Memaliaj is a small coal and farming town in the Vjosa valley of southern Albania, a short distance upstream of Tepelenë. The town does not draw crowds, and that is part of its interest. The Vjosa runs here in wide, braided channels over gravel, hemmed in by pale hills, and on a hot day the river is a ribbon of turquoise through dusty fields and olive groves. The region has long been known for its lignite, and the mine gave the town its industrial identity in the communist period, when workers were brought in and apartment blocks were built.
The landscape is typical of southern Albania, with dry slopes covered in scrub and oak, stone terraces, scattered villages, and everywhere the signs of concrete bunkers left from the Hoxha years. The valley is also a corridor of history. The old road from the coast toward Gjirokastër and Greece has used this gap for centuries, and the nearby town of Tepelenë was the birthplace of Ali Pasha, the Ottoman ruler who built a mini-state in the early nineteenth century and was famously described by Lord Byron, who visited in 1809.
For the rider, a backroad between Berat and Tepelenë is a lesson in contrast. The main highway is fast and busy with trucks, but the smaller roads through Memaliaj and neighbouring villages offer quiet, winding riding with small farms, wandering livestock and big views over the river. Surfaces are variable, with potholes, patched sections and sometimes gravel, so you need to look ahead. In the afternoon, heat and dust can be considerable, and the best times are morning and early evening.
Memaliaj has around five thousand people, which means you should find a fuel station and basic services, and Tepelenë, about seven kilometres away, is larger, with more choice. Local cafés serve strong coffee and often a plate of fried peppers or grilled meat, and the people tend to be curious and welcoming. It is a simple, honest stop, and a reminder that the best bits of a trip are sometimes the least famous.