Once a dreary and gray city, much like most communist cities in Eastern Europe, today’s Tirana is a small but colorful capital that firmly treads the path of breaking free from the rigid mold of red ties that once held the Balkan countries in their grip. The archaic air of the era that ended three decades ago still lingers, but now it has a warm, pleasant hue, marked by the kindness and enthusiasm of its people. It’s an affordable city, easily translatable for tourists, where you can eat well at low prices and spend a weekend without the fear of getting bored.
If, for various reasons, you’ve overlooked Tirana and Albania from your list of tourist destinations, even as a city break, thinking it’s not a safe destination, that would be a mistake. Tirana is quite safe and, furthermore, friendly, with simple and warm-hearted people, delighted to see the growth in tourism in recent years, supported by both the government and the private sector. I didn’t expect it, but I even saw several groups of Asians—Chinese, Japanese, or whatever they were—wandering around the city, and I heard German and French being spoken on the streets. Plus Italian, but that’s not conclusive since any self-respecting Albanian has at least a relative in Italy, and if not him, surely his wife.
Certainly, Tirana is not London, Paris, or Barcelona, not even Bucharest, but it has the charm of a Balkan city, fairly well-kept, with many—very many—restaurants and terraces, a wide boulevard, Moscow-style, where dozens of red flags with the black eagle are hoisted, a huge central market, mosques and churches, several parks, and natural lakes.
It resembles Brasov because it has the mountain nearby. The city is a bit like Brasov, situated between mountains. On one of them, Dajti, you can even go up by cable car, providing a panoramic view of the city all the way to the distant Adriatic Sea. Surely, it’s more beautiful in the summer, where you can reach the 800-meter altitude on various trails. However, now it’s quite cold, and it doesn’t seem like the right time for hikes in the woods.
Beyond the center, Tirana’s landscape is mixed. Gray, sad, peeling buildings, erected in the Soviet style, where laundry dries hanging outside the apartment, coexist with small, cobbled streets following the Turkish pattern. During the centuries of Ottoman rule, Albania was officially named Arnavutluk, and its inhabitants were called arnavutlari (Arnaouts), a term adapted to us.
Tirana suffered a lot during communism, as did Albania, and it proudly displays that history. The case of dictator Enver Hoxha, their Ceaușescu, is unique in the world. He built over 200,000 bunkers (some say even 700,000) throughout the country, driven by a fear of nuclear war and invaders. Essentially, Hoxha, who died in 1985, built a bunker for almost every family in Albania. Bunkers are everywhere—in cities, villages, fields, and forests. His former fortress-like residence is now transformed into a museum. Under Hoxha’s rule, marked by isolation from the rest of Europe and self-proclaimed adherence to Marxist-Leninist principles, the Albanian government created an image of the country evolving from a semi-feudal state into an industrialized one.
Tirana is a city where history during communism is still visible, and there are even bunkers turned into tourist attractions, like BunkArt 1 (in the center) and 2 (on the outskirts). Entrance fees are 7 euros, but online you can get in for only 3.5 euros. It’s worth seeing how far the obsession of the man who led communist Albania had gone—he even built nuclear decontamination rooms.
You can eat very well and cheaply. Albanian cuisine is for gourmets. Large and inexpensive portions. Albanians claim that they prepare the most delicious lamb, and their specialties include byrek (traditional pie with cheese or meat), tavë kosi (lamb with yogurt), sufllaqe (Albanian shawarma), qofte (Albanian meatballs). Albanian beer is good (1-2 euros), wines are more expensive because they are Italian. In Tirana, you definitely won’t die of hunger, and the biggest mistake is to go to fast food. However, given how well you eat at restaurants, it would be a mistake to cross their threshold. In general, Albania is an oasis of affordability in an increasingly expensive world. With the money you spend in Paris in three days, you probably survive a month in Tirana. Even transportation was ridiculously cheap. For a ticket from Bucharest, a flight of one hour and 20 minutes, I paid 90 lei. Accommodation at a hostel in the center cost 65 lei per night, single room. A satisfying portion of food cost around 22 lei. Surely there are expensive places, but mass tourism is not practiced at five stars.
Also, in Tirana, I saw the most amusing warning sign: it’s the one for those with education problems or, God forbid, bladder issues. If you want to avoid ending up on YouTube, it’s advisable to use designated restroom spaces; otherwise, you have every chance of going viral.
