“Albania? Is it safe?”
This is a question I am often asked when I tell people I have made this little-known Balkan state home. Located on the fringes of Europe; bordered by Kosovo and Montenegro to the north, Macedonia to the east, Greece to the South, and the Adriatic Sea to the west, it is a hidden gem and one of the last wild frontiers of Europe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwuCjA1nuhh/Its capital, Tirana sits at the base of the Skanderbeg Mountains sprawled across a vast plain and is fast gaining a reputation as one of the coolest capitals on the continent. Safe, vibrant, bustling, and undeniably colourful, it’s home to almost a million people. After decades of communist rule, the country is emerging from its chrysalis and is fast becoming one of the must-visit places of 2019.
With impossibly friendly locals, low prices, fascinating history, and a rich and diverse culinary scene, Tirana is the perfect place to spend 24 hours, or more!
Must stay at Areela Boutique Hotel
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlVCWk_HNM8/Located just a stone’s throw from Skanderbeg Square and the centre of Tirana, The Areela Boutique Hotel is one of the quirkiest and impeccably stylish places to stay in the city. Each room is individually designed with vibrant colour schemes, quirky custom-made furniture, and traditional Albanian textiles throughout. The breakfast is to die for; pastry, eggs, cheeses, fresh tomatoes and cucumber (this is the Albanian way), cured meats, fresh orange juice, and lashings of coffee- the perfect way to kick off your day! Prices start from EUR 40 a night.
Must eat at Bufe/Sita/Fish Shop
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL_v9zKgw1t/Tirana is home to a seemingly endless number of cafes, bistros and restaurants, so finding somewhere to satiate your appetite is never going to be an issue. For brunch head to Bufe next to the Lana River where you can fill up on petulla (fried balls of dough served with honey and salty cheese) and listen to jazz, and for lunch you can check out the Sita food truck on Skanderbeg Square. This kiosk serves up seasonal and traditional Albanian dishes in a street food format and they are completely single-use plastic free. For dinner you should head to Fishshop where you can dine on incredibly fresh fish including raw prawns drizzled in oil and lemon juice, tuna tartare, calamari, and lashings of local wine for around EUR 20 a head.
Must walk explore the city by foot
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzIC7sHAWnu/Tirana’s architecture is a fascinating mishmash of Fascist Italian, Communist era buildings, and haphazard, brightly coloured and slightly crumbling apartments. Many of the walls are painted in bright oranges, reds, pinks, yellows, greens and blues and street art can be found in abundance. Zebra crossings painted with ethnographic patterns, fuse boxes decorated with vintage cartoon characters, and entire sides of buildings covered in murals and modern art- there is no shortage of colourful designs to catch your eye.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQWJVkVAaU-/You can then take a 5km walk around the Artificial Lake- breathe in the fresh air, admire the view framed by the mountains beyond, and stop for a coffee by the lakeside to soak up the laid-back atmosphere. Tirana is a small city and you can get pretty much anywhere you want to go, on foot whilst enjoying the numerous photo ops as you go.
Must take the cable car
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByfMMUXnauS/For the best views of the city, you can take a cable car from Tirana, up to the summit of Mount Dajti. It takes around 20 minutes each way, but the views are unsurpassed. Watch the farmland and forests pass beneath you, or gaze out across the pain of Tirana to the lakes and ocean in the distance. Once you get to the top, you can hop off for a glass of wine or another coffee, go horse riding, or just sit and admire the view from 1000 meters above the city.
Must explore some museums
https://www.instagram.com/p/BskfvKqAnCG/There is no hiding it- Albania has had a tumultuous past. From centuries of Ottoman occupation to 50 years of one of the world’s most brutal communist regimes, no visit is complete without trying to understand at least a part of it. The House Of Leaves, otherwise known as the Museum of Secret Surveillance serves as a stark reminder to the level of control that was exerted over Albanian people. Within its walls you can explore artefacts and rooms that were used to surveil and spy on the country’s 3 million citizens, as well as begin to understand just how far the tendrils of the regime extended into everyday life.
You should also make time to visit one or both of the Bunkart museums. Communist dictator Enver Hoxha built hundreds of thousands of underground bunkers across the country to prepare for an invasion that never came. Today, two of them in Tirana have been transformed into museums that give a unique look into how the country fell into, and then rose from the grips of communism. You can see relics from the bygone age including cinemas and vast underground networks of offices and accommodation that were built to protect members of the communist party in case of attack.
Must go for cocktails
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvMZ5ClHrav/Tucked away in the streets of the Blloku area of town (a part of the city that was once sealed off for members of the communist party and their families only) Prohibition Speakeasy Cocktail Bar brings you finely crafted cocktails in a 1920s setting. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can then head to Nouvelle Vague and Radio- popular and bustling bars full of cool, young Albanians and imaginative cocktails for around EUR 3 each.
Getting there
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxkbHpzIwC2/Most major European airports fly directly into Tirana and from the airport to the city centre takes around 30 minutes. Alternatively you can take the ferry from Bari, Italy to the port city of Durres and then travel 45 minutes inland along Via Ignatia to the capital. The more intrepid explorers amongst us could even travel to Corfu, take the ferry to the southern city of Sarande and then make the 4 hour drive through the mountains and along the Albanian Riviera. Tirana is 2 and a half hour drive from Pristina, and 2 hours from Ohrid in North Macedonia.
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