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Corriere della sera: Tirana, the capital of surprises

2023-02-21 10:28:13Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Corriere della sera: Tirana, the capital of surprises

The capital of Albania, the main economic, financial, commercial and cultural center of the country, Tirana is a city in continuous evolution, lively and ideal for a different weekend than usual, writes Francasca Masotti for the largest Italian newspaper "Corriere della sera" .

Tirana is the capital and largest city of Albania, as well as the main economic, financial, commercial and cultural center of the Balkan country. The city is located in the center of the country, about 30 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea.

The urban population is calculated at 912 190 inhabitants. English is spoken almost everywhere and many people speak and understand Italian.

Tirana's climate is mild, with hot summers and cool winters, and temperatures rarely drop below zero. Thanks to its position in the countryside and close to the Adriatic Sea, the city is particularly influenced by a seasonal Mediterranean climate.

September is the best month to visit the city:

"Skenderbej" Square, which surprises with its size, is not only the geographical center of the Albanian capital, but also the symbolic place of the Land of Eagles and the entire Albanian universe.

The main areas of Tirana are Pazari i Ri, known for its beautiful recently renovated market, Blloku, the nightlife area, "21 Djetori", "Don Bosco", the Train Station, "Ali Demi" and the more suburban Lapraka , "Xhamliku", Kinostudioja, Kombinati, Yzberishti and Sauku.

On the other hand, GNV ferries connect the port of Durrës only with the Italian port of Bari. To arrive in Tirana from Durrës, if you do not have your own car, the most convenient solution is to take a taxi.
The most convenient way to move around Tirana is on foot or by taxi, which, for Italian tourists, is a cheap means of transport compared to our prices.

The Albanian capital is a geographically flat and very safe city, petty crime is almost completely absent, even if this does not mean that common precautions should not be taken as during any trip. In Tirana, Wi-Fi is widespread in almost all tourist facilities and is offered free of charge.

What should you see in Tirana? Museums and monuments:

"Skënderbej" Square is the heart of the Albanian capital. Completely renovated in 2017, it is a large rectangle of 24,000 square meters with a mosaic of natural stones from all historically Albanian lands, even those located across national borders.

Completely pedestrianized, alternating benches with green surfaces. In the center is the bronze equestrian monument of Skanderbeg, placed on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his death.

Some of the most important historical buildings of the city overlook the square, namely the Et'Hem Beu Mosque, with its wonderful floral decorations on the inside, the Opera House, the Palace of Culture, the Bank of Albania and the National History Museum. To admire the square as a whole, the ideal is to climb to the top of the Clock Tower, located behind the mosque.

Museums:

In the rooms of the National Historical Museum, which stands out for the colorful mosaic on the facade, eight large pavilions tell the history of Albania from the Paleolithic to the present day.
A few meters away, Bunk'Art2 is the ideal place to learn more about the history of communist Albania during the years of Enver Hoxha's dictatorship. Inaugurated in 2016, the museum is dedicated to the victims of the regime and was built inside an anti-atomic bunker, behind the Ministry of the Interior, between 1981 and 1986 to house Ministry personnel in case of a possible nuclear attack. Today, historical images, accessories and objects that narrate the events that happened in Albania until 1991 are exhibited in its rooms.

Another place to visit is the House of Leaves, an exhibition center dedicated to the activity of the secret police and espionage during the years of the dictatorship, which in 2020 won the Museum Prize of the Council of Europe.

On the other hand, the National Art Gallery has a rich collection of works by Albanian painters from the end of the 19th century to the 2000s. In front of the building is the "Cloud", a white structure that resembles a cloud due to its appearance. , the work of Japanese artist Sou Fujimoto.

Located on the outskirts of the city, Bunk'Art1 is a museum built inside the largest anti-atomic bunker in Albania. The bunker was designed to house dictator Enver Hoxha and top Party leaders in the event of a nuclear attack, although it was never used for that purpose. Today, in more than 100 rooms, the history of the country of eagles is told, from the fascist occupation to communism.

