Tirana

Tirana is an exciting city, still undergoing major changes and developments. There were many construction sites and attractions that we couldn't visit because they were covered in scaffolding.

The city feels relaxed, with wide sidewalks and parks and playgrounds scattered throughout. By chance, we met one of the 30 Swiss people who permanently live in Albania at one of these playgrounds.

In the center is Skanderbeg Square, named after the national hero. There was a public viewing set up for the European Championships. Our hotel was near the bazaar, where charming bars and restaurants await guests. We always had delicious meals, especially the ice cream in Tirana is very good.

We visited the BunkArt2 Museum. Albania still has over 170,000 bunkers that were built under the regime of Enver Hoxha due to his great fear of a nuclear attack. One of these larger bunkers houses an exhibition on the era of repression. It is impressive and somewhat unsettling. We naturally skimmed through everything quickly so as not to shock the children. However, we were somewhat shocked that nobody in these cramped bunker rooms was adhering to the mask mandate. And mind you, it was not only the Albanians, but also Western European tourists.

The people in the city are open, friendly, and helpful, leaving us with a good impression. However, this city will undergo another major transformation in the next 10 years.