Vlorë

{{Short description|Third largest city of Albania}} {{redirect|Vlora||Vlora (disambiguation)|and|Vlorë (disambiguation)|and|Valore (disambiguation){{!}}Valore}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Vlorë | settlement_type = [[Municipalities of Albania|Municipality]] and [[List of cities and towns in Albania|city]] | image_skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | total_width = 330 | image_style = border:1; | perrow = 1/2/2 | image1 = Promenade of Vlorë along the Adriatic Sea.jpg | caption1 = Promenade of Vlorë | image2 = Rruga_Justin_Godart_2020.jpg | caption2 = Old town of Vlorë | image3 = Independence Museum, Vlorë, Albania - 2016-07 01.jpg | caption3 = Independence Museum | image4 = Xhamia Muradie Vlorë 2.jpg | caption4 = [[Muradie Mosque]] | image5 = Independence Monument vlora 16.jpg | caption5 = [[Independence Monument (Albania)|Independence Monument]] | image6 = Panoramic photo of Lungomare area in Vlorë.jpg | caption6 = Lungomare area }} | image_alt = View of Vlorë | image_flag = Flag of Vlorë.gif | flag_alt = Flag of Vlorë | image_seal = [[File:Stema_e_Bashkisë_Vlorë.svg|70px|center]] | seal_alt = Seal of Vlorë | pushpin_map = Albania#Balkans#Europe | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_mapsize = 290 | coordinates = {{coord|40|28|N|19|29|E|type:adm1st_region:AL_dim:100000|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Albania}} | subdivision_type1 = [[NUTS statistical regions of Albania|Region]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Southern Albania]] | subdivision_type2 = [[Counties of Albania|County]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Vlorë County|Vlorë]] | established_title = Founded | established_date = {{circa}} 6th century BC ([[Triport, Vlorë|Triport]] site) | government_type = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]] | governing_body = Vlorë Municipal Council | leader_party = [[Socialist Party of Albania|PS]] | leader_title = [[List of mayors of Vlorë|Mayor]] | leader_name = [[Brunilda Mersini]] | unit_pref = Metric | area_blank1_title = Municipality<ref name="PV">{{cite web |publisher=Porta Vendore |title=Pasaporta e Bashkisë Vlorë |url=https://portavendore.al/bashkia-vlore/pasaporta-e-bashkise-vlore/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923121241/https://portavendore.al/bashkia-vlore/pasaporta-e-bashkise-vlore/ |archive-date=23 September 2021 |language=sq |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="municipalitiy area">{{cite web |publisher=Albanian Association of Municipalities (AAM) |title=Bashkia Vlorë |url=https://aam.org.al/en/bashkia-vlore/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923110321/https://aam.org.al/en/bashkia-vlore/ |archive-date=23 September 2021 |language=sq |url-status=live}}</ref> | area_blank1_km2 = 616.85 | area_blank2_title = Administrative unit<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Bashkia Vlorë |title=Rregullore e Planit të Përgjithshëm Vendor të Territorit të Bashkisë Vlorë |url=http://bashkiavlore.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Rregullore.pdf |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923135327/http://bashkiavlore.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Rregullore.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2021 |language=sq |page=15 |url-status=live}}</ref> | area_blank2_km2 = 28.97 | population_as_of = 2023 | population_footnotes = <ref name="2023pop">{{cite web |title=Census of Population and Housing|url=https://www.instat.gov.al/en/themes/censuses/census-of-population-and-housing/|publisher=Institute of Statistics Albania}}</ref> | population_blank1_title = Municipality | population_blank1 = 83683{{efn|name=fn1|The municipality of Vlorë consists of the administrative units of [[Novoselë]], [[Orikum]], [[Qendër Vlorë]], [[Shushicë, Vlorë|Shushicë]] and Vlorë.<ref name="PV"/><ref name="Classification">{{cite web |publisher=[[Institute of Statistics (Albania)|Instituti i Statistikës]] (INSTAT) |title=A new Urban–Rural Classification of Albanian Population |url=https://www.instat.gov.al/media/2919/a_new_urban-rural_classification_of_albanian_population.pdf |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114101641/https://www.instat.gov.al/media/2919/a_new_urban-rural_classification_of_albanian_population.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2019 |page=15 |date=May 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Law 2014">{{cite web |url=https://www.vendime.al/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/137-2014.pdf |title=Law nr. 115/2014 |language=sq |pages=6376|access-date=25 February 2022 }}</ref> The population of the municipality results from the sum of the listed administrative units in the former as of the [[Demographics of Albania|2011 Albanian census]].<ref name="PV"/><ref name="Census 2011 Vlorë County">{{cite web |last=Nurja |first=Ines |publisher=[[Institute of Statistics (Albania)|Institute of Statistics]] (INSTAT) |title=Censusi i popullsisë dhe banesave/ Population and Housing Census–Vlorë (2011) |url=http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3070/12__vlore.pdf |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613143022/http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3070/12__vlore.pdf |archive-date=13 June 2020 |location=Tirana |page=85 |url-status=live}}</ref>}} | population_density_blank1_km2 = 135 | population_blank2_title = Administrative unit | population_blank2 = 66320 | population_density_blank2_km2 = 2289 | population_urban = 115261<ref name="The urban population of Vlorë – Census 2011">{{cite web |publisher=Knoema |title=The urban population of Vlorë – 2011 Census Data (Knoema) |url=https://knoema.de/atlas/Albanien/Vlore/Urban-Population?mode=amp |access-date=20 April 2025 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> | population_metro = 197946<ref name="The metro population of Vlorë">{{cite web |publisher=DB City |title=The metro population of Vlorë |url=https://en.db-city.com/Albania--Vlorë |access-date=25 April 2025 }}</ref> | population_demonym = {{langx|sq|Vlonjat (m), Vlonjate (f)}} | timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]] | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]] | utc_offset_DST = +2 | elevation_m = 0 | postal_code_type = [[Postal codes in Albania|Postal code]] | postal_code = 9400 | area_code = +355 (0) 33 | blank_name = Seaport | blank_info = [[Port of Vlorë]] | blank1_name = Motorways | blank1_info = [[File:Autostrada A2 Albania.svg|25px|link=A2 (Albania)]] | blank1_name_sec2 = Highways | blank1_info_sec2 = [[File:SH8-AL.svg|32px|link=SH 8 (Albania)]] | blank2_name_sec2 = [[Vehicle registration plates of Albania|Vehicle registration]] | blank2_info_sec2 = VL | website = {{URL|https://vlora.gov.al/}} }}

'''Vlorë''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|l|ɔːr|ə}} {{respell|VLOR|ə}};<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Vlor%C3%AB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707001319/https://www.lexico.com/definition/vlore?s=t |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-07-07 |title=Vlorë |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Vlorë|access-date=5 July 2020}}</ref> {{IPA|sq|ˈvlɔɾə|lang}}; {{lang-sq-definite|Vlora}}){{efn|name=fn3|Also known as '''Vlonë''' ({{IPA|sq|ˈvlonə|pron}}; {{lang-sq-definite|Vlona}}) in [[Gheg Albanian]];<ref>{{cite book |title=The New Encyclopaedia Britannica |year=1974 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |isbn=0-85229-290-2 |page=479 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1BMrAAAAMAAJ |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107201801/https://books.google.com/books?id=1BMrAAAAMAAJ |archive-date=7 November 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> formerly known in English as '''Avlona''' or '''Valona'''.}} is the [[List of cities and towns in Albania|third most populous city]] of [[Albania]] and seat of [[Vlorë County]] and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the [[Bay of Vlorë]] and is surrounded by the foothills of the [[Ceraunian Mountains]] along the [[Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast|Albanian Adriatic]] and [[Albanian Ionian Sea Coast|Ionian Sea Coast]]s. It experiences a [[Mediterranean climate]], which is affected by the Ceraunian Mountains and the proximity to the [[Mediterranean Sea]].

The coastal area of Vlorë was one of the [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] sites that had experienced pre-urban activity beginning from the 11th–10th centuries BC. The area was [[Greek colonisation|colonized]] by [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greeks]]. A large fortified port-town that was inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 2nd century AD is placed, now partially submerged, in [[Triport, Vlorë|Triport]], northwest of present-day Vlorë. Substantial port activity in this site occurred from at least the [[Archaic Greece|archaic period]] to the [[medieval period]]. It has been suggested that a transfer of the ancient city from the site of Triport to the site of modern Vlorë occurred. The center of the modern city features archaeological remains dating from late antiquity. ''Aulon'', from which the modern city took its name, appears in historical sources starting from the 2nd century AD. It was conquered at different periods throughout history by [[Roman Empire|Romans]], [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]], [[Normans]], [[Venetian Empire|Venetians]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]].

Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the [[Albanians]] gathered both spiritual and intellectual strength for national consciousness, which conclusively led to the [[Albanian Renaissance]]. Vlorë played an instrumental role in Albanian Independence as an epicenter for the founders of modern Albania, who signed the [[Albanian Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] on 28 November 1912 at the [[Assembly of Vlorë]].

