Saranda’s story is over 2000 years old. It was one of the seaside harbours of the Old Epirus.

The name of the town is associated with an interesting legend about a mission of 40 Roman soldiers, which aim remains unknown to this day. During the voyage bad weather forced them to moor their ship in Onhezmi Bay (today’s Saranda). The locals, who were of different faith than the Catolic soldiers, took them for interrogation as prisoners. They made them a condition: they will either change their faith to Orthodox and escape death, or will be sentenced to death by staying in a pool with freezing water. The soldiers did not accept the offer. They decided to sacrifice their own lives all to the glory of God.

And so it happened. After execution the locals themselves, shocked at such a big sacrifice and great faith in God, deemed them the Holy 40. In honour of the 40 heroes’ courage a Monastery was even built on a hill above Saranda. The Holy 40 – Santa Quaranta – Saranta – Saranda. It took place on March 9th in VI century, thus this date can be acknowledged as the holiday of the town.

Source: www.albaniapopolsku.pl

Did you know that by Saranda’s shore there are more than 20 shipwrecks, which are easily accessible without a need to sail to the open sea in a boat? That is right! These are, among others:

– “Peshkatarit” fishing cutter,
– Antonio car-passenger ferry, which sunk in 2003,
– A group of six Albanian warships sunken in 2010 by the American USNS warship,
– S 402 motor torpedo boat ? the first shipwreck from the above group rests on a keel 18 m beneath the sea level,
– S 422 patrol ship (39 m long and 5 m wide hull, rests 33 m beneath the sea level on its left side. It is armed in a single cannon, type 66, calibre 57 mm, as well as two coupled anti-aircraft cannons, calibre 37 mm.),
– Heavy Regina Margherita cruiser. Sunken on 11th of December 1916,
– Ex Vienna hospital ship, sunken by Allied torpedo airplanes on 14th of March 1941. 138 m long,
– Andromeda Spica destroyer. SC16 side number. Sunken by British torpedo airplanes on 17th of March 1941,
– Luciano steamer. Transport ship with a displacement of 3329 tons, sunken on 15th of April 1941 by British torpedos,
– Stampalla steamer. More than 70 m long. Sunken by the air force on 15th of April 1941,
– Rosandra battleship with a displacement of more than 8000 tons. Sunken within about 8 nautical miles from the entrance to the harbour by British Tactician submarine. The shipwreck rests more than 60 m beneath the sea level…
– Ravignio steamer. 58 m long with displacement of 451 tons. A small steamship sunken on its cruise to Istria on 22nd of September 1943 by British torpedo boats,
– MV Probitas freighter, 115 m long, sunken in 1943 by German airplanes,
– Algerine destroyer, HMS Regulus, sunken in the Strait of Corfu on 12th of January 1945 after hitting a mine,
– Shipwrecks of Roman and Greek ships from VI century BC to about V century AD

There is also a Polish Diving Base in Saranda, which offers diving packages and learning.

Source: www.albaniapopolsku.pl