Finally, the Archaeological Museum, the first museum opened in Albania after World War II, houses over 2,000 archaeological discoveries found in Albanian territory.

Bektashi World Center:

Despite the long Ottoman rule and then the declaration of state atheism during the then communist dictatorship (with the consequent ban on the practice of religions), Albania is today a secular state tolerant of all faiths.

Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Catholic Christians, Jews and Bektashis live in its territory, and it often happens that representatives of religious communities meet at their respective events and holidays.
Tirana is home to the Bektashi World Center, an accessible location for anyone who wants to discover an off-the-radar location in the Albanian capital.

Teqeja, completed in September 2015, is adorned with hypnotic colorful marble mosaics and in the basement there is an interesting museum, unfortunately with information only in the Albanian language, in whose rooms the history of the Islamic brotherhood of Sufi origin, founded in XIII century.

Monuments:

In Tirana there is also the Great Mosque, which will be inaugurated soon after many years of work, the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, of the Orthodox rite, the third largest structure of its kind in the Balkan Peninsula, and the Cathedral of St. Paul of the Catholic rite .
Among other points of interest in the city are the Ura e Tabakeve, the Pyramid, a large reinforced concrete building built as the mausoleum of the dictator Enver Hoxha, later used as a NATO base during the war in Kosovo. Then it became a night club, an exhibition center and a meeting point for young people from Tirana. It is currently the focus of a renovation project that will transform it into an important cultural, scientific and technological center in the Balkans.

Parks and gardens:

"Taiwan" is a recreational area with a bar, restaurant, bowling alley and one of the largest playgrounds in the city, frequented by families with children. However, the favorite place of the residents of Tirana to walk and take the little ones to play is Parku i Madh, the green lung of the capital, where there is also a large artificial lake.

Thanks to the many outdoor activities that can be done, it is the favorite place to relax on the weekends and even during the week, having fun. The park area also includes the Palace of the Brigades, whose construction began in 1936 and was completed in 1941 by the Florentine architect Gherardo Bosio.

Dajti Mountain National Park, located 25 kilometers east of the center of Tirana, can be reached by car, taxi or the Dajti Ekspress cable car, the longest in the Balkans, which takes about 20 minutes.

The natural area is a true paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, pleasant in every season of the year, but especially in spring, when the meadows are filled with flowers, and in autumn, when everything takes on warm tones. Dajti Adventure Park is an adventure park for adults and children (from 5 years old) built in the heart of the forest between paths, zip-lines and wooden paths.

What to do in Tirana: Block, nightlife area:

Near the park is Blloku, the nightlife area of ​​Tirana, known for its many bars and clubs. If today the Block is the place where young people meet in the discotheques and clubs of the area, in the years of the communist dictatorship the neighborhood was reserved exclusively for the political elite and no one else was allowed to enter.
Radio Bar, Nouvelle Vague and Antigua are among the most frequented places by Tirana residents and are known for their excellent cocktails, refined style and pleasant atmosphere.

The area is also very lively from a cultural point of view: in the palaces of some buildings, numerous works of street art have been created by Albanian and international artists, and wandering through its streets it is not rare to come across small art galleries, where artists Albanian contemporaries exhibit their works (FAB Gallery is very active, owned by the Academy of Arts in Tirana).

Another undisputed place for nightlife enthusiasts is the Committee Cafe-Museum, near the Pyramid, a place with communist-era objects where you can try over 20 variations of rakija, a flavored alcoholic drink of Ottoman origin, typical of the entire Balkans.

New Bazaar and Tirana Castle:

The new market in Tirana, Pazari i Ri, is the result of an ambitious redevelopment that has renewed the appearance of the structure and the surrounding area, characterized today by buildings with colorful facades with traditional Balkan geometric motifs. The modern architecture in glass and steel, whose stalls sell fruits, vegetables, jams, marmalades and various typical Albanian foods, was inaugurated in 2017.
Tirana Castle is another favorite place for shopping. Inside there are restaurants, art galleries, bars and craft shops selling local gastronomic and non-food products.

