There aren’t many places that have surprised me more than the capital city of Albania, Tirana. A city and country that are almost mysteriously omitted from must visit locations whilst visiting Southern Europe, in today’s video , I hope to talk about why this shouldn’t be so, and give reasons why everyone considering a modern city with nuanced history, amazing food and interesting people, should have Tirana a lot higher on their list than previously thought.

But to give a little background on Tirana, this city has been the capital of Albania since 1920 which in some ways feels like a long time ago, and also very recent due to the civilization shifting events that have for better or worse, made Tirana what it is today. Older generations may be most familiar with this city and country, as a hub of communism that struck most of the Balkan countries following WW2. People my age walking around today may think of the city as place where most needs could be met whether that’s having a nearby supermarket to pick up groceries, or even a phone repair store to fix a cracked screen. And then there’s a generation or two in-between that recall a country doing its best to put communism behind them and move forward as most of the world showed being possible in the 1990’s. Suffice to say, when one walks around Tirana today, you’re greeted with a mixture of experiences, both good and bad, from people that have called Tirana place home during their lifetime.

But speaking of home, those looking to find accommodations may be pleasantly surprised that a city with so much to offer, can do this at an affordable price as well! From my experience, a hotel room about a 5 -10 minute walk from city centre can be as low as $15 US dollars a night but those who look either farther or shorter in advance may find some variance in the options available for their trip.

When it comes to getting around, I found Tirana to be extremely walkable and furthermore, bike-able as well! When compared to Tirana’s southern cousin city of Saranda, there’s certainly more infrastructure here that extends to a few bus lines, walkable sidewalks, taxis options and an ease of getting around that doesn’t feel completely dissimilar to some major cities in the U.S.

When it came to safety, I never felt uneasy walking around most areas of this city. Tirana in many ways felt like a very relaxed city. It was common to see families out with their children at parks or people simply enjoying a coffee at a nearby cafe. As most streets were well lit and I was generally greeted with smiles, I will note that the later it is anywhere, it’s best to be more aware of your surroundings, especially around bars or clubs, where people may not always be using their best judgement after a certain point of the evening.

When it came to the costs of food, I found everything to be generally very affordable. Whether it were places leaning towards fine dining or even quick eats generally sold in small shops - I found meals for one person could be as low as $2 to $3 US dollars and up for dine in options. Of my favorite, Byrek’s were the perfect mix of affordability, tastiness and variety as it’s essentially a breaded wrap that comes with your choice of meats, cheeses, or whatever the shop currently has available.

As this is a city with a little over 500 thousand people, it’s by no means small, but fortunately, a lot of things to do are also in a relatively concentrated area of the city. As I mentioned briefly earlier, Skanderbeg Square is a lovely meeting point for locals and tourists alike here in the city. From this point, you’re minutes away from the National Museum of Albania, the BunkArt 2 Museum, the National Theater of Opera & Ballet, the Et’hem Bey Mosque and plenty of cafes and restaurants as well.

As I look back on my time in Tirana and Albania as a whole, the more intrigued I am to come back in the future. Tirana was a city that offered everything I could hope for in a modern metropolis and for the things that might’ve been missing, I don’t foresee that being for long. From where this city and country were truly not very long ago, I’m in awe in the best way of what it’s become, and excited for what it will evolve into in the future. There’s a part of me that hopes Tirana stays the gem that it is. That for the people that have been fortunate to visit and chat about it with others, it’s almost like being a fan of an artist before they get big. The other part of me despite wanting it to be the as it is, wants others to experience this amazing corner of the earth as well. I honestly think Tirana is a place that will only become more popular as the years go on and if it for some reason doesn’t, it’s perfectly imperfect as it is today. I loved my time in Tirana, Albania, and I hope this video showed why.

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