Tirana

A lively and buzzing city with plenty to explore. Rich in history from its previous occupations, it is also rich in food.

Pavements and walkways are littered with tables of people enjoying life slowly, talking with their friends, and savouring their espresso and cigarette. I don't particularly like smoking or coffee, but the way everyone from all walks of life seemed to be spending their day, I can't say I wasn't curious to try. Tirana was a buzzing city. During our two nights there we came across multiple outdoor events (motorcycle show, car show, local election event), with food stalls, craft markets and live music. Evening entertainment needn't be planned, we could just walk the streets of Tirana. Tirana gave me the liveliness of London, without the overwhelming hoards of people or pollution.

Central Tirana

In Central Tirana there are plenty of great cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops to keep you entertained. Many are set up in pretty pedestrianised quarters The city is scattered with interesting architecture, from brightly coloured Government buildings, the intricate and grandeous mosques, to obscurely shaped modern buildings. There's no real consistency here, and I loved it. There are also many parks and green spaces within the city. But if you wanted a more expansive open space, then Grand Park of Tirana is where you want to head. On the weekend, the streets are lined with people selling various goods, from flowers and fruit, to mobile phones and furniture. Come out in the morning to explore all the knick-knacks.

Things to do in Central Tirana

Walk around Skanderbeg Square. Sit on the steps of the Opera and Ballet theatre and enjoy a drink in the sun, catch some busking musicians, see the colourful frescos of Et'hem Bej Mosque, climb the symbolic Clock Tower of Tirana, and walk around the brightly coloured Government buildings.
Relax in Grand Park of Tirana. Chill by the lake, or walk a couple trails. You could even visit the neighbouring Zoo and Botanical Park.
Knock back every flavour of Raki at Komiteti Kafe Muzeum. Even if you don't drink, the 'museum' aspect of this bar is very cool.
Visit BUNK’ART 2, an Albanian history museum set inside a bunker. (BUNK’ART 1 is mentioned below).
Spend an evening in the Blloku area, known for its upscale nightlife, hip cafes and restaurants.
Visit the Pyramid of Tirana. Unfortunately, during my visit (2023) the pyramid was undergoing major reconstruction.
Walk along pedonalja to Tirana Castle, a pedestrian walkway lined with shops, cafes and restaurants.
Visit Mercado Pazari i Ri to pick up some handmade crafts, soviet memorabilia, and pounds of loose tobacco.
Sit back and relax into the Albanian cafe culture. Grab yourself a pastry, an espresso, and a cigarette and watch the world go by.
Visit the House of Leaves Museum, a museum of secret surveillance, where you’ll learn about the gritty side of past dictatorial regimes.

Where to eat in Tirana

For Albanian food - Restaurant Piceri Era, Taverna Zoto, Oda / Oda Garden
For drinking - Radio Bar, Colonial Cocktails Academy, Nouvelle Vague
For a rooftop view - Lift Steak & Rooftop Bar
For a tasting menu - Mullixhiu (although recent reviews have not been good)

East Tirana

To get over to East Tirana, where the cable car up to Dajti National Park and the original BUNK'ART are based, it's as simple as catching a local bus. Information on this is available on their website, as well as other routes of transport, such as a shuttle bus or taxi. We took the Qender - Porcelan bus as the stop was near our accommodation. Bus stops are not labelled with what stop they are or which bus route they're on, but we just happened to see the bus pass us and found out that way. It'll probably be easier to go to the central bus stop and catch it from there.

The bus costs 40 lek which the conductor will come round and collect from you. You don’t have to pay the driver, just get on the bus, make yourself comfortable, and the conductor will make their way round to collect the payment and give you a ticket. There are buttons on the bus to request a stop, but the bus stops at basically every stop to let people off/on.

We got off at the Dajti Express stop and went up to the cable car first. It wasn't busy for us at this time of year (May), so there was no queuing, and we got the cable car to ourselves. It's about 15 mins in the cable car, and you'll pass farmland, groves and a couple houses. The view is nice, and it stretches out far enough to see the whole of Tirana and the coast. It was a little cooler up here, so I'd suggest bringing a jacket.

At the top of the mountain, there wasn't a huge amount to do. There were a couple stalls, similar to a funfair, with horse rides, shoot the bottle, mini-golf, farm animal pens etc. There is a restaurant up top, as well as a hotel that offers a restaurant and bar, but most people seemed to bring up their own picnics. While we were up there, we explored the abandoned hotel, which is straight in front of you when you exit the station. We then attempted to hike the trail on the left of the hotel to reach a view point, but the trail was very steep, and we didn't have hiking shoes on. Instead, we took a circular flat path that branches off this trail, for an out-and-back route.

Once we had returned down to the foot of Dajti Mountain, we then made our way to the original BUNK’ART, a short walk from the cable car. This history museum / art gallery is located in a huge atomic bunker that was originally constructed for the dictator Enver Hoxha and his companions, as well as some military personnel. Therefore, this bunker was for the political elite, and contains some of the most lavish bunker rooms. BUNK'ART 1 provides information on the history of Albania from 1939 (where it was under the occupation of fascist Italy) to 1990 (where Albania was liberated), as well as displaying museum exhibitions of the bunker design itself and communist life. There are a couple modern art exhibitions dotted in, but it is mainly a museum rather than an art gallery. BUNK'ART was fascinating, providing a lot of detail on the history of Albania, and its various invasions and eventual liberation. The bunker itself is large and deep (which makes it quite cold) and even though exploring the bunker was interesting, its size means we did have a case of museum legs by the end.

BUNK’ART 2, which we didn't visit, is based in central Tirana in the bunker originally for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This museum provides information on the history of the Ministry of Internal Affairs between 1912 - 1991 and focuses more on the victims of communist terror.

Things to do in East Tirana

Learn about the history of Communism in Albania at BUNK’ART
Get a birds eye view of Tirana on the Dajti Express Cable Car
Book an activity up on Dajti Mountain - high ropes, rollerblading, mini golf. For a bit more adventure, you can also book paragliding and mountain biking.
Take a hike around Dajti National Park (hire a guide, or use your own navigation)
Grab a drink at the rotating bar at Dajti Tower
Dine in at Restaurant Fresku

Abandoned hotel in Dajti National Park

Abandoned hotel in Dajti National Park

Tunnel that leads to Enver Hoxha bunker BUNK'ART

Tunnel leading to BUNK'ART

to Shkoder & Theth

Need to knows

Information on bus routes is limited. Your best bet is to look up destination websites for ‘how to get here’ information or ask around. If in doubt, you can always taxi.

Special Recommendations

Food: Restaurant Piceri Era

Attractions: Central Tirana (Shetitorja Murat Toptani street and surrounding area)

Accommodation: Vila Korani

R’s take

A lively city with plenty to keep you occupied. This lively energy meant that I felt very safe out and about at night. It’s not easy to find out information online, and fluent English isn’t commonly spoken, so be prepared to get lost or have a sudden change of plans.

Soviet and communist memorabilia at Mercado Pazari i Ri

Items in the abandoned hotel in Dajti National Park

Lamb kofte with yoghurt and pistachios at Restaurant Piceri Era

Women selling flowers and olives on the street

Soviet communist memorabilia at Mercado Pazari i Ri