Tirana Travel Guide: Things to Do In Albania’s Capital City
[This post contains affiliate links.]
After almost a month of quaint, smaller cities it was time for a change…cue a visit to the capital city of Albania, Tirana. This city was a pleasant surprise for me. Why, you ask? Well, admittedly I expected (very ignorantly) a city of cement block buildings bringing to life the communist era of this country.
What I got was a mix of the modern and the historic with a beautiful tree-lined city center to cap it off. The history of this city dates all the way back to the 1600s when it was built General Pasa, a Turkish soldier. Eventually, it would become a trading center and it became the capital in 1920. The history is amazing and coalesces into a fascinating city.
Modern-day Tirana is the economic center as well as the seat of the Albanian government and that makes for a busy city filled with lots of amazing things to see and do (including shopping in a huge mall if that’s something you are into!). My short stay did not allow me to fit everything into my itinerary but I saw some amazing things. Let’s talk about my stay…
Accommodations… ZigZag Hostel
The constitutional to find this hostel was terribly trying…No seriously it was a long walk to the hostel from where the bus dropped me off and then I got lost trying to find it. After paying 500 Lek to go around in a circle, ending up right back where I started, my only suggestion that could make this hostel better is a more clear sign on the outside or better instructions on how to find it.
ZigZag was suggested to me by a fellow traveler I met in Gjirokastra and I thank her because the location was absolutely perfect and the hostel itself was clean and comfortable. Located just a 15-minute walk from Skanderberg Square the hostel is perfectly situated with access to all your needs both entertainment (i.e historic sites, museums, and theaters) and personal (i.e. pharmacies, grocery stores and ATM’s). If your path meanders through Tirana this hostel is one I would seriously consider if you are looking for a more chill hostel.
Things To Do…
Depending on what your idea of fun while traveling is, Tirana seems to have something for everyone. From bars and nightlife (not my style) to museums and art (this is what I am talking about!) So let’s talk about what I got up to and some of the stuff I am bummed I missed out on…
Skanderbeg Square
Skanderberg Square is part of one of the largest pedestrian areas in Europe. This square is the perfect center point for your adventure. Within walking distance is practically everything you would want to see including the next entry on the things I got to do…the National History Museum. Other than that there is the clock tower, Et’hem Bey mosque, Bank of Albania and the Palace of Culture. One of the other main attractions is the statue of the historical Albanian hero, Gjergi Kastrioti Skenderbeu (the first e is missing the umlauts).
The square originally had both a statue of Stalin and Enver Hoxha. Needless to say, when communism fell in 1991 they were brought down by the people in celebration of their freedom. It wasn't long before the new government and the people fo the newly freed Albania wanted to show respect to their history and the statue that now is the centerpiece of the square was created.
Now the square is used to house parades, festivals and the occasional rally, which I found out by running into an LGBTQ rights march. Take some time and walk around the square and take in the history of this unique and beautiful city and country.
National History Museum…
So we have discussed how much of a history nerd I am, so when I got the chance to learn some history that I was unfamiliar with you best believe that I was gonna take the time to do just that. Admittedly I knew very little about the history of Albania, especially it’s pre-communist eras and this three-story museum filled in a lot of gaps.
The museum itself is very comprehensive, but not all translated into English. Once you get about half-way through the second floor the English translations become few and far between, but it seemed to be fine because those floors cover WWII and the communist era. What does that mean, you ask? Well, it’s a history we all are pretty familiar with so it is easy to figure out what the exhibits are covering.
Among all the wars and weapons there is also an exhibit to one of the most famous Albanian’s ever born, Mother Teresa. Deeply moving and very informative I suggest taking the time to watch the whole video and learning about this saint and humanitarian. All in all the museum took me about an hour and a half and was well worth the 200 Lek ( that’s roughly $2) entry fee.
Other than these two tourist sites that I checked out I also saw a movie (the Avengers: Age of Ultron…man that was good)…that was an experience, ran into an LGBTQ rally and stumbled upon some kids summer camp performing Albanian traditional dance. Sometimes the coolest things you find are when you are simply roaming the streets.
Things I Missed Out On…
Even though I got to see those things and came upon the others there were still things I missed out on so here are a few suggestions to research and add to your must-do checklist…
Tanners Bridge
This ancient bridge was constructed during the Ottoman rule of the 18th century. It is a footbridge that is close to Taner’s Mosque and was used originally to move livestock from the Eastern Highlands to Tirana. It is a perfectly preserved and unique touch to the city center of this modern metropolis.
Bunk’Art 1 & 2
Albania has a lot of bunkers and one of the biggest and most intricate is the one found beneath the city streets of Tirana. This 100 room bunker was constructed on the orders of Enver Hoxha in the 70s. It is now home to a 24 room museum as well as a contemporary art gallery. There are even occasional concerts, lectures, and other art events.
There are two of them, Bunk Art 1 is on the eastern outskirts of Tirana with the second being in the town center just a short walk from Skanderberg square. If you love art and history this is a great choice.
House of Leaves
Unlike many of the other cities I visited in Albania Tirana has a lot more modern historical sites. One of the ones I was sad to miss was the House of Leaves. The building that this museum is housed in was originally built in the 30s as a medical clinic. It would later under German control during WW2 be a Gestapo headquarters.
Keeping with that trend when the communists took over Albania it turned into the HQ of the National Intelligence Service. Primarily used for investigations and records keeping. Now you can walk the halls and learn the ways this agency spied on people and so much more.
Dajti
If you want to get out of the city you can take a cable car (or a bus if you are not good with heights) up to the top of the beautiful Mount Dajti. Once up there take in the beautiful views, the wonderful restaurants, and stroll the beautiful paths.
I know I will make my way back to Albania and especially Tirana to see the things I missed and revisit this spectacular city. That’s it for my adventure through the streets of Tirana, so until next post…Safe Journey’s!
Check out my Tirana vlog…
If you want even more travel content then check out my YouTube channel or follow me on Instagram @ penumbra1977.
