Tirana

After a pleasant flight, we landed at Tirana Airport at 1:00 a.m., where our taxi driver was already waiting for us. At 2:00 a.m., we reached our apartment right in the heart of the city. We quickly unpacked our suitcase and then soon fell asleep.

The next morning, we first visited a mobile phone shop to get SIM cards for our phones. That went very smoothly—the young saleswoman was very helpful and installed the cards for us in no time.

In a cosy café, we soon ordered a delicious breakfast and let the first impressions of this fascinating city wash over us.

The first stop on our sightseeing tour was Skanderbeg Square, the vibrant main square of Tirana.

The square is very spacious and surrounded by many important buildings such as the impressive Et’hem Bey Mosque from the 18th century and the clock tower, one of the city’s landmarks. In the middle of the square there is the equestrian statue of Skanderbeg, Albania’s national hero and the square’s namesake.

Numerous benches invite you to linger under shady trees.

From a Ferris wheel located right next to the statue of Skanderbeg, you can enjoy a wonderful view over the city.

Just a few metres from Skanderbeg Square is the “Bunk’Art II” bunker, where you can delve deep into Albania’s turbulent history.

Hundreds of such bunkers exist across Albania. They were built during the rule of dictator Enver Hoxha.

The former nuclear bunker now houses a museum where visitors can learn about the horrors of that dictatorship.

The bunker, with its narrow corridors and small rooms without daylight, was both impressive and oppressive.

After the detailed tour, we made our way to the Pyramid of Tirana, which used to be a museum and is now being converted into a cultural and technology centre.

Via numerous steps, you could reach different platforms on the pyramid. There was no shade, and the climb in the scorching sun was exhausting, but at the top, we were more than rewarded by a wonderful panoramic view.

From Skanderbeg Square, we then took the public bus to Tirana’s second well-known bunker, Bunk’Art I, located in a suburb under Mount Dajti.

This was the bunker for the state and party leadership. On five levels, there are 106 rooms. The sheer scale of this enormous bunker amazed us.

There was a fully furnished living room and bedroom, a kitchen, dining areas—even a school.

This bunker was built and equipped for a relatively comfortable life for the country’s political elite, given the circumstances. Despite all the amenities, it still felt oppressive.

After visiting Bunk’Art I, we walked to the lower station of the Dajti Express, a cable car that takes visitors up Mount Dajti, offering spectacular views of the city throughout the ride.

At the top, we visited the panorama restaurant, where we satisfied our hunger with delicious dishes from Albanian cuisine.

Around the mountain station was a beautiful park with fragrant, colourful flower beds, shady trees, and a babbling fountain that added to the romantic atmosphere of this peaceful place.

But the best part was the breathtaking view far beyond the rooftops of Tirana.

We actually didn’t want to leave this place, but after about two hours, we made our way back to the city.

We first returned to our apartment, where we rested and freshened up a bit before diving into Tirana’s nightlife.

In the light of the now lower sun, we strolled through the city’s beautiful streets. In a park, we discovered an original segment of the Berlin Wall on display.

While we were in Albania, the UEFA European Championship was taking place. So, we watched one of the matches in the fan zone set up at Skanderbeg Square, enjoying some cool drinks.

Afterwards, we took a ride on the Ferris wheel, which we had skipped earlier due to the heat.

Hunger struck again, so we headed to the New Bazaar, where the delicious smells coming from numerous restaurants were simply irresistible.

After a wonderful dinner, we strolled through the alleys of the old town to the Kalanë e Tiranës fortress, where today a bazaar-style area with many shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafés is located.

This is where life happens in the evenings. We treated ourselves to two cappuccinos and some delicious desserts before finally heading back to our apartment, where we soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, we had breakfast at a cosy café just a few metres from our apartment. Then it was already time to say goodbye to this city I had hopelessly fallen in love with in such a short time.

We took a taxi to the airport, where our rental car—booked for our upcoming road trip—was already waiting for us. Eagerly, we set off to explore more of this exciting country.