Rain and Skanderberg: my first day in Tirana

Tirana is the capital of Albania, one of the last countries in Eastern Europe to abandon communism. Honestly, I didn’t know much about it before visiting—I was ready to learn on the go. I just remembered my Italian friend once mentioned her boyfriend had worked there, and she’d visited a few times. That memory popped into my head as we arrived. I wasn’t traveling alone—I came with a good travel friend, and we were both curious to see what Tirana had in store.

The forecast for late March wasn’t too promising—cool and rainy—so we came prepared with raincoats, waterproof pants, and a trusty little umbrella.

It was dry and a bit sunny when we first landed. We found our taxi easily and headed to the hotel, watching the city pass by in soft tones of gray and green. After settling in, we wandered out for lunch at Telepena—hungry, curious, and ready to dive in. Just as we were eating, the skies opened up. A heavy, steady rain blurred the windows and soaked the streets outside.

By the time we finished our late Albanian lunch, the rain had eased. We strolled slowly toward the city center and found ourselves in Skanderbeg Square—a wide-open space filled with symbols of Tirana. There was the “I ❤️ T” photo spot, the Et'hem Bey Mosque with the clock tower behind it, the statue of Skanderbeg himself (next to a small observation wheel), and a mix of old and new buildings: the National Historical Museum (sadly closed that day), government offices, the theater, and even a striking modern tower with Skanderbeg’s face etched on its side. It’s a massive square, great for wandering and people-watching.

From there, we explored the New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri), where vendors sold souvenirs, spices, olives, clothing, and more. Dinner that night was at Oda Garden, a cozy traditional restaurant that felt like sitting in someone’s home—literally, we were in the living room. Very cute.

As the rain held off, we took one last evening walk to Tirana Castle for tea and drinks, letting the day wind down before heading back to the hotel for some much-needed rest.

Next to Tirana castle, St.Paul Cathedral lies where the statue of Moher Teresa (she is originally Albanian, I heard) and the new mosque: Namazgah. This night stroll was really nice, I found the city is full of artistic and colorful buildings. See the Vodafone bridge?