Vlorë is one of the most significant cities of [[southern Albania]] and the region of [[Labëria]] which is traditionally noted for its culture, traditions and folklore. Vlorë is served by the [[Port of Vlorë]], the [[SH 8 (Albania)|SH 8 highway]], and the [[A2 (Albania)|A2 motorway]], collectively representing part of the [[Adriatic–Ionian motorway|Adriatic–Ionian Corridor]] and the [[Pan-European Corridor VIII]].

== Name ==

The city took its name from {{Langx|grc|Αὐλών|Aulṓn}}, meaning "channel, glen" that resembles an [[aulos]] instrument. It is a typical toponym in the Greek world.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Babiniotis |first1=Georgios |title=Dictionary of the Modern Greek Language |date=2019 |publisher=Kéntro Lexikologías |isbn=978-9609582148 |page=315 |quote=ηκαν το αρχ. δίαυλος «πέρασμα, δίοδος» και το νεότ. πύραυλος. Η κοιλάδα που μοιάζει με αυλό λέγεται αυλών (αυλώνας). από όπου το συχνό τοπωνύμιο Αυλών {{!}} Αυλώνα, ... Αυλώνας (ο) πόλη και λιμάνι τής Ν. Αλβανίας}}</ref> The name of the city was first recorded in the 2nd century AD, by two [[Ancient Greek]] authors, [[Lucian]] and [[Ptolemy]], the latter calling it "town and sea-port", which confirms that it was founded much earlier. However, Aulon has not been mentioned by earlier Ancient Greek and Roman authors, who on the other hand recorded the nearby town and seaport of [[Oricum]]. But in later sources Oricum is less encountered, while the toponym Aulon is more frequently mentioned.<ref name="Demiraj" />

''Vlorë'' developed from the ancient ''Aulon-a'' through the evolution of the [[Sound change|phonetic system]] of the [[Albanian language]] with the [[rhotacism]] ''Vlonë'' > ''Vlorë'',<ref>{{Cite book|last=Katičić|first=Radoslav|author-link=Radoslav Katičić|title=Ancient Languages of the Balkans|date=1976|publisher=Mouton|isbn=978-9027933058|page=186}}</ref><ref name="Demiraj" /> which is a pre-Slavic phenomenon in Albanian. The intervocalic {{IPA|/n/}} has regularly evolved to {{IPA|/r/}} in [[Tosk Albanian]], while the initial {{IPA|/v/}} has evolved from unstressed {{IPA|/u/}} after the disappearance of the initial unstressed {{IPA|/a/}}. The evolution {{IPA|/u/}} > {{IPA|/v/}} should be relatively ancient, preventing the evolution of the following intervocalic {{IPA|/l/}} to {{IPA|/lː/}}. In [[Geg Albanian]] the toponym is pronounced ''Vlonë'', indicating that it has been in use among northern Albanians before the appearance of rhotacism in Tosk Albanian.<ref name="Demiraj">{{cite book|last=Demiraj|first=Shaban|author-link=Shaban Demiraj|publisher=[[Academy of Sciences of Albania]]|title=The origin of the Albanians: linguistically investigated|isbn=9789994381715|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aXIbAQAAIAAJ|year=2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120114336/https://books.google.com/books?id=aXIbAQAAIAAJ|archive-date=20 November 2020|pages=144–145}}</ref> Also the accent pattern of the name observes Albanian accent rules.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Huld|first=Martin E.|author-link=Martin E. Huld|title=Accentual Stratification of Ancient Greek Loanwords in Albanian|journal=Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung|volume=99|issue=2|year=1986|publisher=Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (GmbH & Co. KG)|jstor=40848841|pages=248–249}}</ref> The name itself of the inhabitants (sing. ''vlonjat'', pl. ''vlonjatë'') has not undergone the rhotacism affecting the toponym (if it had, it would look something like ''vlorat'' or ''vlorjat'').

The medieval and modern Greek name is ''Avlónas'' ({{lang|el|Αυλώνας}} ''Aulṓnas'' {{IPA|el|avˈlonas|}}, accusative {{lang|el|Αυλώνα}} ''Aulṓna'' {{IPA|el|avˈlona|}}), and is the source of the [[Latin]] ''Aulona'', the [[Italian language|Italian]] ''Valona'' (also used in other languages) and of the obsolete English ''Avlona''.<ref name="eb9">"{{Cite EB9|wstitle=Avlona}}" in the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', {{nowrap|9th ed.}} 1878.</ref>{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} During the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman era]] the city of Vlorë was known in [[Turkish language|Turkish]] as ''Avlonya''.<ref>Gawrych, G. W. (2006). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=wPOtzk-unJgC The crescent and the eagle: Ottoman rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874-1913]''. I.B.Tauris. p. 23. {{ISBN|978-1-84511-287-5}}. Google Book Search. Retrieved on August 25, 2009.</ref> In [[Medieval Latin]] sources and in Old Italian records it is mentioned with the forms ''Avalona'', ''Avelona'', ''Lavalona'', ''Lavellona''; and in [[Old Serbian language|Old Serbian]] sources as ''Avlona'' or ''Vavlona'', the latter containing the [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] preposition ''v'' "in".<ref name="Demiraj" /> In [[Aromanian language|Aromanian]], the city is known as {{lang|rup|Avlona}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://issuu.com/leogjata/docs/arumunet_albania_nr_40|title=Arumunët Albania, nr. 40|newspaper=Arumunët Albania|issue=40|page=15|year=2014|language=sq, rup}}</ref>

== History == {{Quote box | width = 25em | align = right | title_bg = #B0C4DE | title = Timeline of Vlorë Historical affiliations | fontsize = 80% | quote = {{Noflag|[[Illyrians]] ([[Taulantii]])}}, {{Noflag|[[Ancient Greeks]]}} {{Noflag|[[Roman Empire]]}}, 226 BC – 286 {{Noflag|[[Byzantine Empire]]}}, 286 – c. 705 {{Noflag|[[South Slavs]]}}, c. 705–784 {{Noflag|[[Byzantine Empire]]}}, 784–1204 {{Noflag|[[Despotate of Epirus]]}}, 1204–1346 {{Noflag|[[Principality of Valona]]}}, 1346–1417 {{flagicon image|Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844–1922).svg}} [[Ottoman Empire]], 1417–1691 {{flagicon image|Flag of Republic of Venice (1659-1675).svg}} [[Republic of Venice]], 1691–1698 {{flagicon image|Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844–1922).svg}} [[Ottoman Empire]], 1698–1912 {{flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of Albania (1912–1914).svg}} [[Independent Albania]], 1912–1914 {{flagicon image|Flag of the Principality of Albania (1915).svg}} [[Principality of Albania]], 1915–1917 {{flagicon image|Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg}} [[Italian Protectorate on southern Albania|Italian Expedition]], 1917–1920 {{flagicon image|Flag of the Principality of Albania (1915).svg}} [[Principality of Albania]], 1920–1925 {{flagicon image|Flag of the Albanian Republic (1925–1928).svg}} [[Albanian Republic (1925–1928)|Albanian Republic]], 1925–1928 {{flagicon image|Flag of Albania (1934–1939).svg}} [[Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939)|Albanian Kingdom]], 1928–1939 {{flagicon image|Flag of Albania (1939–1943).svg}} [[Italian protectorate of Albania (1939–1943)|Kingdom of Albania]], 1939–1943 {{flagicon image|Flag of Albania (1943–1944).svg}} [[German occupation of Albania|Albanian Kingdom]], 1943–1944 {{flagicon image|Flag of the Democratic Government of Albania (1944–1946).svg}} [[Democratic Government of Albania]], 1944–1946 {{flagicon image|Flag of Albania (1970s–1980s).svg}} [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania]], 1946–1992 {{flag|Albania}}, 1992–present }}

