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27-29 April, vuno
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
SOUTH OUTDOOR FESTIVAL 2017 SOUTH OUTDOOR FESTIVAL 2018 OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES OTHER ACTIVITIES MEDIA REPORT
SOUTH OUTDOOR FESTIVAL 2017, PILUR
up to 600 attended our Outdoor Activities
up to 3000 people joined and visited the Outdoor Festival
The first initiative – South Festival 2017 – took place in Pilur, Himara, from the th of
1
29 April May 2017.
to the st of The huge work undertaken and the realization ensued in success, with its high numbers of attendance, and the impact it transmitted during the three days of the Festival.
from the Village of Pilur opened their houses to host the participants
cooked and offered the local cuisine to the participants
joined in the forum with a diverse media coverage
were engaged in provision and organization
hotels and apartments in Himara city were fully booked for the days of the Festival
took place at the festival
Forum During the festival, participants will have a chance to participate in the thematic forums connected with active lifestyle, sports, adventure, photography and tourism.
Himara
albania
South Outdoor Festival 2018
Vuno
Himara Municipality
How to reach Himara?
Himara Municipality is located in the South-West of Albania, along the Albanian Riviera. Himara is a municipality that extends along the entire coast of the Ionian Sea and the mountains of Laberia in the former municipality Hore-Vranisht. It is a municipality rich in economic resources with a focus on tourism, fishing, farming and olive trees, all products and services with high added value. The new municipality is divided into two very different territories: The coastal zone and area of the former municipality Hore-Vranisht, an area of rugged mountains which is currently not directly inked to the center of the municipality with optimum road infrastructure, but only with a historical street which is not in good conditions to travel by car. Himare municipality except having major sources of marine tourism holds vast resources in cultural and nature tourism.
By Car : From Tirana you continue on the highway Tirane – Vlore – Himare -Kakavijë (215 km) From Janina you continue on the highway Janinë – Kakavi dhe Kakavi -Himarë (150 km) From Saranda you continue on the highway Saranda-Himara (53 km) By Plane: You can reach Himara through Tirana-Mother Teresa Airport (215 km distance by car/bus) Janina Airport (To Kakavija and then To Himara, 150 km) Korfuz Airport (2 hours by ferry or to Igoumenitsa and then Igumenica-Saranda-Himara 124 km)
WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE? LOCATION: The Village of VUNO, unique for its enriched architecture, urban setting, cultural heritage, history and tradition will SOF2018, in its main hub - the field close to Saint Spiridon Church. There, a lot of events and activities will take place – music, camping, games, workshops, forums, culinary activites, etc. The magnificent waters of Jala Bay will be the hosting setting for aquatic sports, such as: kayaking, stand-up paddle, diving, etc. Other activities such as hiking, Moutain biking, jeep safari will occur all over the region. The closing event will be set on the beautiful Bay of Gjipe with a joyous beach party.
O N VU
Vuno: the mountain ridge acropolis One of the northernmost sea-facing villages in the Himarë Province is Vuno; very unique type compared to the villages farther south. Expanding in the middle of the hillside, cut through by the national road, built against steep hills with roads that cut back and weave in between almost vertical stacks of houses, Vuno is amazingly panoramic and offers breathtaking views. Seen from above, Vuno gives the impression of a large acropolis that emerges from the rocks. From the national road it looks like a wall of houses in a gentle semicircle, facing southwest. That steep slope translates to stunning views once inside the village. There is no bad seat, so to speak, in Vuno. The village can feel at times like classic Greek or Italian villages in their
steepness and cutback roads. In it, too, are many fine examples of the regional architecture from the eighteenth century, both in houses and churches. Some claim that because of the village’s location on the hills, ascending to approximately 300 metres, the village’s name derives from the Greek word Vouno (Greek: Bounó), meaning “mountain”. Vuno is an extremely steep village. It is built across the side of a gently concave hill, and the majority of the historic fabric sits above the national road. The built environment is compact and produces particularly interesting typologies of open and close spaces, routes and connections; including the arched passages typical of Vuno.
British traveler of the mid-nineteenth century, Edward Lear, stayed in this village in the house of the Kasneci family; other than talking about the great hospitality of the inhabitants of Vuno, he left us a number of watercolor tableaux that are now stored at Harvard University.
area in Italy. The people of Himara use the Italian language more than anyone in Albania. In every village of this region I went, I noticed that despite the fact that they are Greek orthodox by religion, they are all Albanians, with some small exceptions” has written Edward Lear.
“I was very surprised by the buildings in Vuno, such as the Kasneci one. They give you the feeling of Venetian “Palazzi”, as well as other constructions around rural
Edward Lear landscape drawings, Vuno, 1848. Source: Harvard University online Library (www.oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~hou01475,accessed in Feb.2016)
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS SOUTH OUTDOOR FESTIVAL ? SOF is the first of its kind in Albania, and gathers the most popular/adventurous sports in a lasting 4-day event that will take place in the South Coastal Region. SOF is centered on experiencing the uniqueness of the South of Albania, and it invites participants from all over the country and Europe to join in, compete, and have fun. At the South Outdoor Festival one can: discover the South and its Regions, encountercultural treasures, appreciate the strong tradition and visit the charming villages of the Southern Coast. In addition to the competitive events, the Festival offers a variety of fun activities, starting from games for kids, workshops, parties, live music, open air cinema, to the gold opportunity of indulging in the most delicious specialties of the South Cuisine.
WHO IS BEHIND IT ? SOF is an initiative of GIZ Albania, in the aim of the program Integrated Sustainable Development of the Southern Coastal Region, that is implemented as a joint project of a few companies from Albania and representatives of Tourist Agencies who have been working in the field of Tourism for years, specialized in active tourism and gained awards for developing new tourist products and events. The project is realized in close cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, National Tourism Agency, Himara Municipality, and strongly supported by GIZ Albania.
GROUND ACTIVITIES CLIMBING JEEP SAFARI
HIKING MOUNTAIN BIKING
YOGA PARAGLIDING
WATER ACTIVITIES KAYAK
DIVING
STAND-UP PADDLE
GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT ARCHERY
CREATIVE CRAFTING
FACE PAINTING
VOLLEYBALL
SINGING, DANCING
KIDS GAMES
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES MORE THAN 17 DIFFERENT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS HIKING, MOUNTAIN BIKING, JEEP SAFARI, YOGA, DIVING, SUP, CLIMBING, ETC. TOOK PLACE ALONG THE ENTIRE TERRITORY OF HIMARA MUNICIPALITY
LIVE MUSIC
WASTE & ENVIRONMENT
OPEN AIR CINEMA
PLANT A TREE
PRICES & AWARDS
FORUM
WORKSHOPS &EXHIBITIONS LOCAL PRODUCTS FAIR BEACH PARTY
OLIVE OIL TASTING TOUR CULINARY
OTHER ACTIVITIES
A VARIETY OF OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE IN THE FESTIVAL’S MAIN HUB IN PILUR, SUCH AS GAMES FOR KIDS, ENTERTAINMENT, WORKSHOPS, LIVE MUSIC, FORUMS, ETC.
KIDS GAMES
LIVE MUSIC WORKSHOPS & EXHIBITIONS BEACH PARTY
FAIR OF LOCAL PRODUCTS
FORUM CULINARY
PRICES & AWARDS
For more info follow us: Web: www.festival.south.al FB: www.facebook.com/southoutdoorfest
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