastructure of a much bigger city.

Average high temperature in January: 11.4 °C

Average high temperature in July: 28.7 °C

6. Fier – 15.9 °C

Fier is situated about 40 km north of Vlorë, on the Gjanica River. Because it’s located inland, it has cooler winters. Its summers are slightly hotter than in Vlorë.

Average high temperature in January: 10.8 °C

Average high temperature in July: 30.6 °C

7. Vau i Dejës – 15.4 °C

Vau i Dejës is a town located just 20 km from Shkodër. It records colder winter temperatures and slightly cooler, but still very hot, summers.

Average high temperature in January: 9 °C

Average high temperature in July: 32 °C

8. Fushë-Krujë – 15.3 °C

Fushë-Krujë is a small town located roughly the same distance from Tirana and Durrës. It has some of the most moderate summer temperatures in this ranking.

Average high temperature in January: 10.1 °C

Average high temperature in July: 29.4 °C

9. Tirana – 15.2 °C

Despite high daytime temperatures, the capital of Albania, Tirana, ranks ninth. The reason for that are its cool nighttime temperatures in the winter that can drop to just 2-3 °C. Because the city is also not as hot in the summer as the previous cities with similar temperatures (such as Berat), the result is that it’s closer to the end of this list.

Average high temperature in January: 11.6 °C

Average high temperature in July: 30.7 °C

10. Elbasan – 14.8 °C

Elbasan is yet another city close to Tirana. It’s located about 40 km southeast of the capital. The city is noticeably cooler, recording colder winters and milder summers.

Average high temperature in January: 9.5 °C

Average high temperature in July: 29.6 °C

Top 17 Warmest Albanian Cities Ranked by the Average Temperature

Here’s a table with 17 major Albanian cities that have at least 5,000 residents. Some cities are missing because I couldn’t find climate data for them. The data comes from various weather and climate providers and may not be 100% accurate.

Further Reading

You may also be interested in articles about the warmest cities in other European countries.

I also wrote an article answering the question of “Where is it warm all year round in Europe?“ You may also want to read my article What’s the Hottest Country in Europe?