=== Early history === {{Image label begin|image=June 22 2013 432 HSV Albanische Riviera.jpg|width=280|float=left|font-size=78%|padding=8px}} {{Image label|x=0.10|y=0.23|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|{{big|[[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic Sea]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.15|y=1.0|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Strait of Otranto|Strait of Otranto]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.07|y=0.42|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Sazan Island|Sason  • Island]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.81|y=0.06|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Margëlliç Castle|• ''Margëlliç'']]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.75|y=0.11|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Lofkënd|''Lofkënd'' •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.85|y=0.31|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Byllis|Byllis •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.915|y=0.37|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Nikaia, Illyria|• Nikaia]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.39|y=0.405|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Triport, Vlorë|• ''Triport'']]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.38|y=0.48|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|'''''Vlorë•'''''}}}} {{Image label|x=0.425|y=0.53|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Kaninë|''Kaninë'' •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.51|y=0.61|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Olympe|Olympe •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.68|y=0.68|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Amantia|Amantia •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.735|y=0.735|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Matohasanaj|''Matohasanaj'' •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.25|y=0.45|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Bay of Vlorë|Bay of Vlorë]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.22|y=0.65|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|60|{{small|[[Karaburun Peninsula, Albania|Akrokeraunia]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.28|y=0.78|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Oricum|Orikos •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.51|y=1.112|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Palaeste|Palaeste •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.28|y=0.11|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|{{small|[[Aoös|Aoös]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.59|y=0.22|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|40|{{small|[[Aoös|Aoös]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.74|y=0.36|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|30|{{small|[[Aoös|Aoös]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.95|y=0.58|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|50|{{small|[[Aoös|Aoös]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.595|y=0.48|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|70|{{small|[[Shushicë (river)|Shushicë]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.755|y=0.86|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|60|{{small|[[Shushicë (river)|Shushicë]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.90|y=1.02|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|35|{{small|[[Shushicë (river)|Shushicë]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.50|y=0.86|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|{{small|[[Dukat, Albania|''Dukat'']]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.60|y=0.99|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|40|{{small|[[Llogara Pass|''Llogara'']]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.71|y=0.90|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Cerje, Vlorë|''Cerje'' •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.72|y=1.04|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Ceraunian Mountains|Ceraunian Mountains]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.735|y=1.235|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Himarë (town)|Chimera •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.76|y=1.287|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Panormus (Epirus)|Panormos •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.915|y=1.33|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|[[Borsh|''Borsh'' •]]}}}} {{Image label|x=0.6|y=1.27|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|{{big|[[Ionian Sea|Ionian Sea]]}}}}}} {{Image label|x=0.08|y=1.30|scale=280|text={{Rotate text|0|{{small|[[List of archaeological sites by country#Albania|Ancient sites in]] [[Aoos River|the Lower Aoös/Vjosë,]] [[Bay of Vlorë|Bay of Vlorë]] [[Ceraunian Mountains|and Ceraunian Mts.]]}}}}}} {{image label end}}

The coastal area of Vlorë was one of those [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] sites that had experienced pre-urban activity beginning from the 11th–10th centuries BC.{{sfn|Bereti|1993|p=143}} During the period of [[Euboea#Antiquity|Euboea]]n colonization of the area (early 8th century BC) the bay of Vlorë was associated with several Heroic traditions and the foundation of several settlements there,<ref>{{cite book|last=Stocker|first=Sharon R.|title=Illyrian Apollonia: Toward a New Ktisis and Developmental History of the Colony|year=2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tg8ynwEACAAJ|page=227|quote=Heroic origins that involved Euboeans were attributed toseveral other early settlements around the Bay of Vlora}}</ref> as the toponym Aulon suggest which is also known in local Eubean toponimity.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Walker |first1=Keith G. |title=Archaic Eretria: A Political and Social History from the Earliest Times to 490 BC |date=9 January 2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-45098-5 |page=151 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R3yCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA151 |language=en |quote=Eretrians settled around the bay of Avlona (Aulona).... There was also a place called Aulon in the Eretrias... and another .... Khalkis.}}</ref>

Due to its strategic position on the [[Adriatic Sea]], especially the [[Bay of Vlorë]], which forms a natural harbor, Vlorë occupied a significant place in [[classical antiquity]] as a base for trade by many peoples. Vlorë is considered one of the oldest cities in [[Albania]] and the region.{{efn|"town that is the second seaport of Albania. [...] It was strategically important during Roman times and in the 11th–12th-century wars between Normans and Byzantines" (''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]'', s.v. [https://www.britannica.com/place/Vlore Vlore]).}} In the [[Archaic Greece|Archaic era]], the area was [[Greek colonisation|colonized]] by [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greeks]], who are traditionally believed to have founded Orikos, Thronion and Aulon on these shores.<ref>{{cite book|last=Papadopoulos|first=John|publisher=Oxbow Books|chapter=Komai, Colonies and Cities in Epirus and Southern Albania: The Failure of the Polis and the Rise of Urbanism on the Fringes of the Greek World|editor-last=Molloy|editor-first=Barry P.C.|title=Of Odysseys and Oddities: Scales and Modes of Interaction Between Prehistoric Aegean Societies and their Neighbours|date=2016|isbn=978-1-78570-232-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O6B8DAAAQBAJ|page=440|quote=Then there was the establishment of a new type of site in the Illyrian hinterland, away from the coastal areas usually inhabited by Greeks, especially during the developed Iron Age...}}</ref> A large fortified port-town that was inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 2nd century AD is placed, now partially submerged, in [[Triport, Vlorë|Triport]], northwest of present-day Vlorë. It was delimited by three walls, the first of which dating back to the late 6th century BC.<ref>{{harvnb|Bereti|1993|p=143}}; {{harvnb|Fasolo|2005|p=178}}; {{harvnb|Volpe|Disantarosa|Leone|Turchiano|2014|p=300}}.</ref> The port activity in this site lasted from at least the [[Archaic Greece|archaic period]] to the [[medieval period]].{{sfn|Volpe|Disantarosa|Leone|Turchiano|2014|p=300}} It has been suggested that a transfer of the ancient city from the site of Triport to the site of modern Vlorë occurred. The center of the modern city features walls dating from the 4th to the 10th centuries AD, as well as a wall, a quadrangular tower and ruins of a huse with ceramics dating back to the 3rd–4th centuries and to the 6th-7th centuries.{{sfn|Fasolo|2005|p=178}}

The archaeological site of Triport has been identified with ancient ''[[Thronion (Illyria)|Thronion]]'' or ''Aulon''.<ref>{{harvnb|Volpe|Disantarosa|Leone|Turchiano|2014|p=300}}; {{harvnb|Bereti|1993|p=143}}.</ref> ''Thronion'' was attested by [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] (2nd century AD) as a [[Locrians|Locrian]]–[[Euboeans|Euboean]] colony, but also by a dedication on a monument erected in [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]], both accounts reporting that [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]] conquered the city around 450 BC. ''Aulon'', from which Vlorë took its name, was mentioned for the first time by [[Ptolemy]] (2nd century AD) among the towns of the [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] [[Taulantii]].{{sfn|Bereti|Quantin|Cabanes|2011|pp=11, 13}} [[Carl Patsch]] proposed the first location of ''Aulon'' in Triport being then transferred to the current location of Vlora, and [[Pierre Cabanes]] proposed the location of ''Thronion'' in Triport; those identifications are not in contradiction with each other.{{sfn|Bereti|Quantin|Cabanes|2011|p=11}} Other geographical documents, such as the ''[[Tabula Peutingeriana]]'' and [[Hierocles (author of Synecdemus)|Hierocles]]' ''[[Synecdemus]]'', also mention Aulon. The city served as an important port of the [[Roman Empire]], when it was part of [[Epirus#Roman and Byzantine rule|Epirus Nova]].{{sfn|Vailhé|1912}}<ref>"Apollonia and Aulon in Epirus Nova" {{harv|Bowden|2003|p=14}}</ref>

Aulon (''Avlona'') became an [[episcopal see]] in the 5th century. Among the known bishops are ''Nazarius'' in 458 and ''Soter'' in 553 ([[Daniele Farlati]], ''Illyricum sacrum'', VII, 397–401). The diocese at that time belonged to the papal [[Pentarchy]]. In 733, it was annexed with the eastern [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]], to the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople|Patriarchate of Constantinople]], and yet it is not mentioned in any ''[[Notitiae Episcopatuum]]'' of that Church. The bishopric had probably been suppressed for though the Bulgarians had been in possession of this country for some time, Avlona is not mentioned in the "Notitiae episcopatuum" of the [[Archbishopric of Ohrid|Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid]].

During the Roman period, a [[Episcopal see|Latin see]] was established and Eubel (''Hierarchia catholica medii aevi'', I, 124) mentions several of its bishops.{{sfn|Vailhé|1912}}

{{multiple image | direction = vertical | align = right | width = 210 | footer = | image1 = Map of Vlore and Sazan 1568.png | caption1 = Map of Vlorë and [[Sazan Island]] in 1568 | image2 = Vallona - Coronelli Vincenzo - 1688.jpg | caption2 = The Port of Vlorë in 1688 by [[Vincenzo Coronelli]] | image3 = Vallona colle proposte Valona Valona fortificata in quadro Canina - Coronelli Vincenzo - 1688.jpg | caption3 = Drawings of Vlorë and Kaninë fortresses and hypothetical Venetian proposed plans of redesign }}

Aulon, no longer being a residential bishopric, is today listed by the [[Catholic Church]] as a [[titular see]], a [[suffragan bishop]] of [[Durrës]], being distinguished from a Greek titular see called Aulon by the use for it of the adjective ''Aulonitanus'', while the adjective regarding the Aulon in [[Euboea]] (Ionian [[Greece]]) is ''Aulonensis''.<ref>''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 {{ISBN|978-88-209-9070-1}}), p. 842</ref> The diocese was nominally restored as Latin [[titular bishop]]ric Aulon, or Valona in Curiate Italian; from 1925 it was (als) named Aulona in Latin and/or Italian, since 1933 it's only Aulon in Latin, Aulona in Italian. It was a bishopric from the fifth century until Bulgarian rule.

