\u201cIts halls will host start-ups, offices, events, and a TUMO center to provide young Albanian and regional students with access to digital skills that can give them future employment. Similar centers are already operational in Yerevan, Paris, Berlin, Los Angeles, Zurich, and Lyon, but Tirana\u2019s is the first space for creative technologies in all of the Balkans,\u201d says Ketrina Jarazi, the director of the Department of Tourism of the Municipality of Tirana, as we walk around the structure. As I walk, I realize how much the city has changed in recent years, many new buildings, yes, but also renovated areas, openings, high gastronomy restaurants, events every week, and many tourists: Tirana now has all the right cards to become the new destination for a different kind of weekend. \u201cThis year the number of visitors has been very high for a small country like ours, surrounded by giants like Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey: a total of 8.2 million tourists (according to data from INSTAT, the Albanian National Institute of Statistics), including many Italians, have crossed the Albanian borders and visited Tirana from the beginning of the year until now,\u201d she concludes, seemingly reading my thoughts.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/piramida-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
What to do in Tirana<\/strong><\/p>\n In recent years, the winds have shifted, and it\u2019s quite evident. Low-cost airlines now connect the Albanian capital to major European airports, and starting from November, Ryanair will also fly to Tirana from Bologna, Milan, Rome, Catania, Treviso, and many other cities across the old continent. The events calendar is continuously evolving: this summer, Tirana hosted artists of the caliber of Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Placido Domingo, while the TIFF International Film Festival and the Tirana European Youth Film Festival drew actors and directors from all over the Balkans and Europe. But the year isn\u2019t over yet: on October 16-17, the Kosmos Festival brings local and international classical music artists to the city, on October 22, there\u2019s the Marathon, from November 15 to 19, the Book Fair is an opportunity to meet Albanian authors, many of whom are also translated into Italian. On November 29, the White Night brings music, dancing, and fun to the streets of \u201cBlloku\u201d, the nightlife district. And then there\u2019s the Christmas market, which gathers artisans, wineries, and gastronomic stands in festive Piazza Scanderbeg, from December to the beginning of the new year.<\/p>\n Visiting museums<\/strong><\/p>\n From the grand square, the heart of the city, to BunkArt2, it\u2019s just a short walk. It\u2019s a museum dedicated to the victims of the communist regime, housed in an atomic bunker beneath the Ministry of the Interior, right in the city center. A younger sibling of BunkArt1 on the outskirts of the capital, which is also inside a bunker (seven floors below ground level) with rooms, halls, chambers, and a theater. These two are unmissable stops to delve into Albania\u2019s not-so-distant history. However, the real gem is the House of Leaves, winner of the 2020 Museum Prize from the Council of Europe, located in the former headquarters of \u201cSigurimi\u201d, the Albanian secret police during Hoxha\u2019s time. Among bugs, archives, and various devices, the museum tells the story and commemorates the psychological violence, human rights violations, and control perpetrated against citizens during the harsh years of the communist regime.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/statuja.jpg\")