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Capital of Albania since 1920, Tirana is compact and pleasant enough to explore on foot. It lies almost exactly midway between Rome and Istanbul, and its architecture has been influenced by both, as well as by the Soviet Union. Most visitors to Tirana begin at Skėnderberg Square, a great open space in the heart of the city. Mt Dajti, 1612m (5030ft) rises to the east, and the market on that side of town is well worth exploring. |
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The National Museum of History is the largest and finest museum in Albania, and you'll find it next to the 15 storey Tirana International Hotel, the tallest building in the country. A huge mosaic mural entitled Albania covers the faēade of the building. To the east, the Palace of Culture has a theatre, restaurant, cafes and art galleries, and the Soviet influence is apparent in its clunky architecture. The entrance to the National Library is on the southern side of the building. Opposite that is the cupola and minaret of the Mosque of Ethem Mey, built in 1793 and one of the city's most distinctive buildings. |
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The National Museum of History is the largest and finest museum in Albania, and you'll find it next to the 15 storey Tirana International Hotel, the tallest building in the country. A huge mosaic mural entitled Albania covers the faēade of the building. To the east, the Palace of Culture has a theatre, restaurant, cafes and art galleries, and the Soviet influence is apparent in its clunky architecture. |
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The entrance to the National Library is on the southern side of the building. Opposite that is the cupola and minaret of the Mosque of Ethem Mey, built in 1793 and one of the city's most distinctive buildings. Tirana's
clock tower, built in 1830, stands beside the mosque.
A statue of Enver Hoxha once stood on the high marble plinth
between the National Museum of History and the State Bank in
Skėnderberg Square, |
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Over the Lana River to the south are the sloping white
marble walls of the former Enver Hoxha Museum, The red star has been removed from the pyramid-shaped building's tip. Further south on Bulevardi Dėshmorėt e Kombit are the ultramodern Palace of Congress and the Archaeological Museum, which has a fantastic selection of objects from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. |
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The best budget accommodation in Tirana is through private rented apartments or with local families. The formerly cheap state-owned hotels have either closed or been renovated, and now ask substantially higher prices. New hotels are similarly out of the budget traveller's reach. There are plenty of places to eat cheaply on Skėnderberg Square and on Bulevardi Dėshmorėt e Kombit, and small and stylish bars have sprung up all over town. |
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