=== Middle Ages === {{See also|Sanjak of Avlona|Principality of Valona}}

In the 11th and 12th century, Vlorë played an instrumental role in the conflicts between the [[Byzantine Empire]] and [[Kingdom of Sicily#Norman period|Norman Kingdom of Sicily]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Following Norman occupation, they ruled for only four years and established a Latin church episcopal see in Vlorë.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref>Vlora, Eqrem bej; Von Godin, Marie Amelie von Godin (2010) [1956]. Contributions to the history of Turkish rule in Albania: a Historical Outline v. I . Tirana: Publishing House "55". f. 47. {{ISBN|978-99943-56-83-6}}.</ref> In 1321 the city being under Byzantine control was attacked by a Venetian fleet under Giovanni Michiel as a result costing the lives of many of its Greek inhabitants.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nicol |first1=Donald M. |title=The Despotate of Epiros 1267-1479: A Contribution to the History of Greece in the Middle Ages |date=1984 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-26190-6 |page=92 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XIj0FfKto9AC |language=en |quote=Nicholas Orsini... He stepped up his invasion of Byzantine territory... The Venetians too seem to have decided that the moment was now ripe to help him. They sent a fleet led by Giovanni Michiel to attack Valona. Many of its Greek inhabitants were killed on the spot, including the son of its admiral Gantzas}}</ref> Vlorë served as capital of the [[Principality of Valona]], initially a vassal state to the [[Serbian empire]], and later, independent Christian state from 1346 to 1417.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mandeville |first1=John |title=The Book of Marvels and Travels |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-0-19-960060-1 |page=153}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Van Antwerp Fine |first1=John |title=The Late Medieval Balkans - A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest |date=1994 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |location=United States of America |isbn=0-472-10079-3 |page=357}}</ref>

The [[Ottoman Empire]] captured the city in 1417, while in 1432, Albanian rebels freed Vlorë and expelled the Ottomans from the area.<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/><ref>{{cite book|last=İnalcik|first=Halil|title=Hicr ı835 tarihli sûret-i defter-i sancak-i Arvanid|year=1954|publisher=Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınlarından|language=tr}}</ref> As part of the [[Ottoman Empire]], Vlorë became a ''[[sanjak]]'' centre in [[Rumelia Eyalet]] under the name ''Avlonya''.{{when|reason=It was captured by the Ottomans in 1417, and freed by Albanian rebels in 1432, but when was it recaptured by the Ottomans?|date=September 2021}} Later it become a Venetian possession in 1690 and the city was restored to the Ottomans in 1691, becoming a [[kaza]] of the [[Sanjak of Avlona]] in the ''[[vilayet]]'' (province) of [[Ioannina|Janina]]. At the time the city had about 10,000 inhabitants; there was a Catholic parish, which belonged to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tiranë-Durrës#History|Archdiocese of Durrës]]. During the early period of Ottoman rule, Vlorë became an international port centered on a high volume of trade between [[western Europe]] and the Ottoman state.<ref name="ShawShaw69">{{cite book|author1=Stanford J. Shaw|author2=Ezel Kural Shaw|title=History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: Volume 1, Empire of the Gazis: The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire 1280-1808|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E9-YfgVZDBkC&pg=PA69|date=29 October 1976|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-29163-7|page=69}}</ref>

[[File:Valona Pinargenti 1573.jpg|thumb|left|Map of Simon Pinargenti Valona in 1573]]

In 1426, the Ottomans supported the settlement of a [[Jews in Albania|Jewish community]] involved in mercantile activities.<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/> The community underwent population growth in subsequent decades with Jews migrating from [[Corfu]], [[Republic of Venice|Venetian ruled lands]], [[Naples]], [[France]], and the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/> Around seventy Jewish families from [[Valencia]], including former ''[[converso]]s'', settled in Vlorë between 1391 and 1492.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ray |first=Jonathan Stewart |title=After expulsion: 1492 and the making of Sephardic Jewry |date=2013 |publisher=New York University Press |isbn=978-0-8147-2911-3 |location=New York |page=60}}</ref> Following the [[expulsion of Jews from Spain]] in 1492, the Ottoman state resettled additional Jewish exiles in Vlorë toward the end of the fifteenth century.<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/> Ottoman censuses for 1506 and 1520 recorded the Jewish population as consisting of 528 families and some 2,600 people in Vlorë.<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/> The Jews of Vlorë were involved in trade and the city imported items from [[Europe]] and exported [[spices]], [[leather]], [[Cotton Fabric|cotton fabrics]], [[velvets]], [[brocades]], and [[mohair]] from the Ottoman cities of [[Istanbul]] and [[Bursa]].<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/> The Vlorë Jewish community took an active role in the welfare of other Jews such as managing to attain the release of war related captives present in [[Durrës]] in 1596.<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/> After the [[Battle of Lepanto]] (1571) and the deterioration of security along the Ottoman controlled Adriatic and Ionian coasts, the numbers of Jews within Vlorë decreased.<ref name="Giakoumis9596"/>

[[File:Kanina Castle and Vlora Square.jpg|thumb|left|Drawing of Kanina Castle and Vlora Castle]]

=== Albanian Renaissance === [[File:Ismail Qemali (portrait).jpg|180px|thumb|right|[[Ismail Qemali]] is regarded as the principal author of the [[Albanian Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] and founding father of the modern Albanian nation.]] Between the 18th and 19th centuries, cultural developments led to the [[Albanian Renaissance]] with Vlorë becoming an epicenter of the movement in 1912. In 1833, Vlorë was captured by Albanian rebels forcing the Ottoman government to abolish taxes and comply to rebel requests.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pollo|first=Stefanaq|title=Historia e Shqipërisë: Vitet 30 të shek. XIX-1912|year=1984|publisher=Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë, Instituti i Historisë|language=Albanian|oclc=165705732}}</ref> In 1851, it suffered severely from an earthquake.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} The [[Romaniote Jews|Jewish community of Yanina]] renewed the Jewish community of Vlorë in the nineteenth century.<ref name="Giakoumis9596">{{cite book|last=Giakoumis|first=Konstantinos|chapter=The Orthodox Church in Albania Under the Ottoman Rule 15th-19th Century|editor1-last=Schmitt|editor1-first=Oliver Jens|title=Religion und Kultur im albanischsprachigen Südosteuropa [Religion and culture in Albanian-speaking southeastern Europe]|year=2010|location=Frankfurt am Main|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9783631602959|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aCdYHU9PtiIC&q=Durr%C3%ABs|pages=95–96}}</ref>

On November 28, 1912, [[Ismail Qemali]] head the [[Albanian Declaration of Independence]] in Vlorë, during the [[First Balkan War]]. The city became Albania's first capital following its independence.{{cn|date=August 2024}} The [[1914 Vlorë Raid]] took place that January, and was a short-lived plot to regain Albania under Ottoman control.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Tütüncü |first=Mehmet |year=2017 |title=Grebeneli Bekir Fikri Bey Albay Thomson'a Karşi 1914 Avlonya Olayı [Grebeneli Bekir Fikri Bey against Colonel Thomson: The Case of Vlorë 1914] |url=https://www.academia.edu/34583796 |journal=Düşünce ve Tarih |volume=3 |issue=31 |pages=40, 42}}</ref> The city was [[Albania during World War I|invaded by Italy]] in 1914 during [[World War I]]. The city remained occupied by Italian forces until an [[Vlora War|Albanian rebellion]] forced the Italians out of [[Albania]] in 1920. Italy [[Italian invasion of Albania|invaded Vlorë]] again in 1939. The city remained under Italian occupation until Italy surrendered to the allies in 1943. Subsequently, [[Nazi Germany]] occupied the city until 1944. The city was liberated in 1944 by [[National Liberation Movement (Albania)|communist forces]] under [[Enver Hoxha]].

