Albania

Tirana is – while still often chaotic – a very pleasant little city, and the cultural, entertainment and political centre of Albania.

The best things to do in Tirana, Albania.

Being invited for a coffee or a rakija (a plum brandy) is a local custom and you’ll find Albanians friendly towards foreign visitors. Having been isolated from the rest of the world for the latter half of the twentieth century, many of them are curious about the influx of travelers.

Painted in rainbow colours, they add brightness to what was once a rather monochrome cityscape.

Look out for the excellent coffee and beer (Islam is the predominant religion but it is practised in a very tolerant way), as well as decent pastries and good gelato.

Visiting Skanderbeg Square, named after the national hero who briefly ensured Albania was independent of the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century, is undoubtedly one of the things to do in Tirana.

The clock tower is a symbol of the municipality of Tirana and, in an ensemble with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, is a unique architectural landmark.

You’ll find Tirana’s concrete pyramid, Piramida, a short walk from Skanderbeg Square. Built in 1987 by the daughter of Albania’s dictator Enver Hoxha (who tyrannically ruled Albania from 1944–85) as a museum to her father.

Tirana’s nightlife scene moves up a notch each year and the city’s clubs, largely situated around Blloku, vary greatly in theme and atmosphere.

Walk through Bunk’ Art.

Among best things to do in Tirana outside the city is visiting the historic city of Durrësi on the Adriatic Sea.