3 days in Tirana: itinerary for a first visit

Tirana is small enough to walk, but packed with history, cafés and colourful buildings. In three days you can see the centre, learn about Albania's communist past, ride up Mount Dajti and spend a day in the old bazaar town of Kruja.

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Day 1: The centre and its history

1. Skanderbeg Square, Tirana – Start in the huge main square, with the statue of Skanderbeg, the Opera and the clock tower around it.
2. Et'hem Bey Mosque, Tirana – A small 18th-century mosque on the square with painted walls inside.
3. National History Museum, Tirana – The big mosaic on the front tells Albania's story; inside you follow it from antiquity to today.
4. Bunk'Art 2, Tirana – A former nuclear bunker near the square, now a museum about the communist-era police.
5. Pyramid of Tirana – Climb the steps for a view over the boulevard; the building is now a tech and youth centre.
6. Blloku, Tirana – Once closed to ordinary citizens, now the city's busiest area for dinner and drinks.

Day 2: Markets, parks and Mount Dajti

1. New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri), Tirana – Morning market with fruit, cheese, olives and raki, surrounded by small restaurants.
2. House of Leaves, Tirana – Museum of secret surveillance in the building once used by the secret police.
3. Dajti Ekspres cable car, Tirana – A 15-minute cable car ride up Mount Dajti, with views over the city and the coast on clear days.
4. Bunk'Art 1, Tirana – A huge bunker built for the political leadership, on the way to the cable car.
5. Grand Park of Tirana – End the day with a walk around the artificial lake at sunset.

Day 3: Day trip to Kruja

1. Kruja Castle – The castle of Skanderbeg, about 45 minutes north of Tirana, with views over the plain to the sea.
2. Skanderbeg Museum, Kruja – Museum inside the castle about Albania's national hero.
3. Kruja Old Bazaar – A cobbled Ottoman street of wooden shops selling carpets, crafts and antiques.
4. Ethnographic Museum, Kruja – A preserved family house that shows how a wealthy family lived in the 18th century.

Tips

• Taxis are cheap; agree the price or ask for the meter before you set off.
• Many museums close on Mondays; check opening hours before you go.
• Cash in lek is still useful in markets and small cafés.

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