Informations

Tirana, the heart and capital of Albania, has never-ending movement and energy. With its clubs, bars, cafes, and taverns, Tirana is worth discovering both day and night.

Founded in the early 17th century by a Turkish general, Barkinzade Süleyman Paşa, Tirana gradually became a trading centre at a junction of roads and caravan trails. It was chosen to be the capital of Albania in 1920.

Since the fall of communism in the early 1990s, the city has undergone a transformation of extraordinary proportions. Tirana's centre is now unrecognisable from those grey days, with buildings painted in primary colours, and public squares and pedestrianised streets that are a pleasure to wander.

In Tirana you can feel the typical Albanian hospitality, as a lot to offer its visitors, and a single day is too short to enjoy the city's treasures.

Start your visit from the main square, Sheshi Skënderbej, where you will be able to see the Mosque of Et’hem Bey (built between 1798 and 1812) and the 35 m high Kulla e Sahatit (the Watch Tower), built in 1822 with a San Marco style cupola. Next, you can visit the famous mosaic uncovered on the floor of an old Roman lodge. Its center configures the walls of the castle of the Roman emperor Justinian (A.D. 520). The monumental Tomb of Kapllan Pasha and the Ura e Tabakëve (a bridge constructed in the beginning of the 19th century, located on Bulevardi Zhan D’Ark) are also worth visiting.

A visit to the National History Museum, the Archeological Museum, the Natural Science Museum, the private Mezuraj Museum, and the National Gallery of the Arts will leave wonderful memories. You can also pass a pleasant evening in the National Theatre or the Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Absolute must-see in Tirana:

- House of Leaves – the Museum of Secret Surveillance: https://www.muzeugjethi.gov.al/

- Visit the museum Bunk’Art 2: www.bunkart.al

- Visit the National Gallery of Arts: http://www.galeriakombetare.gov.al/en/home/index.shtml

- Visit Et’hem Bey Moque : https://tirana.al/en/points-of-interest/religious-objects-religious-harmony/the-haxhi-ethem-bey-mosque-8065