Albania

Europe’s best-kept secret: Mediterranean beaches, Ottoman towns, and wild mountains, at a fraction of the price of Greece or Italy.

• Albanian Riviera: turquoise water and quiet beaches at Ksamil and Dhërmi.

• UNESCO towns: Berat (“city of a thousand windows”) and the stone town of Gjirokastër.

• Butrint: ancient Greek and Roman ruins in a lagoon-side national park.

• The Blue Eye: a crystal-clear natural spring.

• Great value: excellent food and hospitality, and still uncrowded.