=== Communist Albania === During [[World War II]], [[Sazan Island]] became the site of a German and Italian [[submarine base]] and naval installations; these installations were heavily bombed by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. After World War II, with Albania ruled by a [[Party of Labour of Albania|Communist Party]], the port was leased out to the [[Soviet Union]] for use as a submarine base. During 1960 and 1961 it served as a theater in the aftermath of the decision of [[Enver Hoxha]] to denounce [[Nikita Khrushchev|Nikita Khrushchev's]] reforms.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hoxha|first=Enver|title=The Party of Labor of Albania in Battle with Modern Revisionism: Speeches and Articles|publisher=The Naim Frasheri Publishing House|year=1972}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=February 2022}}

In April 1961 the Soviet Union, resenting being pushed out after considerable investment in the naval facilities at nearby [[Pasha Liman Base]], threatened to occupy Vlora with Soviet troops, and cut off all Soviet economic, military and technical aid to Albania. The threat was not carried out, as a result of the simultaneous international developments; most notably the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]]. Hoxha, realizing the vulnerability of Albania after the 1968 [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia]], ordered the construction of [[Bunkers in Albania|hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Glass |first=Emily |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B9AqDwAAQBAJ |title=In the Ruins of the Cold War Bunker: Affect, Materiality and Meaning Making |date=2017 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |isbn=978-1-78348-735-6 |editor-last=Bennett |editor-first=Luke |pages=147–150 |language=en |chapter=Once upon a Time in Ksamil: Communist and Post-Communist Biographies of Mushroom-Shaped Bunkers in Albania}}</ref> Under Hoxha, Vlorë served as an important recruiting centre for the [[Sigurimi]]; the Albanian [[National security|state security]], [[Intelligence (information gathering)|intelligence]] and [[secret police]] service.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Vickers |first1=Miranda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9IbgsDdeVxsC |title=Albania: From Anarchy to a Balkan Identity |last2=Pettifer |first2=James |year=1997 |publisher=[[C. Hurst & Co.]] |isbn=978-1-85065-279-3 |publication-date=1999 |pages=47–48 |language=en |quote=Vlora ... was notorious as a recruiting ground for the Sigurimi. |author-link2=James Pettifer |orig-date=1997}}</ref>

In 1997, Vlorë was the center of the [[1997 Albanian civil unrest]] after the collapse of several investment scams that led to the downfall of the [[Sali Berisha]] administration.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

== Geography == [[File:Vlora,Albania.jpg|thumb|View of the promenade of Vlorë and the [[Ceraunian Mountains]] in the hinterlands]] Vlorë is situated on the [[Bay of Vlorë]] along the [[Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast|Albanian Adriatic]] and [[Albanian Ionian Sea Coast|Ionian Sea Coast]]s in the eastern part of the [[Strait of Otranto]] surrounded by the foothills of the [[Ceraunian Mountains]]. Defined in an area of {{convert|647.94|sqkm|abbr=on}}, [[Municipalities of Albania|Vlorë Municipality]] is encompassed in [[Vlorë County]] as part of the [[Southern Albania|Southern Region of Albania]] and consists of the adjacent administrative units of [[Novoselë]], [[Orikum]], [[Qendër Vlorë]], [[Shushicë, Vlorë|Shushicë]] and Vlorë.<ref name="PV"/><ref name="Classification"/><ref name="Law 2014"/> The municipality stretches from the mouth of [[Vjosë]] in the north along the [[Narta Lagoon]] to the [[Llogara Pass]] in the south.<ref name="PV"/> It also encloses the [[Karaburun Peninsula, Albania|Karaburun Peninsula]] and [[Sazan Island]] in the west with the Shushica-Vlorë River forming its eastern border.<ref name="PV"/> Protected areas include the [[Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park]], [[Llogara National Park]] and [[Vjosa Wild River National Park]].<ref name="Bashkia">{{cite web |publisher=Bashkia Vlorë |title=Shërbim Konsulence, për Hartimin e Planeve të Përgjithshme Vendore, për Katër Bashki, Vlorë, Sarandë, Himarë, Konispol |url=http://bashkiavlore.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/VSM-VLORE.pdf |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923144710/http://bashkiavlore.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/VSM-VLORE.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2021 |language=sq |date=30 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Quercus macrolepis|Valonia oak]], the mass name for [[acorn]] cups obtained in the neighboring oak forests and used by tanners, derives its name from Valona, the ancient name of Vlorë.

=== Climate ===

Vlorë has a [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Csa''), with an average annual temperature of {{cvt|16.9|C}}.<ref name="Climate-data">{{cite web |publisher=Climate-Data |title=Climate: Vlorë |url=https://en.climate-data.org/europe/albania/vlora/vlora-831/ |access-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921010618/https://en.climate-data.org/europe/albania/vlora/vlora-831/ |archive-date=21 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Summers in Vlorë are dry and hot while winters are mild and rainy.<ref name="ClimaTemps"/> The warmest month is August with an average temperature rising to {{cvt|26.8|C}}. By contrast, the coldest month is January with an average temperature falling to {{cvt|7.9|C}}.<ref name="Climate-data"/> Vlorë has a sunny climate with an average of 2,745.2 hours of sunshine annually, making it one of the sunniest areas in the [[Eastern Mediterranean]].<ref name=NCEI>{{cite web |title=Vlore climate Normals for 1961-1990(WMO Station Number: 13600) |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-VI/AB/13600.TXT |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241104005218/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-VI/AB/13600.TXT |archive-date=4 November 2024 |access-date=23 February 2024 |website=ncei.noaa.gov |publisher=[[NOAA]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The coastal karstic aquifer of Vlora (Albania)|last=Polemio, M.; CNR-IRPI Pambuku, A.; Servizio Geologico di Albania Petrucci, O.; CNR-IRPI|oclc=697554091}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Begaj |first=Majlinda |date=10 March 2016 |title=Vlora guida |url=https://www.academia.edu/23077608 |language=en}}</ref> July is the sunniest month of the year with an average of about 12 hours of sunshine a day.<ref name="Climate-data"/> By contrast, the average hours of sunshine are less than 7 hours per day in January.<ref name="Climate-data"/> During the 1961–1990 period, on average per year, there were 82 days with more than {{Convert|1|mm|inches|abbr=on}} of rainfall, 26 days with thunders, five days with [[hail]], and one day of snowfall.<ref name=NCEI/>

{{Weather box | location = Vlorë | metric first = yes | single line = yes | Jan record high C =23.6 | Feb record high C =29.6 | Mar record high C =28.4 | Apr record high C =29.6 | May record high C =37.2 | Jun record high C =41.0 | Jul record high C =41.6 | Aug record high C =38.0 | Sep record high C =38.0 | Oct record high C =31.8 | Nov record high C =28.5 | Dec record high C =24.5 | year record high C = | Jan high C = 13.2 | Feb high C = 13.9 | Mar high C = 15.9 | Apr high C = 19.0 | May high C = 23.2 | Jun high C = 27.0 | Jul high C = 29.7 | Aug high C = 29.8 | Sep high C = 27.0 | Oct high C = 22.8 | Nov high C = 18.2 | Dec high C = 14.5 | year high C = | Jan mean C = 10 | Feb mean C = 10 | Mar mean C = 12 | Apr mean C = 15 | May mean C = 19 | Jun mean C = 22 | Jul mean C = 25 | Aug mean C = 25 | Sep mean C = 22 | Oct mean C = 19 | Nov mean C = 15 | Dec mean C = 12 | year mean C = | Jan low C = 4.8 | Feb low C = 5.3 | Mar low C = 6.6 | Apr low C = 9.6 | May low C = 13.2 | Jun low C = 16.6 | Jul low C = 18.4 | Aug low C = 18.3 | Sep low C = 15.9 | Oct low C = 12.5 | Nov low C = 9.5 | Dec low C = 6.3 | year low C = | Jan record low C =-7.0 | Feb record low C =-4.8 | Mar record low C =-6.3 | Apr record low C =-0.5 | May record low C =4.6 | Jun record low C =10.1 | Jul record low C =11.4 | Aug record low C =12.2 | Sep record low C =6.6 | Oct record low C =-3.0 | Nov record low C =-0.6 | Dec record low C =-3.5 | year record low C = | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 113.5 | Feb precipitation mm = 86.3 | Mar precipitation mm = 90.4 | Apr precipitation mm = 65.3 | May precipitation mm = 56.8 | Jun precipitation mm = 19.1 | Jul precipitation mm = 12.4 | Aug precipitation mm = 21.1 | Sep precipitation mm = 69.2 | Oct precipitation mm = 124.1 | Nov precipitation mm = 138.4 | Dec precipitation mm = 145.0 | year precipitation mm = | Jan precipitation days = 13 | Feb precipitation days = 12 | Mar precipitation days = 14 | Apr precipitation days = 11 | May precipitation days = 9 | Jun precipitation days = 6 | Jul precipitation days = 3 | Aug precipitation days = 3 | Sep precipitation days = 5 | Oct precipitation days = 10 | Nov precipitation days = 17 | Dec precipitation days = 17 | year precipitation days = 120 | Jan sun = 133.3 | Feb sun = 147.9 | Mar sun = 173.6 | Apr sun = 225.0 | May sun = 272.8 | Jun sun = 318.0 | Jul sun = 368.9 | Aug sun = 344.1 | Sep sun = 279.0 | Oct sun = 210.8 | Nov sun = 117.0 | Dec sun = 99.2 | year sun = 2689.6 | date = August 2010 | Jand sun = 4 | Febd sun = 5 | Mard sun = 5 | Aprd sun = 7 | Mayd sun = 8 | Jund sun = 10 | Juld sun = 11 | Augd sun = 11 | Sepd sun = 9 | Octd sun = 6 | Novd sun = 3 | Decd sun = 3 | yeard sun = | Jan light = 9 | Feb light = 10 | Mar light = 11 | Apr light = 13 | May light = 14 | Jun light = 15 | Jul light = 14 | Aug light = 13 | Sep light = 12 | Oct light = 11 | Nov light = 9 | Dec light = 9 | year light= | source 1 =[[NOAA]] (extremes 1961–1990)<ref name=NCEI/> | source 2 =<ref name="ClimaTemps">{{cite web |publisher=ClimaTemps |title=Vlore Climate & Temperature |url=http://www.vlore.climatemps.com/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924142149/http://www.vlore.climatemps.com/ |archive-date=24 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Climatetemp.info |title=What is the Climate, Average Temperature/ Weather in Vlore? |url=http://www.climatetemp.info/albania/vlore.html |access-date=21 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821120125/http://www.climatetemp.info/albania/vlore.html |archive-date=21 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> }}

