Tirana Part 1

Albania was somewhere I had always wanted to visit properly. I'd been once before, and only spent a couple of hours there in Tirana. It was while I was backpacking across Europe in 2017. I'd arranged to meet James in Athens, thinking I had enough time to spend in the Balkans. I'd met up with him in Rome, and then we were due to meet again in Athens 2 and a bit months later. I figured that would be enough time to get there, working my way there. I spent some more time in Italy, before catching the ferry to Croatia, heading into Slovenia, before coming back into Croatia and going down the coat to Montenegro. Then came the catch, I was in Kotor in Montenegro, and had to get to Athens by the next afternoon. It was a long slog, I got on the 8am bus from Kotor to Tirana which took 6 hours, and then spent three hours in Tirana, for my 13 hour coach ride into Athens. It was a gruelling journey, that felt like it was never going to end, made worse by the fact my passport wasn't stamped leaving Montenegro, and the main bus station in Athens being suddenly closed for some reason, so we were diverted to a random alleyway where were dropped off, which luckily, was right next to the hotel we were staying in. So I suppose in a way, it all worked out.

But it meant that my time in Tirana consisted of a quick trip to the local shop to get something to eat, and then sitting in the bus station for a bus that I didnt have a ticket for, because the only bus left was fully booked, but there was a chance someone didnt show. And luckily, they didnt, and I got on. 

I'll start by saying, Albania is not a place travellers frequent visit, which is a shame. Yes, its not got a fully fledged and developed tourist infrastructure yet, but that gives it an exciting different feeling. Not many people I spoke with spoke English, but I managed to get around and do most things just fine. Its a really beautiful place, with this amazing east meets west kind of vibe that places like Turkey and Bosnia & Herzegovina have. I flew into Tirana, and had a good look around at some of the sights on my first day.

Here we are flying over the mountains on the way to Tirana, I think these were the Alps but I'm not sure. They were beautiful though!

And this is the magnificent Mosaic on the front of the National History Museum in Skanderbeg Square. Unfortunately, the museum is closed for restoration until approximately 2028, but when it re-opens it should be fully restored, reorganised and will be a must visit when you get to Tirana. Skanderbeg is a national hero in Albania, he was a general within the Ottoman empire, but soon defected and began military campaigns against them, as well as the Venetian Republic. Some of the battles he won against the Ottoman Empire were the first military defeats for the empire, but it did not stop them from becoming one of the dominant empires of the era, taking over much of the Balkans and even reaching Vienna, although they couldn't take well defended Vienna. The square named after him seems to be the focal point in Tirana, with a wonderful mixture of old and new around it. It's also worth noting that the airport bus drops off & picks up on a side road from the square. It goes every hour, and is the easiest and cheapest way of getting to and from the airport.

The statue of Skanderbeg, who actually abandoned his Muslim faith to become a Christian. As you can see behind, the new aspects of Tirana are growing rapidly, but the old is more beautiful.

This curious building is the Pyramid of Tirana. It was originally built to be a museum for Enver Hoxha, the Communist leader of Albania. However in the years since Albania transitioned to democracy, the building had been abandoned, and was in a bit of a sorry state, with vandalism and graffiti covering it. When I visited in March 2019, it was closed off and was awaiting restoration. It's one of those buildings that you look at and think, what else could it be used for? It's such a striking and interesting shape, but would need a lot of planning and resource to turn it into something new. I did do a bit of looking up, and apparently it has been fully restored and now hosts a IT club for local youths in Tirana.

Everywhere you go in Albania, not just in Tirana, there are these curious little bunkers. Apparently, there is around 750,000 of them across the country which is an extraordinary amount, particularly for a county of 3 million people at the time. You will see them everywhere, and while most are abandoned, many have new uses, like little shops & cafes in them, as bus shelters and sometimes people even live in them. 

This little cutesy bridge is the Tanners brook bridge, originally built in the 1700's, of which a small stream used to flow through. It was recently restored, and while you're visiting it, there is an amazing bakery just to the side of it that sells the most amazing pastries, including Borek!

Here's my dinner for the night! Gotta love a kebab, no matter where you are in the world!

Eastern Europe always does the most magnificent lighting on its important buildings, look at the way this one radiates the light!