What animals live in Albania?

Albania has some really interesting wildlife! In the mountains, you can find brown bears, wolves, and wild boars roaming through the forests. Golden eagles soar above the rocky peaks, and lynx — a wild cat with tufted ears — prowl quietly through the trees. Down by the rivers and lakes, pelicans and herons wade through the water looking for fish. Albania even has one of the most important wetlands in Europe, Lake Shkodër, which is home to hundreds of bird species. God packed a lot of variety into this small but rugged country!

What do kids eat in Albania?

Albanian kids enjoy some really hearty, flavorful food! One favorite is byrek, a flaky pastry filled with spinach, cheese, or meat — kind of like a savory pie you can hold in your hand. Families also eat a lot of fresh bread, yogurt, and white beans cooked with herbs. For something sweet, kids might have baklava, which is layers of thin pastry with nuts and honey — it is rich and sticky in the best way. Grilled lamb and roasted peppers show up at family meals too, especially on special occasions. Meals in Albania are usually shared around a table with the whole family, which is something people there really value.

How do people say hello in Albania?

In Albania, the most common way to say hello is 'Mirëdita' (say it like 'meer-DEE-tah'), which actually means 'Good day.' People also say 'Përshëndetje' for a more formal greeting, though that one is quite a mouthful! Albanians are known for being warm and welcoming to guests. Albania has its own unique language that isn't closely related to most other European languages — it's actually in a language family all by itself! When Christian missionaries learn to greet people in Albanian, it opens doors to share the good news about Jesus. A simple hello in someone's own language shows respect and care, and that's often the first step to a real conversation about what matters most.

What sports or games do kids play in Albania?

Hey there, explorers! Albanian kids love football — that's what most of the world calls soccer — more than almost any other sport. You'll find kids kicking a ball around in courtyards, on dirt patches, and in city squares all across the country. It's the game that brings neighborhoods together. Albanian kids also enjoy volleyball, basketball, and a traditional game called 'xhiro,' which is really more of a daily evening walk where families and friends stroll together and chat — it's a big part of Albanian life. In the mountains, kids have played folk games for generations that involve running, jumping, and stone-throwing contests that test strength and skill. Sports and games are a great way missionaries and local Christians use to build friendships and share the good news of Jesus with kids and families!

What's the weather like in Albania?

Albania has four real seasons, which makes it feel a bit like many places at once. The coast along the Adriatic Sea stays warm and sunny in summer, while the mountains inland get heavy snow in winter. Spring and autumn are mild and green, with wildflowers covering the hillsides. The mix of weather means Albanian farmers can grow olives and citrus near the shore, while shepherds in the highlands bundle up and tend their flocks through long, cold winters.

Tell me a fun fact about Albania.

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Albania is a small country on the Adriatic Sea in southeastern Europe, and it has one of the most unusual languages in the world. Albanian is its own branch of the Indo-European language family — it's not closely related to Greek, Italian, or any of its neighbors. It stood alone for thousands of years! Rusty loves this next part: Albania is home to ancient stone castles called 'kulla,' and the country has more bunkers than almost anywhere on earth — over 170,000 concrete bunkers were built by its old government decades ago. You can still spot them dotting the hillsides today, like little mushrooms made of cement. Albania has a fascinating history, and God has been at work there even through very difficult times.

What is school like for kids in Albania?

In Albania, kids usually start school around age 6, and school is required until age 16 — just like in many countries. Classes are taught in Albanian, and students study subjects like math, literature, history, and science. Schools in the cities tend to have more supplies and resources than schools in the mountain villages, where things can be much simpler. One thing that makes Albanian schools different from what you might expect is their history. For decades, Albania was ruled by a strict government that actually banned religion completely — it was the first country in the world to do that. So for a long time, kids couldn't learn about God at school or even at home without danger. Today that ban is gone, and Albanian children are free to hear about Jesus. That is worth being glad about.

Who are the unreached people in Albania?

