5 Must Do's in Tirana, Albania

Tirana, recognised as the capital city of Albania the world over, is a destination for passionate travelers who just cannot do without checking out new places scattered all around the world.

By John Martin
 

Many tourists from every nook and corner have been taking cheap flights to Tirana for a journey they will forget their entire life. There was a time when the Albanian capital used to top the list for the worst city in Europe. The decades rule led by Stalin shattered the entire city leaving it grey and grim. When the communism broke down way back in 1992, it only resulted in chaos across the city, but Tirana struck back with a bang and since then, it’s been attracting several tourists from all around the world.

So, get ready to enjoy the warm hospitality as displayed by Albanians for they are some of the people in the world blessed with a jolly nature. And what they expect in return from you in little is sure to surprise you.

Here are must do’s in Tirana for an amazing weekend break, but if you intend to stay for more than 2 days, your holiday will definitely become a delightful one.

1. Enjoy Albanian Hospitality

The hospitality as displayed by the Albanians cannot be compared because they at times go out of the way to make you feel at home away from home. They’ll invite you over a for a cup of coffee or a rakija (a plum brandy), which is a local custom they gladly celebrate. They have been isolated from the outside world for long, so they intend to satisfy their curiosity by witnessing a major chunk of tourists and greeting them with a smile and arms wide open.

2. Take Pleasure in the Local Colour

Tirana, being a small town, would not let you face any problem should you decide to cover the same in a day. The museums, monuments, parks and historic buildings are all covered in rainbow colours adding brightness to the city. Don’t miss booking cheap flight tickets to Tirana for a weekend break or holiday that could stay with you for years.

3. Skanderbeg Square

Located at the heart of Tirana, you cannot afford to miss taking a tour of the Skanderbeg Square. A lovely meeting place, named after the national hero of Albania, there’s a National History Museum of Albania that you can explore. There are some great attractions surrounding the square you would not want to ignore.

4.Visit the National Museum of History

The National Museum of History will let you check out several interesting artifacts that belong to the olden times including Hoxha’s reign. History lovers will not a miss a chance digging deep into the historical tales.

5. Unwind at the Mount Dajti National Park

Looking to break away from the city centre? Strolling around at the Mount Dajti National Park sounds wise. Feel some fresh air and take a countryside walk to loosen up a bit before proceeding to the next attraction in the “to-do” list. Cheap Tirana flights can be found aplenty for a soothing holiday experience.

Tirana- a city of contrast, a great travel destination

By Bart van Eijden

"Tirana is a city of contrast, therefore a great travel destination". Here how a dutch photographer describe the city of Tirana. He writes a blog about his impressions after spending two weeks in our Capital. The Communism past, bunkers and pyramid, the cheap food, lively people, sleepless nights, colored building in contrast with poverty, damaged benches and road traffic etc- are the focus of his article. Here is a summary of his impressions:

"The Pyramid is one of the main attractions to those visiting Albania’s capital. Used as a NATO base during the Kosovo war, it now sits as a reminder of communism in downtown Tirana. Youth often climb it and hang out on top as a perfect place to smoke marihuana while staying our of reach for police.

He mentioned our "Visit Tirana" page in Twitter

Climbing this former museum to dictator Enver Hoxha is not difficult at all. While some say that going down is much more difficult, I never found that. Just make sure you take the slopes on the sides, as they are least steep.

Weekend or not, there is always a party somewhere in Tirana. Also, if you go to Block/Blloku, you can drink so much great coffee for cheap (<€0.50) that you will never be able sleep.

During the terror regime of dictator Enver a lot of money was wasted on building communist bunkers all over the country. At the highest period there were about 700,000 communist bunkers or one for every four persons. After the fall, these concrete structures became redundant and some find different use these days. Where until recently there was short supply of cars, people for example lost virginity in these things.

If you don’t want to be bothered by searching for them, just go and visit the bunker at the east entrance of Block (located right here). It sits there as a checkpoint monument to the former secluded Blloku neighbourhood where dictator Enver Hoxha once lived. You can also find a piece of the Berlin wall there.

Happy coloured building emerged all over Tirana after reportedly the mayor told residents to give their homes a fresher non-communist look. Locals claim there was a fair share of corruption involved in this move, but all I know is that some of the use of colours is pretty hilarious.

Tirana is a city that never sleeps, a city where most youngsters hook up and where they can earn more than in any other Albanian city. On the other hand, it is also incredibly crowded, loud, congested and as a pedestrian you don’t have much to say in traffic.

Asking around a bit, some seem to love Tirana while others don’t. One thing is for sure: it’s a city of contrast. After having been there two weeks myself I can say it’s therefore a great travel destination. If I could live there is question that will remain unanswered, but I definitely had a great time there! A must-visit while you are out in the Balkans!

Bllok area

Colored buildings

Read the full article here:
http://www.offbeattravelling.com/tirana-is/