Bunker-shaped blue, traditional carpets with geometric patterns, silk scarves, handmade bags, brandy, oil and wine, are just some of the best souvenirs to buy as a memory of a trip to Tirana.

Where to sleep in Tirana?

Maritim Hotel Plaza: is the most famous and luxurious hotel in Tirana, right in the center, with rooms furnished with design elements, comfortable and spacious beds, wellness center, sauna, three restaurants of international cuisine and a beautiful view of the square. Skanderbeg".

Hotel Mondial: rooms with attention to detail, a mix of classic and contemporary furnishings. Outdoor rooftop pool and rooftop bar overlooking the rooftops of Tirana. The hotel is located a few meters away from the Mosaic of Tirana, the only archaeological remains present in the city today, part of an ancient Roman villa of the 3rd century.

On the other hand, Hotel Areela Boutique is a small hotel in neoclassical and industrial style, seven minutes walk from the square, with large and colorful rooms, furnished with traditional carpets and contemporary artworks.

Where to eat in Tirana?

Tirana is fully entering the list of the most interesting gastronomic destinations in Southern Europe. Among the typical dishes are pie, sour cream casserole, stuffed eggplant and meatballs, spicy meatballs and fried peppers. But there are numerous restaurants that revisit traditional cuisine with contemporary influences.

Among the many, to be highlighted in the agenda "Mullixhiu" at whose tables you can enjoy the traditional tastes of Albanian gastronomy, "Padam", a local "institution", in whose kitchens the chef Fundim Gjepali creates an extremely refined menu; "Gzona" by chef Bleri Dervishi (with many Italian and international experiences behind him), who enhances local ingredients and flavors, turning them into dishes that resemble works of art.

What to visit near Tirana?

An hour from Tirana, Kruja, the ancient capital of the Albanian kingdom, is a beautiful mountain town with a historic market, where local artisans sell textiles, jewelry, loom-woven carpets, and antiques.
In its castle, a symbol of resistance against the Ottoman occupation, where Skanderbeg fought against the Turks for 25 years to protect Albania, there are two important museums.

The Ethnographic Museum of Kruja, located in the halls of an old house, which offers visitors an interesting insight into local life during the years of Ottoman occupation, and the Skanderbeg Museum, whose halls exhibit frescoes, statues, mosaics and documents about historical events of the country.

From the glass terrace of the "Panorama" restaurant, which serves excellent dishes of local gastronomy, you can admire the most beautiful view of the city, the market and the castle.
Durrës is one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean, with numerous archaeological remains, including the Roman amphitheater, built between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, under the reign of Trajan, which could accommodate more than 20,000 people.

Durrës has long beaches with golden sand and shallow water, and you only need to go a few kilometers from the center to find clear water and secret coves where you can relax.

It has beaches ideal for those traveling with small children thanks to the shallow and clear water.

Also north of Durrës, Cape Rodoni, a rocky promontory that juts out of the Adriatic Sea, is instead one of Albania's most enchanting seaside resorts, with cliffs, pristine beaches and Mediterranean scrub as far as the eye can see.

A few kilometers from the historical center, on the other hand, starting from the south, the beaches of Golem, Karpen, Gjeneral and Spille have been recently redeveloped and are now perfect especially for families.
Tirana, events and festivals

After being the European Youth Capital in 2022, Tirana is the European Capital of Sport 2023. For all events related to the nomination, it is advisable to consult the website tirana.al/. In Albania and Tirana, March 14, the day of spring, marks the beginning of summer.
In May, the Day of Colors Festival is an event that celebrates the arrival of summer. In terms of events, September is the liveliest month.

In early September the International Jazz Festival features jazz artists from all over Europe; Mural Fest, dedicated to street art, attracts artists from all over the world who create works on the facades of the capital's buildings; The TIFF-Tirana International Film Festival (tiranafilmfest.com), at the end of the month, is the most important film event in the country.

The Tirana Marathon has been a fixed meeting for several years at the end of October.

The Book Fair is the largest Albanian event dedicated to the publishing world and is held every year in November.
Finally, in December, the square is transformed into a huge Christmas village with stands, wooden houses and games for young and old.


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