== Economy ==

[[File:Porti i Vlores.jpg|230px|thumb|right|View of a ship in the [[Port of Vlorë]]]]

The city of Vlorë remains a major seaport and commercial centre, with a significant [[fishing]] and [[Industrial sector|industrial]] sector. The surrounding region produces [[petroleum]], [[natural gas]], [[bitumen]] and [[salt]]. The city is also the location of important installations of the [[Albanian Navy]]. It has grown in importance as an agricultural center with a very large-scale planting of olive and fruit trees, and as a center of the food processing, oil, and bitumen export industries. Historically, the surrounding district was mainly agricultural and pastoral, producing oats, maize, cotton, olive oil, cattle, sheep, skins, hides, and butter.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} These commodities are exported.

Vlorë is a vibrant coastal city with a well-developed and modern housing infrastructure. The city offers a variety of residential areas ranging from the coast and going inland. Vlorë is divided into three economic zones.<ref>{{cite web|title=Albania is creating three free economic zones|url=http://emerging-europe.com/regions/albania-is-creating-three-free-economic-zones/|website=emerging-europe.com|language=en|date=24 August 2015|access-date=2 April 2017|archive-date=29 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129182544/http://emerging-europe.com/regions/albania-is-creating-three-free-economic-zones/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Technical and Economic Development Area (TEDA) in Vlorë has a strategic location, some {{convert|151|km|abbr=off}} away from the capital [[Tirana]]. The Land and Environmental Information{{Clarify|date=August 2025|reason=Is this a department?}} is located in a flat, saline land, partially covered by the [[Soda Forest]]. The area is suitable for industrial and environmentally friendly development. The eligible activities for the development inside the TEDA zone are: industrial, processing, commercial, goods storage, light industry, electronics, auto parts manufacturing, and port related activities. Official data from 2014 reported the employable labor force in Vlora at 125,954, of which 84,836 are currently employed; 35% of the labor force in Vlora had a high school degree, while 17% had a university degree.

According to the [[World Bank]], Vlorë has made significant steps in the economy rankings in 2016. Vlorë ranks 7th among 22 cities in [[Southeastern Europe]] in rankings conducted by the [[World Bank Group]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doingbusiness.org/Rankings/south-east-europe|title=Subnational Economy Rankings - South East Europe - Subnational Doing Business - World Bank Group|website=www.doingbusiness.org|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref> ahead of the capital of [[Albania]], [[Tirana]], and also [[Belgrade]], [[Serbia]] and [[Sarajevo]], in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].

Tourism which has always been a driving force for the city's economy has become a major industry in recent years, with many hotels, recreational centers, and vast beaches. The city has a good view over the [[Bay of Vlorë]], which is considered the frontier between the [[Adriatic Sea]] and the [[Ionian Sea]]. The Island of [[Sazan Island|Sazan]] is in front of the city, at the entrance of the bay. Italy is just {{convert|80|km|abbr=off}} away. Beaches close to the city include [[Palasë]], [[Dhermi]], Vuno, [[Himara]], [[Qeparo]], and [[Borsh]]. In 2019, Vlorë was cited in ''[[Financial Times]]''{{'}} 'Five destinations to watch' article that listed new and exciting holiday destinations from around the world.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Five destinations to watch — from the Faroe Islands to Pakistan|url=https://www.ft.com/content/7964db7a-ff18-11e9-a530-16c6c29e70ca |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/7964db7a-ff18-11e9-a530-16c6c29e70ca |archive-date=2022-12-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-08-31|newspaper=Financial Times|date= 8 November 2019}}</ref>

In April 2024, it was reported that [[Jared Kushner]], son-in-law and former aide to US President [[Donald Trump]], planned to build a resort in the city as part of plans of his company, [[Affinity Partners]], to invest in the Balkans.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bytyci |first1=Fatos |last2=Goga |first2=Florion |date=2024-04-04 |title=Jared Kushner's planned Albania resort stokes fear and hope in coastal town |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/jared-kushners-planned-albania-resort-stokes-fear-hope-coastal-town-2024-04-04/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

== Infrastructure == === Transport === [[File:Coast south of Vlorë - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|The [[National Road 8 (Albania)|SH8 highway]] in southern Vlorë leading to [[Orikum]]]] Vlorë lies on the north–south transportation corridor of Albania and is served by a network of motorways and highways connecting the city to other parts of Albania. The preceding [[National Road 8 (Albania)|SH8 highway]], beginning from [[Fier]], links the northern districts of Vlorë with the central and southern districts, continuing along the [[Albanian Riviera]] to [[Sarandë]]. The [[A2 motorway (Albania)|A2 motorway]] parallelly runs along the SH8 from Fier to Vlorë and terminates after entering the city in the north. Upon completion, the bypass of Vlorë will link the A2 motorway through the suburbs of Vlorë with the SH8 highway.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bypass-i Vlorës |url=https://www.arrsh.gov.al/projekte-me-finacim-te-huaj-donacione/sinjalistike-rrugore-2/bypass-i-vlores |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222055150/https://www.arrsh.gov.al/projekte-me-finacim-te-huaj-donacione/sinjalistike-rrugore-2/bypass-i-vlores |archive-date=22 February 2017 |language=sq |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gjonaj |first=Arlinda |publisher=[[Albanian Telegraphic Agency|Agjencia Telegrafike Shqiptare]] (ATA) |title=Këtë javë nis asfaltimi i bypass-it të Vlorës/ Rama: Brenda muajit hapet gara ndërkombëtare për 'Korridorin Blu' |work=Agjencia Telegrafike Shqiptare |url=https://ata.gov.al/2020/06/15/kete-jave-nis-asfaltimi-i-bypass-it-te-vlores-rama-brenda-muajit-hapet-gara-nderkombetare-per-korridorin-blu/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622175135/https://ata.gov.al/2020/06/15/kete-jave-nis-asfaltimi-i-bypass-it-te-vlores-rama-brenda-muajit-hapet-gara-nderkombetare-per-korridorin-blu/ |archive-date=22 June 2021 |language=sq |date=15 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Vlorë is served by the [[Port of Vlorë]], the second busiest port in Albania, located in the northern part of the city's coast.

The [[Vlorë railway station]] is the southern [[terminal train station|terminus]] of the [[Durrës-Vlorë railway line]] which connects Vlorë with Durrës and the rest of the [[Rail transport in Albania|Albanian rail network]]. It opened in 1985 when the railway line was extended from [[Fier]] to Vlorë.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of Hekurudha Shqiptare (in Albanian)|url=http://www.t669.net/hekurudha_shqiptare.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017114052/http://www.t669.net/hekurudha_shqiptare.html |accessdate=21 June 2020|archive-date=2016-10-17 }}</ref> A very limited service remained in operation until 2015,<ref>{{cite web|title=Europe Trains Guide|url=http://www.europetrainsguide.com/Countries/Albania/Albania-HSH.html|accessdate=15 September 2017|archive-date=22 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422103414/http://www.europetrainsguide.com/Countries/Albania/Albania-HSH.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> but currently passenger services no longer run south of [[Fier]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Albania Railway Photographs|url=http://www.johndarm.clara.net/Europhots/Albania.htm |accessdate=20 October 2017}}</ref> However, a private [[railway company]], Albrail, started operation of [[freight train]]s from Fier to Vlorë in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Albrail|url=http://albrail.al/en/rreth-nesh/|publisher=Albrail|accessdate=21 June 2020|language=en}}</ref>

