Albania is a frontrunner to join the EU in less than three years. It is reported that up to 90 percent of its population are in favour of EU membership.
But what has its capital city to offer for tourists?
A brief history
Tirana grew from a small trading settlement into Albania’s capital by 1920 due to its central location. The city transformed from an Ottoman town to a capital with Italian-influenced architecture but later endured a harsh communist dictatorship (1944–1992).
Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha led a harsh, isolationist regime that built bunkers, transformed cityscapes with socialist-style housing, and tore down religious buildings.
Today, though, this delightful capital has evolved into a vibrant, colourful European city.
Communist past:
No visit to Tirana is complete without dipping into a period of time that, one imagines, many Albanian’s may now prefer to consign to history – the Communist era.
Having said that, relics from that period are scattered around the city and are now “must see” tourist spots.
These very much include Bunk’art, a communist-era nuclear protection bunker which you could easily miss were it not for several large notice boards pointing you in its direction.
This really is a fascinating place to visit. You descend a few steps below ground to encounter several tunnels and rooms,now converted to a museum/art space/learning experience.
These contain sometimes rather harrowing photos and info about the country’s gruesome – and recent – past.
Located just a few steps from Skanderbeg Square, the main public square in the city, it is arguably at its best in telling the personal stories of those who experienced the worst extremes of the communist doctrine.
Another must see “attraction” is the House of Leaves, a building just outside the city centre and originally a humble maternity hospital.
It later became an interrogation centre and torture chamber under previous regimes and, again, retells the stories of ordinary Albanians who were, sometimes, cruelly treated by the feared secret police, called “Sigurimi.”
Woe betide you if you were considered a “traitor” to the state.
This place also contains an impressive collection of some of the intriguing ways the political leaders of the time spied on their own people as well as foreigners.
It seems that hardly any conversation was not being recorded or monitored at the time with listening devices being inserted into no end of things, such as broomsticks, ties and pipes.
Skanderbeg Square
Think Brussels’ Grand Place but about six times the size (it is the biggest in the Balkans) and you get an idea, maybe, of the scale of this huge public space in the centre of Tirana.
It was built by the Austrians in 1917 and is named after Skanderbeg, the 15th century Albanian military leader and national hero. He is also revered with statues in other cities around the world, including Brussels. Skanderbeg died from malaria in 1492.
The square is surrounded by a what can only be described as a highly eclectic mix of architecture, some dating from the communist era, and is a great starting point for any visit to this city.
Coffee and George W. Bush
Don’t scoff… this city really is in love with both.
Walking around with a cup of coffee has become de rigueur in many places now but, here,it really is deeply ingrained in the local culture, as a vital social ritual and not just a caffeine boost.
Tirana is known for having one of the highest numbers of coffee shops per capita in the world – they really do seem to be on every corner – and cafes in Tirana serve as essential hubs for connection, business meetings and leisure.
With the fall of communism in the 1990s, cafes exploded as public, social spaces and you will see people sitting for long periods of time, putting the world to rights over a very often tiny cup of coffee.
This must also be one of the few places that has its own dedicated “coffee museum”.
It is called “Komiteti Kafe Museum” and, again, is easily missed, not least as it also doubles as a café, albeit one of the most colourfully decorated ones you are likely to ever come across.
It is retro-inspired and full of vintage memorabilia which is worth seeing itself. But,of course, you should also sample one of its many varieties of coffee and check out what’s behind the country’s coffee connections.
Ok, coffee we get but George W. Bush?
While maybe not quite sharing the same obsession, the sometimes ridiculed former US president is highly popular in Tirana.
This, it seems, is primarily because he was the first sitting US president to visit the country, doing so in 2007, and for his active support of Albanian interests, particularly Kosovo’s independence and Albania’s NATO membership.
President Bush got a “rock star” welcome in Tirana and the town of Fushë-Krujë, where crowds chanted “Boosh-y”.
There is a major road named after Bush along with a library just outside the city centre.
But, in any case, the country has a long-standing, deep appreciation for the US, going back to President Woodrow Wilson’s support for Albanian independence in 1919.
Unexpected link with Belgium
Aside from both sharing an affinity with the EU, you would not expect to come across much that connects this Western Balkans state with the Low Country.
But pay a trip to the city’s Catholic church and you may meet one of its priests, who hails from Bruges.
Father Koen Van Kershauer is a Flemish-born clergyman who has been in Tirana for some 30 years.
He told this site what brought him to the city, saying, “I was in Germany at the time but I heard about how the former communist regime persecuted and even killed priests and burned down churches.
“it was just after the fall of communism in the early 1990s and I decided I wanted to come here to help. I did not realise I might stay this long but I am happy here.
“I am also happy to say that, today, all religions, whatever they are, co-exist happily together in Albania. I guess that is the best one can do,” said the 83-year-old.
“I have witnessed major improvements in how religion is perceived here and how all denominations are treated.”
The stained glass window to the left of the front door of the church features Pope John II and Mother Teresa, who was from Albania.
A statue of her can be found at the entrance of the cathedral along with a very impressive huge montage, made from sea shells.
It is a modern-looking building and does not resemble a traditional church but well worth a look.
So, what else is there to see?
One other religious attraction is the Et’hem Bey Mosque in the city centre which was built from 1791 to 1794 by Molla Bey. During the totalitarianism of the Socialist People’s Republic of Albania the mosque was closed.
It was declared a historical monument and underwent restoration in the late 1960s and 70s.
On January 18, 1991, despite opposition from the communist authorities, some 10,000 people entered the mosque carrying flags. The event was a milestone in the rebirth of religious freedom in Albania.
The frescoes of the mosque depict trees, waterfalls and bridges.
A couple of other things to do include the Pyramid of Tirana,originally the Enver Hoxha museum name after the long time communist leader but now an art space, and the Grand Park of Tirana, great for a stroll, and its lovely artificial lake.
Albania and EU
On 9 May, the EU celebrated Schuman Day, seen as the start of what was to become the European Union.
While the event may have gone unnoticed in even some of its founding members, there was quite some fanfare in Tirana.
This includes a specially dedicated area in the centre which has the flags of all the current members of the Union and the date they joined.
Albania, of course, is a leading frontrunner among Western Balkans states to join the EU, and is on course to do so as soon as 2030.
Unlike in some member countries, support for the EU is booming here, with public support for membership said to be over 90 per cent.
A desire to raise living standards is among the reasons why it seems most Albanians cannot wait for their country to become the EU’s 28th member.
Also worth noting that prices here are very favourable, certainly when compared with a country like Belgium, with a good meal and drink costing up to 50 percent less.
Where to stay and who to get there:
A great central location for any stay is the Mulaj hotel which has very friendly young staff and is just a few minutes’ walk from all the main attractions.It is also close to the bustling and highly popular Blloku district which is where many of the best bars,cafes (including one, slightly oddly, dedicated entirely to Liverpool football club) and restos are located.
Breakfast is complimentary and there’s also a pleasant resto attached to the hotel.
Flights from Charleroi to Tirana are frequent and your best bet when it comes to transfer from the airport to the centre is to take a bus which costs just 4 euros each way and takes about 40 minutes. A taxi will set you back about 25 euros.
