Kolonja City

The city of Kolonja is located in the South-Eastern part of Albania, in Korçë. Kolonja is part of the physical-geographical unit in the central mountainous province, the southern part and with a height of about 1100 m above sea level. The total area of the district is over 805 km², with a population of 26,535 inhabitants and with Erseka as its capital. A total of 12,840 inhabitants live in the city, divided according to the cities: Erseke and Leskovik, and 13,695 inhabitants live in rural areas. Prof. Nor. Dr. Skënder Aliu claims that: The Kolonja plateau, together with the Korça basin in South-Eastern Albania, represents one of the richest and most prominent regions of prehistoric civilization, within our country and beyond in the Balkan plain. The province of Kolonje was inhabited in ancient times by the Illyrian tribe of Desaret.

• The colony is mentioned in documents written in 1018, inhabited since prehistoric times.

•Middle Neolithic in Loire and late in Kamnik 2800 to 2600 BC.

• On the archaeological map of the province, over 50 archaeological sites are known, such as: prehistoric settlements, prehistoric caves, Illyrian castles, necropolises, mounds, medieval castles, etc. Kolonja has Mount Gramozi (with a height of 2523 m) to its east, Mount Radom to the west, with the Qarri Threshold which separates this Pit from Fushgropa e Korça, and to the south the Leshnje-Barmash Highlands and Radom Mountain. It is traversed by a series of streams that converge in the Osum watershed, such as: the stream of Kozel, Skorovoti, Starje, Taçi and Prodan and a series of smaller water currents with a seasonal character of their activity. On the top of a hill near the village of Qinam is located the prehistoric settlement of Olm of Qinam, as well as many early settlements in the form of ruined castles. Mount Gramoz serves as the dividing border of this area from the territory of Greece. The economy of Kolonje is mainly oriented towards the development of small business, in the field of construction, in the use of forests and the processing of timber for sale. The province is mainly an agricultural and livestock country, and the surface of the agricultural land is used for the cultivation of cereals and fodder. The plant and animal world is rich.

•Almost 45% of the surface is covered with forests and bushes, where you can find: the area of maquis, oak, pine, beech, fir, as well as alpine pastures.

• Kolonja has a large forest wealth of 35,000 ha, pastureland with 22,000 ha, hunting reserve area of 40,000 ha (allowed hunting area) and prohibited hunting area of 26,000 ha. A rich variety of flora and fauna grows.

•On the eastern border above the inhabited areas up to the border with Greece, i.e. Mount Gramoz, grow almost all types of fauna of the mountain areas, of which we mention: wild rabbit, mountain partridge, fox, wolf, bear, marmot, roe deer , wild goat, wild boar.

• The province has rugged mountainous relief, with numerous underground water sources such as: the source of Kozel, Imavra, Vllaka, Laca, Vodica, etc., with clean and cold water.

• The province of Kolonje possesses areas with special natural values, which constitute a high tourist potential such as: the coal resources of Bezhan, the thermal springs with curative values of Vromoneri, Sarandopor and the unstudied sulphurous gases of Postenani.

The history of Kolonja, especially that of the National Renaissance period, with over 60 percent of the country's historical figures such as brave captains, heroic teachers and outstanding ideologues of Albania's Independence were or originated from Cologne. Cologne remains an amazing tourist destination with its many natural monuments, villages and their picturesque appearance, with warm and friendly residents make this area very visited by locals and foreigners. Noli's wish engraved on the stone face of a memorial reads: “What a beautiful place. When we declare Albania a Republic, I will build a hut there and every time I want I will come and spend my holidays in the village of my great-grandparents".