【Albania/Tirana】9 recommended travel spots

"Albania sounds kind of dangerous."

"The capital is called Tirana. What's in the city?""

In this article, I will introduce Tirana, Albania🇦🇱, a small country in Europe, based on my travel experience, covering information on sightseeing in Albania, including its tourist attractions, restaurants, danger level, hotels, and more.

I also include a few spots that probably no one else has written about in the article.

It is one of the countries that are still unknown to many people, but it is an interesting country that is developing to great acclaim.

Skyscrapers and high-rise hotels are being constructed one after another, and artistic cities are being built while retaining the old townscape, making it truly a "fun city to walk around".

9 good spots you can feel Tirana

First, here are 9 spots I visited on my 3-day/2-night trip to Albania🇦🇱.

１　The center of Tirana "Skanderbeg Square"

Skanderbeg Square

This square is a must-see destination in Tirana, Albania🇦🇱.

In this vast square, there is the National Museum of History, the Opera House, the Intercontinental Hotel (under construction), and a church, which will be introduced in the next section. You will definitely feel like you are in Albania.

Interesting Buildings you can see

If you stand in the center, you can see 360 degrees to the mountains in the distance, which is quite a pleasant spot, especially if you go there during less crowded times.

Bicycles are not allowed, and there is a security guard watching the area at all times, so it is quite safe.

This is probably the first place to go.

２　Shopping at Main Street "Bulevardi Zigu Street"

Bulevardi Zigu Street

The street leading to "Skanderbeg Square" is also quite beautiful.

On both sides of the street, there are a lot of cafes and other stores, so you can enjoy eating and relaxing in a café while feeling the cityscape!

Both the pedestrian and car paths are stylish cobblestone streets, and you will probably feel a slightly developed and beautiful atmosphere that is different from the image of "Albania" that everyone has.

Take a leisurely stroll while looking at these mysterious objects.

When I was passing by, a cash truck was just withdrawing money from the bank or handing it over, and I was scared to see the police with big guns surrounding the truck.

This is also good memory though.

地図

３　Get to know the mysterious Albania "National History Museum"

National History Museum ※No photo＆Cash only

"The National History Museum" is characterized by large paintings on the exterior walls.

The museum traces the entire history of Albania from BC to the postwar period in historical order.

It is like a collection of heritage items, both positive and negative, including not only paintings, but also pieces of pottery, letters carved in stone, stone statues, armor, weapons, relics, and more.

The admission fee is 500 leks (= about 5 USD).

To be frank, I do not think that it's crazy interesting inside!

But it is definitely a place where you can get a feel for why it is called the unexplored land of Europe.

４　Mosque with a sticking tongue "E Bukura Xhami dhuratë"

There are several churches around the city of Tirana, but I recommend this one in particular.

The reason I recommend it is because it looks like a "human face".

The bright red flag of Albania gives it a nice face-like appearance, and I couldn't stop taking pictures of it.

Unlike the gothic churches in Europe, there are many rounded mosques, and you can enjoy the unique culture of the Balkan Peninsula, which is European but not European-like.

There are not so many big churches, but I think it is interesting to visit churches and mosques as a cross-cultural experience.

５　Feel old stone wall "Tirana castle"

Tirana castle

There is "Tirana Castle" you can see.

Although the wall of the castle is merely still there, this is another place where visitors can actually touch and feel the history of Albania.

A street leading to the walls. Cafes line the street.

The street from the central square to the walls is also very beautiful, with paintings for sale, cafes, ice cream, restaurants, and other very enjoyable streets.

While you are here to see the walls, you should also explore the inside of the walls that I will introduce next.

６　Restaurant and Souvenior "Kalaja e Tiranës"

Restaurant/Cafe/Souvenior

"Kalaja e Tiranës" is a tourist street located inside the "Tirana Castle".

It is a beautiful street with souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, traditional knick-knacks, etc., all a bit tattered.

Authentic stuffs

It was fun just to walk around, but it was also a bit otherworldly in this historic area of the city, inside the walls.

Maybe you could have a meal here somewhere during your stay.

７　Old Stuff Market "Rruga Shyqyri Berxolli Street"

A street lined with vintage clothing and antiques is also located not far from "Skanderbeg Square".

As you can see from the photo, the atmosphere is a bit Southeast Asian.

Brand-name bags and clothes (Do not know if it is real or not) are crammed into a small space and go on for quite a long distance.

You won't be in any danger, but this place smells a bit dangerous.

If you go there, be careful with your valuables, phone or wallet.

８　Healing Beautiful Lake and Park "Tirana Grand Park"

Big and beautiful park with restaurant and cafe

"Tirana Grand Park" was the most exciting place for me on this trip.

It is a park with a lake located 40 minutes walk south of "Skanderbeg Square".