Muslim country, but without problems with other religions
The national hero is Skanderbeg, also known as Iron Arm, who led the liberation revolts of the Albanians in the 15th century against the Ottomans. Tirana’s central square, one of the largest in Europe, bears his name, and there is also a statue of him. Near it, I saw two or three stray dogs, and a little further, three local troubadours had put together a mini-band playing the accordion. The National Museum, the National Theater, and the Et’hem Bey Mosque are just a few of the old structures that border the square. Quite close to the square is the loudest street in the city. In 2007, George W. Bush became the first American leader to visit Albania, and on this occasion, a main street was named in his honor.
The population of the country and Tirana is predominantly Muslim, as a legacy of centuries of Ottoman rule, but there are also Albanian Orthodox (20%) and Roman Catholics (10%). Starting in 1967, the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania was the only state in the world officially declared atheist; churches and mosques were closed, and those with religious names were obliged to change them. Albania then was like North Korea today. However, things are different now. “My religion is Albania, and Albanians are my brothers” is the motto that influenced religious tolerance among groups. You rarely see hijabs or covered heads on the streets.
Mountains are visible from the airport runway
Tirana Airport has a spectacular view, with mountains visible behind the runways. It’s not exactly high-performance because it doesn’t accept mobile boarding passes; they need to be printed. It’s your responsibility, or theirs, when it comes to luggage. The local currency is the Albanian lek. One euro is about 100 lek. The word lek is an abbreviation for Alexander the Great, as the Albanians named the former great king of Macedonia. From the airport to the city, you can take a bus that runs every hour, 24/7. The journey costs 400 lek and takes between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on traffic. Albanians don’t seem to be the most disciplined drivers, so be careful even at pedestrian crossings. Somewhat understandable, during communism, the average Albanian was not allowed to have a car. There were about 1,000 cars in the whole country, most of them belonging to the party. Therefore, driving was only allowed in Albania about 30 years ago. There is no metro, tram, or trolleybus, but many buses are hybrid. Taxis are also widely used, but tourist spots are clustered in the city center, so public transport is not needed to explore them.
The place where Mother Teresa left
Mother Teresa is a prominent figure in Albania. Born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, with the name Agnesë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, she founded the Missionaries of Charity order in Calcutta, India, in 1950. For over 45 years, she cared for the poor, sick, orphans, and the dying, leading and expanding the Missionaries of Charity, first throughout India and then in other countries. In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace Prize. She was beatified by the Catholic Church on October 19, 2003, and canonized on September 4, 2016, in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Mother Teresa is present on almost all souvenirs from Albania, from mugs to magnets, towels, hats, etc. Another character is Ahmet Zogu, also known as Zog I, who was prime minister, president, and king of Albania in the first half of the 20th century. He could have played in Die Hard anytime because he survived 55 assassination attempts, which were planned over a ten-year period. Zog then died peacefully in Paris, in exile.
Passionate about music and entertainment
Albanians are passionate about music and entertainment, and they take pride in Rita Ora and Dua Lipa having local origins. There are plenty of clubs in Tirana, and also a few malls. The city even has a massive shopping center in the center, with dozens of stores, some of them quite luxurious. Prices are similar to ours, and even though Albanian salaries are somewhat lower, the appetite for shopping does not seem to be affected by that. Most residents, however, have relatives abroad who help those at home. It is said that there are more Albanians living in the world than in Albania, with most of them emigrating to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Canada, Australia, and the USA. Albania has 2.8 million inhabitants, and about 500,000 of them live in Tirana. The Albanian language somewhat resembles Romanian, with many common words and a similar accent. Often, you get the impression that you understand what is being said, although listening carefully, you don’t understand much. When I arrived at the airport, at security, a lady greeted travelers with “Hajde, hajde”. It was Albanian, not Romanian, but it means the same thing. Otherwise, the lyrics of the Albanian anthem, titled “Hymn of the Flag”, are written by the Aromanian Aleksandër Stavre Drenova. The music is “On our flag, unity is written”, and it was composed by Ciprian Porumbescu.
From the list of places to visit, the National History Museum and the National Art Gallery should not be missed. These are places that introduce the tourist to the cultural heritage of a small but educationally rich country. Also, Tirana Castle, built on the site of an old fortress, has an interesting history and offers interesting views of the city and the surrounding mountains. Being south of Romania, Tirana has milder weather, especially in the cold season. It’s not very cold even in winter, and it’s more likely to rain than snow. The city is on the same parallel as Naples, Madrid, or Istanbul, and on the same meridian as Budapest and Krakow.
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