I arrived in Tirana on a two hour flight from Milan. This was my first visit to Albania. Tirana international airport, is serviced by flights from most European countries. I flew with Wizz Air from Milan Malpensa. Wizz Air is the Hungarian low cost airline and services most of the Balkan countries as well as lots of Eastern European ones. My ticket cost just under €200 return. This included the cost to check in a bag and to reserve a seat on both legs.
As outlined in my “Travel Tips and Quirks” – the bus from the airport to the city center is extremely efficient. I arrived in central Tirana within 90 minutes of landing in Albania.
First Impressions
Several people had told me that they didn’t think Tirana was very safe. I decided to take a short walk immediately and see what the city was like.
I think you do get a vibe immediately, in a city, as to whether you feel safe. I really felt safe in Tirana. Locals and tourists were going about their business and there was a visible police presence everywhere.
I was immediately struck by the amount of construction work, in progress. It seemed as if new buildings were being built on every street corner. These are being built beside historic buildings, churches and mosques – creating quite unusual views. Both the old and new buildings are extremely colourful with distinctive windows, external paint and shutters.
The center of the city is very busy and there are cafes and restaurants everywhere. I enjoyed a light lunch, exchanged my Euro for Albanian LEK and started planning how I would spend my first visit to Albania.
I had booked a tour for one day, before I arrived, and I ended up going on two day trips. Therefore this post will outline a two day itinerary in Tirana.
Bunk Art
This museum is situated in a distinctive building which looks like an entrance to an underground railway. This is one of two Bunk Art Museums – the other is a short drive/ bus journey from the city
The entrance fee cost 800 LEK (€8). An audio guide is available but you need your own headphones to use it. I didn’t have any with me. Before I decided to come back later the cashier told me the signage is great so you don’t really need the audio guide. He was correct – the multi-lingual signs are extremely detailed.
All the exhibits are in small rooms which are accessed by numerous corridors. Numbered signs are located in the hallways. I strongly suggest you follow the number sequence as they explain history in chronological order. Several other people seemed to be just going into random rooms. I really didn’t know much about Albania’s past. I do remember the news reports from the early nineties when they transitioned from the Communist regime.
This museum gives a fantastic insight into the history from 1912, when the Albanian state was first set up. The exhibits include photographs, maps, uniforms and equipment. It’s quite gory at times so it isn’t for the fainthearted. The explanation of the “Sigurimi”, (State Security, Intelligence and Secret Police from 1944-1991), is particularly harrowing. The pictures and statistics from the internment camps are extremely well explained. You really get a great insight into how the country was managed during this time.
I spent 90 minutes here, went into every room and read every sign. If you are interested in history you will really enjoy visiting this museum. Enjoy probably isn’t the correct word to use. I left with a profound sense of sadness as to what the people of this small country endured in the not too distant past. I was left wanting to learn more though !
MiG – Women’s Museum
When I initially started planning what to do in Tirana this jumped out at me. Now it’s not the easiest place to find. It was about a 10 minute walk from Skanderberg Square, the main square in the city center. There is a sign at a busy commercial street but it points you to a small street and the museum wasn’t there. I asked a female security guard, who was standing outside a building, but she didn’t know where it was. I walked around the area and eventually I found the rather austere entrance door I had seen online. I rang the bell and was admitted. You then walk up several flights of stairs until you get to the museum door.
I was intrigued with its appearance so far and it certainly didn’t disappoint. There was no one else there when I arrived and the founder Elsa Ballauri was present. Elsa is a journalist and human rights activist and this is very much a passion project for her. We had a great conversation and she told me lots of information about the various exhibits.
Contained in a series of rooms are a myriad of treasures. They include clothings, photographs, jewellery, household objects etc.
Several of the items belonged to Elsa’s family. She proudly pointed out some beautiful clothes her Grandmother had purchased in Paris and her Grandfather’s record player and record collection. She also showed me the small bathroom they have recreated here, as previously food was prepared in these due to space constraints in homes.
It was such a pleasure and honour to meet Elsa and to talk to her. She has been to lots of international conferences about women’s rights. We talked about Ireland and my experiences growing up there and traveling the World solo. If you visit, I really hope you get the chance to talk to Elsa and this museum is really one of the most unique I have visited anywhere in the World.
The entrance fee is 500 LEK (€5) which is amazing value for what I saw and learnt.
House of Leaves Museum
The House of Leaves is the most visited museum in Tirana. It is a short walk from Skanderberg Square. You pay the entrance fee at a kiosk and then enter the garden area. The entrance fee is 700 LEK (€7) and you are told you can’t take photographs inside. They don’t have any lockers to leave your belongings. I didn’t take a photograph from the outside as there were hoardings covering it.