I took a leisurely walk for about half a day.

You may think, "What a waste of time to come all the way to Tirana to take a walk!"

I think it is also luxurious and happy to do everyday things because we are traveling,

Must be fun

There are several cafes and restaurants along the lake in this park, as well as relaxing spaces like the one in the photo above, where you can spend a relaxing moment.

Across the lake, you can also see some modern Albanian architecture, and it was a great place to spend some time and forget about time.

The straight and straight bridge that runs alongside the lake is also a sight to behold.

Walking along the bridge with a view of the lake and the Albanian architecture, was a luxurious experience.

It is a bit far from the center of the city, but it is still within walking distance.

There seems to be a "zoo" in the southern part of the park.

９　Basic Shopping Mall "Ring"

Although not that big, this shopping mall has everything you need for daily life, including restaurants, supermarkets, cafes, and ATMs.

It is located close to the "International Bus Terminal", so it is convenient for waiting for buses or for stocking up on necessities. (There is no place to kill time at the terminal)

Compared to other European countries, prices are cheaper here, so you may find bargains even in specialty stores.

3 tasty & cheap restaurants in Tirana

Here are 3 restaurants I visited in Tirana during my trip.

１　Secret Local Restaurant "Tasty"

「Tasty」

The first is "Tasty", a local restaurant located in a back alley.

Most of the customers are local people who are like family and friends.

I ate pasta, chicken, salad, bread, and all this for less than 4 USD.

There is a wide variety of dishes (the menu is written in English), and if you share, you can enjoy a variety of tastes at a much more reasonable price. I highly recommend this restaurant.

２　Enjoy charcoal meat「Qofte Zgare Zogu I Zi」

This local restaurant is located near the International Bus Terminal and the Ring Shopping Mall.

This restaurant offers craft beer, sandwiches (hamburgers), meatballs, and more at fairly reasonable prices.

The best part is that they grill the meat over a "charcoal fire".

You can eat the meat as it is, or make a sandwich with the smell of charcoal fire, and for about 3 USD, this is another recommended restaurant where you can be full.

３　Bread, meal and dessert buffet「Le Bon Tirana」

This is not a local restaurant, but a buffet restaurant with a fairly modern atmosphere.

You choose your own desserts, breads, and regular meals from the showcase, and only pay for what you choose.

Although the atmosphere is "modern," the food is very Balkan, and you can enjoy Albanian cuisine to the fullest.

It is quite popular, and depending on the time of day, the seats inside are full or there is a line outside the restaurant, so it is best to avoid the crowds at certain times of the day!

The coexistence of the communist era and modern architecture is amazing

Albania still has many unknown images, but the architecture is seriously interesting.

Colorful communist-era buildings

Albania is also dotted with many communist-era buildings that have a slightly tattered and scary image of the past.

But there are also many buildings that have been repainted in a very colorful and fashionable way.

There are so many colorful buildings here and there that one might say, "Isn't this a bit much?"

I cannot stop saying "wow" and "what the heck is this?

New modern architecture is crazy from the outside

What is even more interesting is the modern architecture.

The shapes, designs, colors, and everything else about these buildings are so eye-catching that one never gets tired of walking around the city.

"Does Albania have such fancy buildings?"

To be honest, I was quite surprised.

It is truly "undergoing great development."

It seems that in a few years or decades, the whole town will be very colorful and fashionable.

It is dangerous? No, it is not. But...

"Albania is a dangerous country."

I don't know why but almost we have such an image of Albania.

It is because we don't hear about Albania on the news not so much. Many people may have a vague image of Albania as a dangerous country, but in fact, it is not, and at least during my stay here for a few days, I did not feel or see anyone who felt "Wow, this is dangerous."

It is not "cheerful" like in Italy, but I was able to spend my time without worrying at all in terms of customer service and the way I saw people on the street. ※ I stayed only in "Tirana".

With handmade breakfast "Mosaic Home"

The hostel I stayed at this time was「Mosaic Home」.

It is a small hostel, but it was interestingly built, with beds in an attic-like space.

The bathroom and Wi-Fi were perfectly fine, and with a supermarket next to the hostel and the square just a 10-minute walk away, it was a pretty cozy hostel.

After all, breakfast is included.

In addition to a little salad and bread in the morning, you can enjoy local food in a very homey atmosphere, with the staff lady baking something like crepes on the spot, or making scrambled eggs and bringing them to you.

Book「Mosaic Home」

End...

Thank you for reading this far. In this issue, I picked up on the tourist attractions of travel in Albania.

The image of "Albania" that has been planted in our minds is still a completely different impression.

Rather than a dangerous country, it is a "super developing country," friendly, and food friendly. Such an image was newly created in my mind. It is still an inexpensive country, so I think you can enjoy luxury at a reasonable price.