The [[Vlorë International Airport]] is a proposed airport development project currently under construction as part of Albania's plan to increase transportation links to destinations in southern Albania.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Prime Minister of Albania|Kryeministria]] |title=Aeroporti i ri ndërkombëtar i Vlorës |url=https://kryeministria.al/newsroom/aeroporti-i-ri-nderkombetar-i-vlores/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502094644/https://kryeministria.al/newsroom/aeroporti-i-ri-nderkombetar-i-vlores/ |archive-date=2 May 2021 |language=sq |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Prime Minister of Albania|Kryeministria]] |title=Gati projekti për aeroportin ndërkombëtar të Vlorës |url=https://kryeministria.al/newsroom/gati-projekti-per-aeroportin-nderkombetar-te-vlores/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924091621/https://kryeministria.al/newsroom/gati-projekti-per-aeroportin-nderkombetar-te-vlores/ |archive-date=24 September 2021 |language=sq |url-status=live}}</ref> The proposed location for the airport lies at the village of Akërni within the [[Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape]] in the north of Vlorë, which was met with widespread criticism.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN) |title=New airport near the Narta Lagoon, Albania |url=https://www.iucn.org/news/eastern-europe-and-central-asia/201803/new-airport-near-narta-lagoon-albania |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924094626/https://www.iucn.org/news/eastern-europe-and-central-asia/201803/new-airport-near-narta-lagoon-albania |archive-date=24 September 2021 |date=7 March 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The construction was officially launched on 28 November 2021, and has a completion target date of April 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=PM Rama announces start of works for Vlora Airport. |url=https://albaniandailynews.com/news/pm-rama-announces-start-of-works-for-vlora-airport |website=Albanian Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=PM Rama inspects works at construction site of Vlora Airport |url=https://albaniandailynews.com/news/pm-rama-inspects-works-at-construction-site-of-vlora-international-airport-1 |website=Albanian Daily News}}</ref> {{Clear}}

=== Landfill === During the period 2020–2024, the city periodically suffered from fires at the local [[landfill]]. The landfill, which is considered dangerous by the local authorities, was due to close by June 2021, as a new landfill was expected to begin operations. The deadline for the opening of the latter has been postponed repeatedly, and its further construction has stopped.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ziaj |first=Jerola |date=26 July 2024 |title=Tymi i plehrave mbulon Vlorën në mes të sezonit turistik |url=https://www.reporter.al/2024/07/26/tymi-i-plehrave-mbulon-vloren-ne-mes-te-sezonit-turistik/ |work=[[Reporter.al]] |language=sq}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=27 July 2024 |title=Tymi i zi mbulon Vlorën, ende aktiv zjarri në fushën e plehrave |url=https://lapsi.al/2024/07/27/tymi-i-zi-mbulon-vloren-ende-aktiv-zjarri-ne-fushen-e-plehrave/ |work=Lapsi.al |language=sq}}</ref>

=== Education === Vlora is home to the second largest university in Albania. The [[University of Vlora]] was founded in 1994 as a [[Institute of technology|technological university]]. It retains a focus on technology, but has expanded in the areas of economics and finance, education, medicine, and law.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

There are three journals based in the University of Vlora. There is also a scientific journal published quarterly in Albanian: Buletini Shkencor i Universitetit te Vlorës. Since 2008 it is home to the Academicus International Scientific Journal,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Musaraj|first=Arta|date=2019|title=Academicus - In the name of Science|journal=Academicus International Scientific Journal|volume=20|pages=10–11|url=https://academicus.edu.al/nr20/Academicus-MMXIX-20-010-011.pdf|doi=10.7336/academicus.2019.20.01|issn=2079-3715|doi-access=free|language=en}}</ref> a peer-reviewed scientific publication in the English language founded by Arta Musaraj.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.academicus.edu.al |title = Official website of Academicus International Scientific Journal }}</ref>

Besides the state university there are two private universities, namely [[Universiteti Pavarësia Vlorë]] and Akademia e Studimeve të Aplikuara "Reald", which started as primary school and high school, and since 2011 operates also as a university.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://aaal.edu.al/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=596&Itemid=306&lang=en |title = Private Higher Education Institutions in Albania |access-date = 2013-02-04 |archive-date = 2016-01-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160126085052/http://www.aaal.edu.al/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=596&Itemid=306&lang=en |url-status = dead }}</ref>

== Demography ==

{{Historical populations | align = right |1923|5942 |1927|6210 |1938|9948 |1950|14221|1960|41423|1969|45500| source = <ref name="Population 1923–1938">{{cite book |last1=Hemming |first1=Andreas |last2=Kera |first2=Gentiana |last3=Pandelejmoni |first3=Enriketa |title=Albania: Family, Society and Culture in the 20th Century |year=2012 |publisher=LIT Verlag Münster |isbn=9783643501448 |page=37 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HfpTqhlsCtMC |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924100830/https://books.google.de/books?id=HfpTqhlsCtMC&vq= |archive-date=24 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cities of Albania|url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/albania-cities.htm}}</ref><ref name="2023pop" /> |1979|56200|1989|71662|2001|77652|2011|79513|2023|66320}}

As per the [[Institute of Statistics (Albania)|Institute of Statistics]] estimate from the 2011 census, there were 79,513 people residing in Vlorë and 104,827 in the municipality of Vlorë, constituting the [[List of cities and towns in Albania|third most populous city]] and [[Municipalities of Albania|fifth most populous municipality]] of Albania.<ref name="PV"/><ref name="Census 2011 Vlorë County"/> The estimated population density of Vlorë Municipality was at 169.9 inhabitants per square kilometre.<ref name="PV"/> The population of Vlorë had increased from 71,662 in 1989 to 79,513 in 2011, while a decline of the population of Vlorë Municipality from 114,497 to 104,827 was highlighted.<ref name="Bashkia"/>

Despite being a Muslim-majority country, the constitution defines Albania as a secular country with no [[official religion]].<ref name="Religion">{{cite web |publisher=[[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) |title=Constitution of the Republic of Albania |date=28 November 1998 |url=https://www.osce.org/albania/41888 |access-date=14 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417233521/https://www.osce.org/albania/41888 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> It guarantees the [[freedom of religion]], [[freedom of belief|belief]] and [[Freedom of conscience|conscience]] and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religious beliefs or practice.<ref name="Religion"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Albania 2016 International Religious Freedom Report |url=https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/269026.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815171107/https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/269026.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-08-15 |website=state.gov |pages=1–7 |language=en}}</ref> Vlorë is religiously diverse and possesses many places of worship catering to its religious population, who are traditionally adherents of [[Islam]], [[Christianity]], and [[Judaism]]. During the 19th and early 20th century, Albanian-speaking Muslims were the majority population of Vlorë while there was a small number of Greek-speaking families, Albanian Orthodox, Jews, and an even smaller number of Catholics.<ref name="Kokolakis">Kokolakis, Mihalis (2003). [http://helios-eie.ekt.gr/EIE/bitstream/10442/8080/1/N01.074.0.pdf ''Το ύστερο Γιαννιώτικο Πασαλίκι: χώρος, διοίκηση και πληθυσμός στην τουρκοκρατούμενη Ηπειρο (1820–1913) [The late Pashalik of Ioannina: Space, administration and population in Ottoman ruled Epirus (1820–1913)]'']. EIE-ΚΝΕ. p.52. "β. Ο διεσπαρμένος ελληνόφωνος πληθυσμός περιλάμβανε... και μικρό αριθμό οικογενειών στα αστικά κέντρα του Αργυροκάστρου και της Αυλώνας. [b. The scattered Greek-speaking population included ... and a small number of families in the cities of Gjirokastra and Vlora.]"; p. 53. "και την ακόμη ολιγομελέστερη ομάδα των Καθολικών της Αυλώνας [and even group of Catholics in Vlora]"; p. 54. "Η μουσουλμανική κοινότητα της Ηπείρου, με εξαίρεση τους μικρούς αστικούς πληθυσμούς των νότιων ελληνόφωνων περιοχών, τους οποίους προαναφέραμε, και τις δύο με τρεις χιλιάδες διεσπαρμένους «Τουρκόγυφτους», απαρτιζόταν ολοκληρωτικά από αλβανόφωνους, και στα τέλη της Τουρκοκρατίας κάλυπτε τα ¾ περίπου του πληθυσμού των αλβανόφωνων περιοχών και περισσότερο από το 40% του συνόλου. [The Muslim community in Epirus, with the exception of small urban populations of the southern Greek-speaking areas, which we mentioned, and 2-3000 dispersed "Muslim Romani", consisted entirely of Albanian speakers, and in the late Ottoman period covered approximately ¾ of population ethnic Albanian speaking areas and more than 40% of the total area."; pp. 370, 374.</ref> In 1994 the ethnic [[Greeks|Greek]] community of the city numbered 8,000 people.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stein|first1=Jonathan P.|author2=EastWest Institute (New York, N.Y.)|title=The Politics of National Minority Participation in Post-communist Europe: State-building, Democracy, and Ethnic Mobilization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xeFNV40_EUAC&pg=PA172|year=2000|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|isbn=978-0-7656-0528-3|page=172}}</ref> A Greek school was operating in the city in 1741.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Braude|first1=Benjamin|author-link1=Benjamin Braude|last2=Lewis|first2=Bernard|author-link2=Bernard Lewis|title=Christians and Jews in the Ottoman Empire: The central lands. v. 2. The Arabic-speaking lands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1FVtAAAAMAAJ|year=1982|publisher=Holmes & Meier Publishers|isbn=978-0-8419-0519-1|page=246}}</ref>

== Culture ==

[[File:The monument of Independence in Vlorë (Vlora).jpg|thumb|right|[[Independence Monument (Albania)|Monument of Independence]] on the [[Flag's Square]]]]

Vlorë is geographically and culturally encompassed in the historical region of [[Labëria]], extending from the [[Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast|Albanian Adriatic]] and [[Albanian Ionian Sea Coast|Ionian Sea Coast]]s to the mountainous region of southeastern Albania.<ref>{{cite web |last=Elsie |first=Robert |publisher=Elsie |title=Der Kanun |url=http://www.elsie.de/de/buecher/b25.html |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018103828/http://www.elsie.de/de/buecher/b25.html |archive-date=18 October 2012 |language=de |url-status=dead}}</ref> Labëria is distinguished for its distinct culture, landscapes and traditions and known as the birthplace of [[Albanian iso-polyphony|Albanian polyphonic music]], which has been proclaimed by [[UNESCO]] a [[Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity|Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] (UNESCO) |title=Albanian folk iso-polyphony |url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/albanian-folk-iso-polyphony-00155 |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924181723/https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/albanian-folk-iso-polyphony-00155 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Most of the Albanian inhabitants of Vlorë speak the [[Lab Albanian dialect|Lab dialect]] of southern [[Tosk Albanian]] that differs from other [[Albanian dialects]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Elsie |first=Robert |publisher=[[Robert Elsie|Albanian Language]] |title=Albanian Dialects: Introduction |url=http://dialects.albanianlanguage.net/ |access-date=28 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016125248/http://dialects.albanianlanguage.net/ |archive-date=16 October 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Rruga Justin Godart 2020.jpg|thumb|right|Historical center of Vlorë at the Justin Godart Street]]

Vlorë is home to many cultural and historical sites that also relate to the founding of Albania. The [[Independence Monument (Albania)|Monument of Independence]] is located on the [[Flag's Square]] and commemorates the Albanian independence from the [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref name="Sites">{{cite web |publisher=Bashkia Vlorë |title=Çfarë të vizitoni |url=http://vlora.gov.al/turizem/informacion-per-vizitoret/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303081711/https://vlora.gov.al/turizem/informacion-per-vizitoret/ |archive-date=3 March 2021 |language=sq |url-status=live}}</ref> Museum of Independence is housed in a 19th-century building, where the founding fathers of Albania signed the Declaration of Independence.<ref name="Museums">{{cite web |publisher=Bashkia Vlorë |title=Muzeumet e Vlorës |url=http://vlora.gov.al/events/muzeume/ |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305013833/https://vlora.gov.al/events/muzeume/ |archive-date=5 March 2021 |language=sq |url-status=live}}</ref> Its balcony is considered a symbol of freedom, victory and resilience of the Albanians to prevent the occupation of their motherland.<ref name="Museums"/>

Located in a 19th-century mansion, the Ethnographic Museum close to the Museum of Independence displays the ethnographic heritage of Vlorë and its surrounding region.<ref name="Museums"/> The History Museum at the Perlat Rexhepi Street is another museum exhibiting among others artefacts from the nearby [[List of archaeological sites in Albania|archaeological sites]] of the Illyrians and Ancient Greeks.<ref name="Museums"/> A museum dedicated to the historical Jewish population of Vlorë is planned to open in the historical center of Vlorë.<ref>{{cite web |last=Alla |first=Adela |publisher=[[Albanian Telegraphic Agency|Agjencia Telegrafike Shqiptare]] (ATA) |title=Në zonën e rilindur të Vlorës së shpejti dhe Muzeu i Shpëtimit të Hebrenjve |url=https://observerkult.com/i-strehoi-vite-me-pare-vlora-do-te-kete-muzeun-e-hebrenjve/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924200910/http://ata.gov.al/2020/08/09/ne-zonen-e-rilindur-te-vlores-se-shpejti-dhe-muzeu-i-shpetimit-te-hebrenjve/ |archive-date=24 September 2021 |language=sq |date=9 August 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work=[[Telegrafi]] |title=Historia e shpëtimit të hebrenjve me një muze në Vlorë |url=https://telegrafi.com/historia-e-shpetimit-te-hebrenjve-nje-muze-ne-vlore/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823005325/https://telegrafi.com/historia-e-shpetimit-te-hebrenjve-nje-muze-ne-vlore/ |archive-date=23 August 2020 |language=sq |date=20 August 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Among the most outstanding religious sites in Vlorë are the [[Muradie Mosque]] built in the 16th century at the Sadik Zotaj Street and the Saint Aloysius Gonzaga and Mary Church from the 19th century at the Kristoforidhi Street.<ref name="Sites"/> Notable cultural sites in Vlorë Municipality include the [[Kaninë Castle|Castle of Kaninë]], [[Church of Marmiroi]], [[Sazan Island|Island of Sazan]], [[Island of Zvërnec]], [[Lagoon of Narta]] as well as the archaeological sites of [[Amantia]] and [[Oricum]].<ref name="Sites"/>

The oldest and most popular first division team based in Vlorë is the football club [[KS Flamurtari Vlorë]]. Flamurtari plays at [[Flamurtari Stadium]] in the center of Vlorë near the Independence Square.

== International relations == {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Albania}} Vlorë is [[Sister city|twinned]] with: *{{flagicon|USA}} [[Hollywood, Florida]], United States<ref>{{cite web |title=Florida Sister Cities|url=https://tampabayprotocol.com/sister-cities-database|publisher=Tampa Bay Protocol & Trade|access-date=2021-09-05}}</ref> *{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Yangzhou]], China<ref>{{cite web |title=Delegacioni i qytetit Yangzhou vizitoi Vlorën|url=http://al.china-embassy.org/eng/zagx/zajw/t1406526.htm|publisher=Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Albania|language=sq|date=2016-10-18|access-date=2021-09-05}}</ref>

== Gallery == <gallery class=center> File:Vlorë, Albania December 2022 - Modern High-rise.jpg|A typical street in Vlorë showing high rise buildings in the city File:Vlorë, Albania December 2022 - Bayside street with Christmas Tree.jpg|A typical street in Vlorë showing some palm trees and the Christmas tree File:Old Town Vlorë, Albania, December 2022 - Clock Tower.jpg|The old town of Vlorë File:Vlora panorama.jpg|The panorama of Vlorë File:Vlora Bay.jpg|The bay of Vlorë </gallery>

== See also == *[[List of mayors of Vlorë]] *[[List of people from Vlorë]] *[[List of Catholic dioceses in Albania]]

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==  *{{cite journal|last=Bereti|first=Vasil|title=Gjurmë të fortifikimeve në vendbanimin në Treport / Traces de fortifications dans l'habitat à Treport|journal=Iliria|volume=23|year=1993|pages=143–159|doi=10.3406/iliri.1993.1622|language=sq}} *{{cite journal|last1=Bereti|first1=Vasil|last2=Quantin|first2=François|last3=Cabanes|first3=Pierre|title=Histoire et épigraphie dans la région de Vlora (Albanie)|journal=REA|volume=113|issue=1|year=2011|language=fr}} *{{cite book |last=Bowden |first=William |year=2003 |title=Epirus Vetus: The Archaeology of a Late Antique Province (Duckworth Archaeology) |isbn=0-7156-3116-0 |page=14 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic }} *{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Avlona|pages=65–66 }}  *{{cite book|last=Fasolo|first=Michele|title=La via Egnatia I. Da Apollonia e Dyrrachium ad Herakleia Lynkestidos|series=Viae Publicae Romanae|volume=1|place=Rome|publisher=Istituto Grafico Editoriale Romano|year=2005|orig-year=2003|language=it|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fGX-UNENtucC}}  *{{CE1913 |first=Siméon |last=Vailhé |wstitle=Valona |volume=15|short=1}} *{{cite journal|last1=Volpe|first1=Giuliano|last2=Disantarosa|first2=Giacomo|last3=Leone|first3=Danilo|last4=Turchiano|first4=Maria|title=Porti, approdi e itinerari dell'Albania meridionale dall'Antichità al Medioevo. Il 'Progetto Liburna'|journal=Ricerche Archeologiche in Albania|publisher=Aracne|year=2014|isbn=978-88-548-7245-5|doi=10.4399/978885487245516|pages=287–326|doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 }}

== Further reading == {{Refbegin|2}} * {{cite web |last=Nagle |first=Robert |year=2002 |title=East European Experiments—Tourism/Tourist Information about Vlore (Vlore) Albania | website=Imaginary Planet Home |url=http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/essays/travel/albania2/tourism.html |access-date=24 April 2016}} *{{cite encyclopedia |title=Vlorë |encyclopedia=The Columbia Encyclopedia |year=2004}} *{{cite encyclopedia |title=Vlorë or Vlora, Ital. Valona, ancient Aulon |encyclopedia=Crystal Reference Encyclopedia |year=2001}} {{Refend}} ----

== External links == {{Sister project links|voy=Vlora|collapsible=collapsed}} *[http://www.vlora.gov.al/ vlora.gov.al] – official website {{in lang|sq}}

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