Things to do in Tirana
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National Museum of History
The National Museum of History has a wonderful socialist-realist Albania mosaic on its front. It still shows proud Albanians marching through history, only now the flag is missing its communist star. Inside are many of this ancient land's archaeological treasures, dating back as far as 100,000 BC. The extensive partisan-communist section has been retained (unfortunately without English translations), but it now ends with a large memorial exhibit to victims of Hoxha's regime.
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Prince Park
Tucked into the top of the city park, this upmarket restaurant is like a hunting lodge with an open fire in winter, and wooden interiors and antlers on the walls. The cuisine is Italian, with some vegetarian pasta options.
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Outdoor Albania
Excellent trailblazing adventure-tour agency offering all manner of specialist tours, including hiking, mountain biking and village stays - with a strong commitment to ecotourism.
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Buke dhe Embelsira Franceze
One of the few good breakfast spots in Tirana, where you can stop for a coffee and croissant or take away a delicious pain au chocolat.
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Fortress of Justinian
Along Rruga Murat Toptani are the 6m-high walls of the Fortress of Justinian, the last remnants of a Byzantine-era castle.
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Efendy
Foodies alert! Housed in an inconspicuous building in Blloku is an authentic Ottoman dining experience that is as much a history lesson as a sublime culinary one.
Chef Ahmet Dursun hails from Turkey, where he studied at one of the world's finest Ottoman restaurants, extracting recipes from the old chefs and researching their collection of documents. He ended up in Albania 12 years ago (as an opera singer - it's a long story), and he's since travelled throughout the Balkans ('from Croatia to Bulgaria') collecting dishes along the way. Let him lead you through his seasonal delicacies and you won't be disappointed. He'll even regale you with stories about the origins of the …
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Pyramid
The Pyramid - also known as the former Enver Hoxha Museum (1988) - was designed by Hoxha's daughter and son-in-law. In a hilarious twist of fate the building with its sloping white-marble and glass walls and which once housed a grandiose statue of the ruler, is now home to a disco called the Mummy.
In front of the Pyramid the Bell of Peace is a touching little memorial to the country's difficult postcommunist years, forged from bullet cases collected by Albanian schoolchildren during the anarchy of 1997.
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Former Residence of Enver Hoxha
Nestled between Parku Kombëtar (a public park), the Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit and the river is the once totally forbidden but now totally trendy Blloku, the former exclusive Communist Party neighbourhood. When the area was opened to the general public in 1991, Albanians flocked to see the style in which their proletarian leaders lived. Judging by this three-storey pastel-coloured house the Albanian proletarian leaders lived a much simpler life than their comrades in Romania, for example.
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Martyrs' Cemetery
The Martyrs' Cemetery is at the top of the hill, on the other side of the road, and is where some 900 partisans who died in WWII are buried. The views over the city and surrounding mountains are excellent. Many still come here, clutching laurel sprigs to pay their respects under the shadow of the immense, beautiful and strangely androgynous Mother Albania statue (1972). Hoxha was buried here in 1985, but was exhumed in 1992 and interred in an ordinary graveyard on the other side of town.
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Sheshi Skënderbej
Sheshi Skënderbej is the bustling heart of the city. Until it was pulled down by the angry mob on 20 February 1991 a 10m-high gold-leaf-covered statue of Enver Hoxha stood here, watching over a mainly carless square. Now only the equestrian statue of Skanderbeg remains, deaf to the cacophony of screeching horns, as cars four lanes deep try to shove their way through the battlefield below.
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National Art Gallery
The National Art Gallery has a wonderful collection ranging from 13th-century icons to modern art, but most interesting are the large socialist-realist canvases. Note the central role of women in this work - from the breastfeeding mother with a shotgun slung over her lap in Lokja (1983), to the manager giving instructions in Giant of Metallurgy.
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Church of the Holy Evangelist
An Orthodox church set back from Rruga e Kavajës in a laneway. In the mid-1960s the infamous atheism campaign resulted in many churches and mosques being bulldozed or converted into public buildings. On this church's steeple you can clearly see where the cross-shaped holes in the brickwork were once covered over.
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Et'hem Bey Mosque
The exquisite 18th-century Et'hem Bey Mosque escaped destruction during the battle for the liberation of the city near the end of WWII, and went on to survive the state's atheism campaign due to its sheer beauty. Take off your shoes and look inside at the beautifully painted dome of this once-again functioning mosque.
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Natyral & Organik
This wonderful store in Blloku not only supports small village producers by stocking organic olive oil, honey, herbs, tea, eggs, spices, raki and cognac (they make great gifts, but be aware of customs regulations in the countries you're travelling through), it's also a centre for environmental activism.
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Statue of the Unknown Partisan
The socialist-realist Statue of the Unknown Partisan seems to be aiming his weapons at the Parliament building (1924) down the road. At the foot of the statue day-labourers wait for work, some with their own jackhammers - a fitting image of the precarious position of the postcommunist Albanian worker.
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Church of St Marie
Church of St Marie. This church hasn't survived the religious revival so well. The hilariously garish photo-realistic images painted over the communist whitewash have to be seen to be believed - particularly the scenes to the left of the altar, with the Magdalene in billowing scarlet robes.
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Sky Club Panoramic Bar & Restaurant
It may seem wrong to make a bar your first stop in Tirana, but a visit to this rotating tower is the best way to orient yourself, offering spectacular views over the entire city. Not recommended for a night on the turps - the rotation is a bit jerky and may leave you slightly seasick.
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St Paul's Catholic Cathedral
This massive edifice looks a bit like a hotel from the outside, while inside it has all the ambience of a hotel lobby. There are some interesting stained-glass windows, particularly the one featuring John Paul II and Mother Teresa to the left of the front door.
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Plan B
This fantastic pasta place is tucked underneath the equally great bar of the same name. It's a good option for vegetarians as it doesn't operate by a set menu and the staff are happy to cook to your request with deliciously fresh ingredients.
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Academy of Arts
Classical music and other performances take place throughout the year in either the large indoor theatre or the small open-air faux-classical amphitheatre; both are part of the university. Prices vary according to the programme.
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Clock Tower
Behind the mosque is the tall clock tower, which you can climb and use to get your bearings. Indeed, it's quite peaceful up there watching the square and its colourful Ferris wheel entertain the tiny Tiranans.
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The Living Room
This is the hippest place to drink and dance in Tirana - with eclectic DJs, a good crowd, cool lampshades and '70s sofas for you to lounge on when you're danced (or drunk) off your feet.
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Piazza
Sit back and enjoy the stylish interior of the large dining room, while impeccably dressed waiters buzz about serving fine Italian cuisine (including some vegetarian pasta options).
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Council of Ministers Building
The Council of Ministers Building still has an impressive socialist relief, along with the 2nd-floor balcony where Enver Hoxha and cronies would stand and view military parades.
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Era
Traditional Albanian fare in the heart of Blloku. There are some vegetarian choices on the menu, but check first - there may well be mince lurking in your stuffed vegetables.
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