Elbasan Thermal Springs (Qendër Llixhë)

Qendër Llixhë - its name literally means "the baths" in Albanian - is a small village roughly 12 km from Elbasan at the base of Banja mountain, built around thermal water drawn from the same broader geothermal belt that feeds the wilder Hidraj springs about 1.5 km away. The site has been used for bathing since Roman times, and today a handful of modest hotels, including Hotel Miza and Onix Spa, offer indoor sulphurous mineral pools, mud treatments, physiotherapy, and massage under medical consultation, drawing visitors seeking relief from rheumatism and skin conditions. Unlike Hidraj's undeveloped riverside pools, Llixhë functions as a small organised spa destination with basic accommodation, though it remains modest in scale compared to Albania's larger thermal complexes.