I have been to several museums and sites of historical significance where there is just an eerie feeling. This building certainly gave me the shivers. As I started to go from room to room and read the various signs I realised why. This was the site of intimidation and torture of Albanian people for years. I didn’t see any other visitors as I walked from room to room and the silence certainly accentuated the atmosphere.
This two story building originally was a maternity hospital. During WW2, the Gestapo used it. After the war the “Sigurimi” used it to carry out surveillance missions during the Communist era. Its 31 rooms contain lots of equipment and details on how surveillance was carried out. They intercepted people’s post and placed surveillance equipment in their homes and workplaces. Lots of equipment is displayed including microphones, binoculars, video cameras etc. The Communist regime used the film industry as a propaganda tool and there are several posters displaying the films made during this period.
In 2014 the state carried out a poll of 1,200 individuals to learn about their experience under Communism. The details of this poll are displayed in one room and they are quite staggering. 50% of the participants had relatives who were executed or tortured by the regime.
A darkroom shows how they developed photographs used in the surveillance and this room is one of the most impactful.
In another room, there are TV’s and headphones and you can listen to interviews of people talking about their experiences. Elsa Balluri, who I had met a few days before at the Women’s Museum, is one of the interviewees.
This museum is an essential visit for anyone interested in the history of Albania. It’s staggering to think that this only ended 34 years ago !
Pyramids of Tirana
As you leave the House of Leaves and continue towards the river Lana, you will see this rather large structure known as the “Pyramids of Tirana”. It previously was a museum and it’s now used as a conference center. During the Kosovo war NATO used it as their headquarters.
There are several banks of steps and you climb 115 quite steep ones to get to the top. It is worth climbing as you have a great panoramic view of the city at the top.
There are lots of brightly coloured small buildings situated inside and outside of the “Pyramid”. Some are tilted to one side, others look suspended from the ceiling and some are on top of one another. Several appeared to be vacant but some housed offices and cafes.
This is a strange place and even though it was built in 1988, it feels rather unfinished.
Monuments and Buildings
Tirana is a great city to walk around. The architecture is interesting and the mix of modern with historical buildings is very striking.
There are lots of monuments and statues everywhere. Some are of historical figures and others are quite modern. A green and red structure, known as the Friendship monument (2nd below), commemorates the relationships between Albania and Kuwait.
The 40,000 square meters Skanderberg Square has several important buildings around it. These include the Opera House, the Bank of Albania, the Palace of Culture and the Et’hem Bey Mosque.
The Skanderberg monument was being renovated and was covered so I couldn’t see it. There is a ferries wheel and a carousel at one side of this busy square.
Mosques and Churches also dominate the city landscape. The Resurrection Cathedral, just down from the House of Leaves, is huge. The Namazgah Mosque (AKA the Great Mosque of Tirana) is the largest mosque in the Balkans. It is a beautiful building particularly when lit up at nighttime.
Restaurants and Cafes
There are restaurants and cafes everywhere in the city. While Mediterranean cuisine dominates, there are ethnic restaurants also. As described in my “Tips and Quirks for Albania” there are several things which I noticed i.e. the smoking policy, the way receipts and payments are managed etc.
The “Kalaja Tiranes Familja Toptani” (Tirana Castle) contains a series of restaurants and specialty shops within the castle walls. It’s a lovely area to visit in the evening. The quality of choice is excellent and all the restaurants were busy with locals on the two occasions I went.
I had the traditional “Fergese” (Albanian goats cheese with a tomato sauce and served with brown bread) one evening and pizza another evening. The lights and decorations really create a lovely atmosphere. There is a great gelato shop which was busy with locals each evening I was there. I did treat myself one night to two scoops of chocolate gelato and it cost 400 LEK (€4). It was delicious.
There are several restaurants and bars, overlooking Skanderberg Square, by the Opera House also. They have indoor and outdoor seating allowing a great view of the square and the city. I had pasta in one on my first evening. The very helpful waiter suggested a main course which wasn’t on the menu, when I said I was vegetarian. The decent portion cost 800 LEK (€8).
Several of the large hotels have Casinos which appear to be open 24/7. I didn’t see any venues advertising music in the evenings and I also didn’t see a cinema as I walked around.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed my visit to Tirana and my first visit to Albania. It’s a lot cheaper than lots of countries on mainland Europe. If you are interested in history it’s a fascinating country to visit. I went on two day trips during my stay so it’s very tourist friendly with good transport options.
I plan to return to Albania again and I hope to visit the coast and see some smaller towns and cities. The Balkan region fascinates me, mainly due to its recent history. I also think there are lots of diverse countries situated in close proximity. I have now visited two ( the other being Kosovo) and I really enjoyed both visits so hope to explore the region further in the near future.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read about my two day trips as follows: