Albanian is the official language, and most of the people are ethnic Albanians, although there are significant Greek and Roma minorities regionally.
Traditional Albanian food is unique and unfamiliar to most foreigners, but Turkish, Greek, and Italian dishes are easy to find. Other cuisines, including Chinese, Indian, and Mexican restaurants, for example, are found almost exclusively in Tirana.
Albania is a majority Muslim country, but public life is secular; both Muslim and Christian holidays are officially observed, as well as some pagan festivals, such as Summer Day, on March 15th. New Year’s Day is the preeminent holiday in the Winter, taking precedence over religious holidays. Alcohol is legal and is sold and consumed at cafés-bars. Cigarette smoking is common, occasionally even indoors. The tourist season runs from June to August, and beach cities are quite crowded during these months, though not as crowded as the beaches in the rest of Europe.
Most Albanians take summer holidays in August, joining foreigners at the beaches, making temporary crew more difficult to secure during this time. Shoulder months of April, May, and September still have the great weather for filming, without the throngs of tourists. Filming in Albania
Albania’s climate is transitional. In the winter it snows in the mountains. Elsewhere, winters are mild and rainy, resembling a more Mediterranean climate. Summers can be very hot and tend to be dry, although humidity in some areas is quite variable.