Great question! Albania is a small country in southeastern Europe, tucked along the Adriatic Sea. Most people there have Muslim backgrounds — about 60% of Albanians — and many of them have never really heard the good news about Jesus. There are also Roma people (sometimes called Gypsies) living in Albania who have very little access to the gospel and are often quite poor. The Roma people are one of the most unreached groups in all of Europe. Many don't have Bibles in a language they fully understand, and there are very few churches reaching out to them. Albanian Muslims are also considered unreached — while there are some Albanian Christians and small churches, most Muslims there have never had a real friend explain who Jesus is and why He came. That's exactly why missionaries go there, and why prayer matters so much.

How can I pray for the people of Albania?

Albania is a small country in southeastern Europe where many people grew up never hearing much about Jesus at all. For about 50 years, the government banned all religion — churches were closed, Bibles were hidden, and people who believed in God could be put in prison. That left a lot of empty spaces in people's hearts that only Jesus can fill. Here are some real ways to pray for Albania: Ask God to send His Word into homes and hearts so Albanians can hear the gospel and trust Jesus as their Savior. Pray for the small but growing Albanian churches — that they would stay faithful and bold. Ask God to raise up Albanian Christian leaders who will teach their own people well. And pray for the children and families there, that whole households would come to know Jesus together.

What is a holiday or celebration in Albania?

One of the biggest celebrations in Albania is called Dita e Verës, or 'Summer Day,' celebrated on March 14th. It started as an ancient festival marking the end of winter, and families still gather to make special foods like a sweet walnut cake called ballokume. It is a lively time when people visit neighbors and enjoy being together. Albania also celebrates Christmas and Easter, and these holidays carry real meaning for the Christian families living there. Albania's history is interesting — for many decades the government banned all religion and closed churches, so believers had to follow Jesus quietly and carefully. Today churches are open again, and Albanian Christians can worship freely, which is something worth knowing about and thanking God for.

What language do people speak in Albania?

People in Albania speak Albanian, which is one of the oldest and most unique languages in all of Europe. It has its own branch on the language family tree — it doesn't come from Latin or Greek or any other language group you might know. That makes it pretty rare! Albanian has two main dialects, kind of like two versions of the same language. The northern dialect is called Gheg, and the southern one is called Tosk. The good news is that the whole Bible has been translated into Albanian, which means people there can read God's Word in their own heart language. That is a real gift.

What's a famous place to visit in Albania?

One of the most famous places in Albania is the old city of Berat, sometimes called 'the city of a thousand windows' because of its white Ottoman houses stacked up a hillside, each with rows of big windows facing you. It is very old — people have lived there for thousands of years — and it sits along the Osum River in the middle of the country. Berat also has an ancient castle on the hill above the city, and inside that castle there are actually families still living today, which is rare anywhere in the world. There are also old churches inside the castle walls that remind visitors Albania has had Christians in it for a very long time. Missionaries and local believers there today are working hard to share the gospel with people who may have grown up hearing very little about Jesus.

Albania — Kids Missions Explorer

Golden Eagle

The golden eagle is Albania's national symbol and appears on the country's flag as a double-headed black eagle, a design Albanians have used for centuries to represent their fierce independence.

Dalmatian Pelican

Lake Shkodër in northern Albania is home to one of Europe's largest Dalmatian pelicans, enormous white birds with curly feathers that can have a wingspan wider than a grown man's arm span.

Balkan Lynx

The extremely rare Balkan lynx, one of the most endangered wild cats in the world, quietly roams the mountain forests of Albania and is found in almost no other place on earth.

Byrek

Byrek is a flaky, layered pastry filled with spinach, cheese, or meat that Albanians eat for breakfast or as a quick snack from bakeries on nearly every street corner.

Tavë Kosi

Tavë kosi is Albania's beloved national dish — slow-baked lamb mixed with a thick, tangy yogurt and egg sauce that gets golden and bubbly in the oven.

Trilece

Trilece is a soft sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with caramel, so moist and rich that it practically melts the moment you take a bite.

Albania

Things you should know about Albania

Wildlife you might meet

What’s on the table

Did you know?

Life in Albania

Missions in Albania

Pray for Albania