Returning to His Albanian Village, He Begins a Tourism Story

Our travel server would not be complete if we didn't share the stories of local heroes from neighboring countries, who should inspire us to visit this upcoming summer. The Kajak.mk team is happy to see the number of users on our server growing, and they hope that they have already sparked changes in the way many travelers think about traveling.

Our goal is to introduce you to the people who create tourism, because behind every great travel story, there are tired hands. Don't look for the reason to travel in yourself this upcoming year, look for it in the people who have invested everything to make our lives more beautiful.

Today, we will tell you the heroic tourism story of Altin Prenga, who left Albania at the age of 15, escaping poverty.

Altin was born in Fishta, a village that still lives off agriculture and livestock. He, along with his family, left their home when he was only 15 years old, as life was extremely difficult for someone coming from a farming family.

He left and grew up abroad. As the years went by, he became more familiar with and studied cooking. In Italy, he learned how to prepare food, how to process milk, cheese, and Italian meats. He also learned how to make jams. Over time, he developed a deeper passion for cooking and decided to continue building his own story.

In 2009, Altin decided to return to Albania and open a "Slow Food" restaurant in his hometown. The restaurant was to be located in a typical rural area and would honor Albanian values and traditions.

He undertook the restoration of an old Albanian building, adding modern elements that blend perfectly into the entire story. His restaurant today is called "Mrizi i Zanave" and is considered a popular establishment in northern Albania. The restaurant is now part of the global gastronomic tourism maps.

Altin's goal was to create optimism among the local population so they wouldn't leave the region, as without local farmers and the local economy, his agro-tourism business wouldn't exist.

Guided by the motto "Think locally, eat globally," which he says is not something he invented but rather a life philosophy, Altin today works with 400 farming families who uphold traditional values passed down through generations. These families provide him daily with wild herbs, pomegranates, and milk.

For our team, Altin is a modern hero who risks the success of the West for his homeland. In "Mrizi i Zanave," you can feel the Italian spirit that Altin gained while living abroad, but the dominant influence is the Albanian hospitality.

The village of Fishta, where the restaurant is located, is in the Zadrima region, the birthplace of the Albanian national poet Gjergj Fishta. The village is only a 45-minute drive from the border with Montenegro and half an hour from the famous sandy beach. The Zadrima region is known for its cultural heritage, as well as its local wine, Kalmet.

Altin eagerly awaits Albania's accession to the European Union. His children were born in Europe, and he hopes they will grow up in a European Albania with European standards in agriculture and rural development.

For him, "Mrizi i Zanave" is a dream come true, a beautiful culinary experience. He is proud to value the things that Albania has to offer.