#127 The modern, vibrant, and chaotic capital of Albania

May 13-15, 2022: Tirana

F. In Tirana, the traffic is completely chaotic and we should better avoid this city - many travelers told us. But we still drove in because we also had the opportunity to meet Martin. He works as a consultant in a German-Albanian cooperation for environmentally friendly transportation in Tirana. So he is exactly the right person who can explain to us the chaotic traffic in Tirana. In the evening, we walked through the city with him and I found it really exciting to learn about what has already been implemented in terms of transportation and what is planned for the future. Of course, the path to green transportation is not at the top of Tirana's priority list, but a lot has already been implemented to provide a good alternative to cars. For example, the largest roundabout in the city was transformed into a huge square without traffic a few years ago, making it a lively and vibrant place for events and gatherings of Tirana's residents. Skanderbeg Square (Albanian national hero) forms the center of the city and from here you can see the many new skyscrapers that are currently being built. Several skyscrapers are being built that far surpass all existing buildings in Tirana and their future utility is highly debated.

The next day, we walked around the city on our own and visited the old mosque and took a walk in the city forest. The city forest can be compared to the Eilenriede and the Maschsee in Hanover. It is easy to escape the chaos in the city and relax by the large lake in the forest. Therefore, this oasis is also a popular place among locals - especially on weekends.

In the evening, we joined a free walking tour and thanks to an excellent tour guide, we learned many anecdotes and stories about Tirana and Albania. My favorite anecdote was about the car traffic in Albania. Until the end of communism in Albania (early 1990s), there were only 5,000 cars, all of which were owned by the state. After the country opened up, private individuals were also allowed to buy cars. This was done abundantly - mainly used cars from abroad - and so the car traffic quickly grew. This, in turn, led to many problems such as smog, lack of roads, and traffic lights. Many people initially did not realize that they needed a driver's license to drive a car, so the traffic with many inexperienced drivers without a license must have been terrible in Albania. Today - 30 years later - the traffic is often still chaotic, but you can at least see driving school cars on the streets of Albania.

On our last day in Tirana, we delved deep into the history of the last 100 years of Albania. We visited the museum in the bunker of the former communist leader of Albania. This 5-story bunker was intended to secure the country's leadership in the event of a nuclear attack on Albania and provided shelter for the leader of the country and all other important politicians. Since 2014, a very exciting and well-presented exhibition about the various occupations in the world wars and about communism in Albania can be found here. Many rooms are still in their original state, giving you a sense of life in the bunker.

Day 212 - Total tour 15,931 km

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