Qeparo (Albanian definite form: Qeparoi; Greek: ÎηÏαÏÏ, Kiparo) is a seaside village in the municipality of Himara in VlorĂ« County, Albania. The village is part of the Albanian Riviera and is divided into two parts â Upper or Old Qeparo on higher ground, and Lower or New Qeparo on the coast. Qeparo is an Albanian-speaking village.
The Albanian Riviera (Albanian: Riviera shqiptare, pronounced [ÉŸiviËÉÉŸa ÊcipËtaÉŸÉ]), also popularly known as Bregu, is a coastline along the north-eastern Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean Sea, encompassing the districts of SarandĂ« and VlorĂ« in south-western Albania. It forms an important section of the Albanian Ionian Sea Coast, dotted with the villages of PalasĂ«, Kondraq, DhĂ«rmi, Ilias,Vuno, Himara, Pilur, KudhĂ«s, Qeparo, Borsh, Piqeras, Sasaj, LukovĂ«, ShĂ«n Vasil and NivicĂ«-Bubari.
The riviera should not be confused with the entire coastline of the country, which includes the Ionian Sea Coast, and the mostly flat Adriatic Sea Coast in the north. The Ceraunian Mountains separate the coast from the hinterland. The area is a major nightlife, ecotourist, and elite retreat destination in Albania. It features traditional Mediterranean villages, ancient castles, churches, monasteries, secluded turquoise beaches, bays, mountain passes, seaside canyons, coves, rivers, underwater fauna, caves, and orange, lemon, and olive groves. During the classical times, 48 BC during his pursuit of Pompey, Julius Caesar set foot and rested his legion at Palasë. He continued onto Llogara Pass in a place later named Caesar's Pass.
Borsh (Albanian pronunciation: [ËbÉÉŸÊ]; Albanian definite form: Borshi, [ËbÉÉŸÊi]) is a maritime village, in the Albanian Riviera, in the former LukovĂ« municipality, VlorĂ« County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform, it became part of the HimarĂ« municipality. The village is inhabited by ethnic Albanians, many of whom have traditionally been Bektashi. In Borsh, the Lab dialect of Albanian is spoken.
Borsh borders with Fterra, Qeparo, Piqeras, Kuç, Ăorraj, Kalasa, Zhulat, Tatzat, and has a population of 2,500 registered inhabitants.
HimarĂ« (Albanian definite form: Himara; Greek: ΧÎčÎŒÎŹÏα, Chimara or ΧΔÎčÎŒÎŹÏÏα, Cheimarra) is a municipality and region in VlorĂ« County, southern Albania. The municipality has a total area of 571.94 km (220.83 sq mi) and consists of the administrative units of HimarĂ«, HorĂ«-Vranisht and LukovĂ«. It lies between the Ceraunian Mountains and the Albanian Ionian Sea Coast and is part of the Albanian Riviera. The traditionally perceived borders of the HimarĂ« region gradually shrank during the Ottoman period, being reduced to the town of HimarĂ« and the villages of the coastline (Bregdet in Albanian), generally including only PalasĂ«, DhĂ«rmi, Pilur, KudhĂ«s, Vuno, Iljas and Qeparo.
The coastal region of Himarë is predominantly populated by an ethnic Greek community. The local population is bilingual in Greek and Albanian. The town of Himarë and the villages of Dhërmi and Palasa, which together account for the bulk of the population of the region, are primarily populated by a Greek population. The villages of Iljas, Lukovë, Kudhës, Pilur and Vuno are inhabited by an Albanian population, while Qeparo is inhabited by both ethnic Albanians and Greeks. In the 2011 census, 83% of the inhabitants of the former municipality of Horë-Vranisht declared themselves as Albanians, while the rest failed to provide a reply. In the former Lukovë municipality, the population is predominantly Albanian (94%) with a small Greek minority (6%).