History Lessons and Hilltop Views of Tirana

The next morning, we joined a free walking tour—about two hours long and absolutely worth it. That’s when I started to understand Tirana’s layered past. If you really want to grasp what life was like under communism, I recommend visiting one of the Bunk’Art museums (Bunk’Art 1 is larger but a bit outside the city, Bunk’Art 2 is central), or the House of Leaves, a former surveillance center turned museum. However Tirana has also a lot to offer, like Pyramid of Tirana :-).

Later that day, while having tea at Casino Café, something unexpected happened: Albania’s president Bajram Begaj (since 2022) and his wife, Armanda Ymeri walked in and sat at the table right in front of us. At first, we had no idea who they were. But when waiters suddenly ignored other guests and all attention shifted to this couple—and a group of serious-looking men hovered around—we figured something was up. A quick Google search confirmed it.

After our accidental brush with power, we hopped on bus L11 to the Dajti Ekspres cable car. The ride is around 15 minutes, covering 4.5 kilometers and gliding over peaceful hills. At the top, Mount Dajti welcomed us with a stunning panoramic view of Tirana—totally worth it.

Tirana also spoils you with cafes, quirky corners like Millennium Garden, the hip Blloku area, and rooftop views from the Sky Tower, a revolving café where the city slowly turns around you as you sip your drink.