Wonders of Albania

Albania, a country isolated for 50 years from the outside world has so much to offer. In the Northern Albania, there are mountains range while the south has beaches that are as beautiful as the one in Greece or Italy. The capital, Tirana is located centrally in the country, surrounded by mountains, making it a unique capital that has national park right at its capital. During winter, it can be best explored if one is into skiing.

This post will be a guide on exploring Tirana within 2 Days/1 Night as I had experienced. Firstly, I entered Albania via coach from a town called Struga In Macedonia. Before that, I had stayed and toured around Lake Ohrid, an UNSECO World Heritage site. I certainly recommend one to visit Lake Ohrid (see below pic) if you are near Albania border.

I took a private car along the main rod in Ohrid to Struga town in order to catch the coach. Remember to negotiate the price down, as I cut half my fare. It is a 20 minute ride from Ohrid to Struga. The driver will alight you at an old building which sees no human traffic at all, just a lone lady selling bus ticket. Rest assure you are at the correct terminal.

The bus leave Struga at 9.30am, arriving 1pm in Tirana. It was a bumpy 3.5 hours ride to Tirana, but there were plenty of sights to see along the journey. Do note that buses in Europe leave on time.

As I was there during winter, it meant sunset was around 4.15pm. That left me with 3 hours to explore this beautiful city on the first day. Rest assure the attractions in downtown Tirana are closely located to each other, so covering these attractions within a short period of time is possible. There are a lot of bunkers in Albania and some can be spotted in downtown which has since converted into museum. Along the streets, there are also colourful power electrical box that has nice graffiti on it, another unique side of Tirana.

#1: Piramida

Fancy a pyramid structure located in a city downtown? There you have it in Tirana. This structure was built by the country dictator, completed before the fall of communism in Albania. There were divided opinions on how they should deal this building, destroy or retain it. Hence, it is now left standing as it is. Meanwhile, it is a popular place for youngsters to hang around.

#2: National Museum

The best way to start exploring Albania is through visiting the National Museum. It comprises of 3 levels but there were so many exhibits from the stone ages to depicting the history of the country that it took me 1.5 hours to explore this museum.

 #3: Clock Tower

The symbolic structure of Tirana, the clock tower allows one to scale the spiral staircase free of charge and overlook the city. The design has been altered a few times. A good point to note is this clock tower is especially beautiful in the night.

#4: Skanderbeg Square

The main square in Tirana, where events usually take place. Albania national hero, the monument of George Castriot can be found here. When I was there in early December, the square play host to Christmas market. Looking at how the old school funfair games brings back fond memories.

#5: Et’hem Bey Mosque

This mosque played a significant role in Albania history as on January 1991, during the fall of communism, 10,000 people were at this place to practice Islam which was banned for years in Albania.

#6: Grand Park

If you want to get closer to nature in the city, head to the Grand Park. It is also whereby the presidential building is located. Wander in the park and observe how the local mingle with one another in the park.

#7: Café Hopping

Café hopping might not be too popular in Tirana. However, I felt there were a lot of cafes in the city centre and enjoying a warm cup of coffee while observing the daily life happenings is interesting to foreigners. The coffees are also relatively cheaper than other places in Europe, so why not? Take a break from all the travel, the place to recharge oneself while enjoying the mild winter climate.

Categories: Europe Region