Tirana Walking Tour around the Historic Centre
Overview
This tour brings back to the communist era, a period that Albania was isolated for nearly 50 years. We will start our tour in the skanderbeg square, main square of Tirana in which we will see the National History Museum, Opera House, Et’hem Bey Mosque, Clock Tower, Bunk’Art 2 Museum.
We will continue with the Castle of Tirana, Pyramid (breathtating views from the top of the pyramid), Deshmorët e Kombit Boulevard and we will visit Blloku area full of bars, restaurants and clubs. We will pass through the Youth Park and finish our tour with the unique museum “House of Leaves” the museum of secret surveillance of Albania, full of History and Mystery.
You will have immersive cultural experience, insider knowledge, and memorable encounter with local traditions. The tours are organized in small groups and is great for adventure seekers, couples, elderly, families with children that want to know more about that beautiful and vibrant capital city.
Gallery
What's Included
✓ Included
- Experienced certified guides
- Tips about different traditional restaurants and any diatary needs
- Fun, informative and interactive experience
- Climbing up the top of Tirana Pyramid for breathtaking views (sunset view photo stop)
- Entrance to churches and mosques
- Photo stops at monuments
✗ Not Included
- Gratuities
- Private transportation
Itinerary
1
Stop 1
The National History Museum is a historical museum in Tirana, Albania. It was opened on 28 October 1981 and is 27,000 square metres in size, while 18,000 square metres are available for expositions. Above the entrance of the museum is a large mural mosaic titled “The Albanians” that depicts purported ancient to modern figures from Albania's history.
2
Stop 2
Skanderbeg Square is the main plaza in the centre of Tirana, Albania. The square is named after the Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu. The total area is about 40,000 square metres. The Skanderbeg Monument dominates the square.
3
Stop 3
Opera House is a theatre in Tirana, Albania. It is the largest theatre in the country and hosts music and dance performances year-round.
4
Stop 4
The Skanderbeg Monument is a monument in the Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. It commemorates Skanderbeg (1405–1468), the national hero in Albania for resisting the Ottomans.
5
Stop 5
The Et'hem Bey Mosque is a mosque in Tirana, Albania. Closed under communist rule, the mosque reopened as a house of worship in 1991. Frescoes outside and inside the portico depict trees, waterfalls and bridges. We will have a visit inside the mosque which is very authentic and old.
6
Stop 6
The Clock Tower of Tirana was built in 1822 in Tirana, Albania by Et'hem bey Mollaj, a Bejtexhinj poet who also finished the Et'hem Bey Mosque next to the clock tower. Watchmaster Ismail Tufina was the first to assemble the Tirana clock mechanism in 1822. It is a monument of culture of first category, approved on 24 May 1948.
7
Stop 7
The Cloud is an art installation placed in front of National Gallery of Arts in Tirana, Albania. Since 2016, the Cloud has served as modern art space for cultural events in Tirana. The Pavilion is a delicate, three-dimensional structure. It was designed by Sou Fujimoto, a Japanese Architect.
8
Stop 8
An excellent re-imagining of a Communist-era nuclear bunker, Bunk’Art 2 museum and art space reflects Tirana’s initiative to use culture to celebrate the birth of a new era, whilst remembering its solemn past. Outside visit of this unique museum.
9
Stop 9
Murat Toptani Road is a popular pedestrian street in Tirana. It is named for the Toptani family, the leading Albanian noble family while Albania was under Ottoman rule.
10
Stop 10
Fortress of Justinian or simply known as Tirana Castle is a castle in Tirana, Albania. Its history dates back before 1300 and is a remnant from the Byzantine-era. The fortress is the place where the main east–west and north–south roads crossed, and formed the heart of Tirana. Inside the fortified walls of the former fortress, there are many buildings that can be visited, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural institutions.
11
Stop 11
St Paul's Cathedral is a cathedral in Tirana, Albania. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tiranë-Durrës. The stained glass window to the left of the front door features Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa. Also a statue of Mother Teresa can be found at the entrance of the cathedral. It is a modern-looking building and does not resemble a traditional church.
12
Stop 12
The Pyramid of Tirana is a structure and former museum of the dictator Enver Hoxha, located in Tirana, the capital of Albania. It opened as a museum in 1988 and became a conference center in 1991 following the collapse of Communism. During the 1999 Kosovo War, the building was used as a NATO base. In 2018, a new project was unveiled that would turn the pyramid into a youth IT center for Creative Technologies with a focus on computer programming, robotics, and start ups under the name of TUMO Center Tirana. The renovated structure, transformed by MVRDV, was opened to the public in May 2023.
13
Stop 13
The Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard (English: Boulevard of the Martyrs of the Nation) is a major thoroughfare in Tirana, Albania. Many buildings are located along this boulevard, including the Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister's Office, the Palace of Congress, the Rogner Hotel and the University of Tirana.
14
Stop 14
The most famous neighbourhood in the city. Leafy, residential Blloku is an upscale nightlife and shopping hotspot, with hip bars and cafes, and trendy global restaurants alongside luxury boutiques. During the era of Communist rule, it was a closed-off precinct for the party elite, and the villa of long-ruling dictator Enver Hoxha still stand.
15
Stop 15
"Youth Park", is the central public park of Tirana, Albania. Built in 1950 during the communist era, it covers an area of 2.98 hectares (7.4 acres). It is also called Taiwan Park.
16
Stop 16
The Resurrection Cathedral is an Albanian Orthodox church situated in the center of Tirana, Albania. It is considered among the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the Balkans. We will visit this church from inside.
17
Stop 17
The Museum of Secret Surveillance, also known as House of Leaves is a historical museum in Tirana, Albania. It opened on 23 May 2017 in the building that served as the Sigurimi's headquarters during the communist era. The museum is "dedicated to the innocent people who were spied on, arrested, prosecuted, convicted and executed during the communist regime." Outside visit
Meeting & End Point
📍
Meeting Point
The guide will be waiting next to the Karuseli(Caurosel), in the main square of Tirana, Skanderbeg Square! The carousel is in the south-west end of the square, near the bank of Albania (Banka e Shqipërisë). The guide will be wearing an adidas cap and be waiting with a big smile!
🏁
End Point
The best place to end the tour as you can enter the museum️
At this point you are in the center of Tirana and very near the location of the tour!
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Good to Know
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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