Apollonia Archaeological Park

Apollonia is one of the western Balkans' most significant ancient sites — a Doric colony founded in 588 BC by settlers from Corfu and Corinth, named after the god Apollo. For nearly a thousand years it was a major urban centre in the Epirote region, passing from Greek to Roman rule while accumulating layers of civic infrastructure. Julius Caesar used the city as a strategic base during his civil war against Pompey, and the young Octavian — later Augustus — was studying here when news of Caesar's assassination reached him in 44 BC. Today a partially restored bouleuterion and a columned temple crown the hill, surrounded by olive groves and open meadows beneath which most of the ancient city's fabric still lies unexcavated. The park opens daily 08:00–17:00, with sweeping views toward the Albanian coastal plain.