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Albanian Folk Night Experience with Dinner

5.063 Google reviewsEvening from Tirana, Durrës or Golem

Albanian iso-polyphony is on the UNESCO intangible heritage list and it sounds like nothing else in Europe: two or three voices carrying the melody over a held drone from everyone else in the room, in intervals that take a Western ear a minute to settle into. This evening is built around hearing it in a village house with twenty people rather than in a theatre.

Itinerary

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

  1. 18:00

    Pickup

    From your hotel in Tirana, Durrës or Golem. About forty minutes out to the village either way.

  2. 19:00

    Arrival and raki on the terrace

    Welcome raki, a look at the cellar and the outdoor bread oven, and the valley going gold below the terrace.

  3. 19:45

    Dinner begins

    Meze first and plenty of it, then fërgesë, stuffed peppers and spit-roast lamb. Bread out of the oven all evening.

  4. 20:45

    Iso-polyphony

    Four singers from the village. A held drone, two voices over it, and a sound most visitors have never heard live.

  5. 21:30

    The dance group

    Costume, çifteli and lahuta, and dances from the north and the south, which are nothing like each other.

  6. 22:30

    Everyone dances

    This is not optional in any meaningful sense. The steps are simple and somebody will drag you through them.

Experience & Highlights

  • Live iso-polyphony, the UNESCO-listed vocal tradition
  • A folk dance group, and then everyone on their feet
  • A full traditional dinner cooked at the house
  • Homemade wine and raki from the property
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off, so nobody is driving

Full Description

Dinner comes out in waves and does not stop: byrek, fërgesë, stuffed peppers, spit-roast lamb, homemade cheese, bread from the oven outside, and fruit from the trees around the terrace. The wine and the raki are made on the property and the family will tell you so at length.

The dance group comes on after the main course, and about an hour later they will pull the room in. Almost everyone ends up dancing. We get you back to your hotel around midnight.

What's included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Tirana, Durrës and Golem
  • Full traditional dinner, all courses
  • House wine, raki and soft drinks through the evening
  • Live iso-polyphony and folk dance performance
  • English-speaking host

Not included

  • Bottled spirits beyond the house raki
  • Gratuities for the musicians

Good to know

  • Tell us about any dietary requirement when you book. Vegetarian works well here; strict vegan needs 48 hours of notice.
  • Runs Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from April to October, and Saturdays only in winter when dinner moves indoors.
  • The terrace is outdoors and the evening cools off quickly once the sun goes. Bring a layer.
  • Children are welcome and usually end up in the middle of the dancing.

Good questions, honest answers

What is Albanian iso-polyphony?

A vocal tradition from the south of the country where one or two voices carry a melody over a drone held by the rest of the group. UNESCO added it to the intangible cultural heritage list in 2005. It is sung rather than performed, which is why hearing it in a village house works better than a stage.

Do I have to join in the dancing?

Nobody will force you, but the room is small and the odds are against you. The steps are a simple side-to-side in a linked circle and somebody will walk you through them within about thirty seconds.

Can you cater for vegetarians?

Easily. Albanian village food is heavy on cheese, peppers, beans, byrek and vegetables, so a vegetarian eats very well here. For vegan we need 48 hours of notice, because the default cooking uses a lot of butter and cheese.

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