Vlorë County – Ancient Aulon, where Albanian independence was declared in 1912
Vlorë holds a central place in Albanian history: it was here that Albania's independence was proclaimed on 28 November 1912. The city's roots go back to antiquity, when it was known as Aulon and mentioned by Ptolemy among the towns of the Illyrian Taulantii. The coast of the Bay of Vlorë saw pre-urban activity from the 11th–10th centuries BCE, and Greek colonists founded settlements such as Oricum; a fortified port town at Triport was inhabited from the 6th century BCE to the 2nd century AD. Today the mountainous county stretches along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, forming the Albanian Riviera. Do you know more stories from Vlorë? Share them here in Local History!