Is Tirana Worth Visiting? My Surprising Adventure in Albania’s Capital

We arrived in Tirana after a few hours’ drive from Ulcinj, Montenegro, not quite knowing what to expect. The day-long road trip, though smooth, left us pretty hungry, not just for food but for new experiences. Albania wasn’t exactly top of mind when we first planned our trip through the Balkans, but I’m so glad we went. Tirana surprised me in a way that few cities have, and now I can confidently say—yes, Tirana is absolutely worth visiting.

If you’ve never been, what you probably know about Tirana may be outdated. What it's really like today? Let’s just say it’s bright, bold, and booming.

While traveling here, we dug into the city’s unique blend of historic and modern, chaotic yet peaceful, and full of surprises, including some lessons of what to eat—and what not to.

The Fascinating Transformation of Tirana

Albania was once compared to Europe's version of North Korea—highly controlled, shut off from the rest of the world, and incredibly strict. If you think traveling in jeans or rocking a beard in the ‘70s or ‘80s was fine, think again. At the height of its Communist regime under dictator Enver Hoxha, such Western symbols of style were not only discouraged, but outright banned. Jeans, long hair, makeup, tattoos—gone. Imagine trying to enter Tirana back then versus today, where you’ll find vibrant colors, street art, and lively cafés.

From the moment we stepped into Tirana’s streets, the energy of the city hit us. There's a sense of forward motion everywhere we turned: lively people enjoying their coffee, scooters zooming past, and a constantly evolving landscape dotted with the influence of Edi Rama, who was once the city’s forward-thinking mayor and later became Albania’s prime minister.

Color is big here: even old Communist buildings have been revitalized with bold paint jobs, making the city a lot more visually stunning.

Italian Vibes with an Albanian Core

Maybe it’s because of the literal proximity of Italy. Albania is just across the Adriatic after all, but something struck me right away—many Albanians speak Italian, and I felt like I’d stumbled on a familiar Mediterranean culture watered with a fresh Albanian twist.

Historic Italian architecture is woven into the city’s culture—you can even see traces of Italian design from the early 1900s in buildings that stand today. Walking around, I couldn’t help but feel an unexpected familiarity mixed with something entirely new and untamed. But don’t think for a second it’s just a reflection of Italy. Tirana’s got its own thing going on.

Oh, and speaking of Italian nostalgia, we decided to grab a “Sicilian-style” pizza. Except, it was in the heart of Tirana instead of my childhood bakery back home.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t disappoint.

Tirana: A City on the Move

For a city that was locked up behind the iron curtain for so long, Tirana has made serious strides. Construction is booming—you can’t look anywhere without spotting new and modern buildings going up. And while we're on the subject of architecture, you have to check out the Skanderbeg-head building. It towers like some strange piece of contemporary art in honor of Albania’s cherished national hero, George Kastrioti Skanderbeg. The city’s mix of modern and past keeps your eyes wandering because Tirana truly isn’t afraid to embrace change.

One place that stuck out to me was the Pyramid of Tirana. Originally built as a monument to Hoxha, it's been revamped, serving as a community hub with an updated feel but carrying heavy memories of a difficult history. What used to be a brutalist structure people would climb and slide on? That’s now a fully revamped staircase leading to a space for the community to gather. It’s a visual symbol of Tirana’s past and its hopes for the future—kind of poetic, I think.

The current rendition of the Pyramid of Tirana.

Communism Still Casts a Shadow

Tirana wears its history close to the chest, particularly when it comes to the legacy of Communism. You can tour the infamous bunkers that were scattered all over the country during the dictatorship—over 700,000 small, concrete domes meant to defend against foreign invasion, though none ever really came. Today, you'll find some like BunkArt 2, turned into museums that house exhibits exploring Albania’s dark Communist past. Walking through one of these reinforced structures is eerie, especially knowing how ingrained that sense of paranoia was for decades.

Though the city is transforming, the psychological scars of wartime still linger. That’s also why it felt so striking to see religious buildings—mosques, Orthodox and Catholic churches—all peacefully co-existing in Tirana. Despite a history of oppression, Albania has long stood out for its religious tolerance and secularism. Whenever the topic of “unity in diversity” comes up in a conversation about European cities, Tirana deserves a mention.

An Adventure in Albanian Cuisine (And How We Failed)

We absolutely had to try some local food, but let me warn you—be careful with your organ meat orders. We took some advice (and a few wrong moves), ending up with liver and intestines on our plates, a pretty foreign experience for someone aiming to cut down on meat, period. It wasn’t our best culinary decision, and I can say with confidence that romancing the idea of eating liver went out the window after my first bite.

While I wouldn’t recommend over-adventuring on the menu like we did, there are delicious local favorites absolutely worth trying. The burek—filled with leek and cheese—is a must. In true Albanian hospitality, wherever you dine, expect to be taken care of by warm, friendly owners who don’t ask but tell you what’s good for dinner (trust them). Wine is often served in mystery bottles, and raki—a local spirit—flows freely.

This is the night we chose well with food at Taverna e Kasapbeuth.

Navigating Tirana’s Contrast with the Sky Club

Our Tirana journey wouldn’t be complete without ending the night at the Sky Club, a revolving restaurant that initially struck us as gimmicky but actually turned out to give us one of the best panoramic views of the city. Sitting there, sipping drinks while the bar turned slowly, we looked out across this colorful, reawakened city and thought, how on earth didn’t we think to come here sooner?

how on earth didn’t we think to come here sooner?

All in all, if you’re still wondering “is Tirana worth visiting?”, let me cut to the chase: absolutely. Its rich history, exciting future, and surprising mix of cuisine, architecture, and culture make it a hidden European gem. Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or just someone looking for an off-the-beaten-path adventure, Tirana offers you something different, something unforgettable.

Goodbye Balkans, Mirupafshim Albania…and Until Next Time

As we packed for Greece after saying goodbye to Albania, we reflected on what had been one of the standout cities on this Balkan road trip. Tirana, a city with rough edges and bright corners, feels like a bold promise in the making. Sometimes, a trip you don’t expect ends up changing your whole outlook, and that’s exactly what we found in Tirana.

Albania had always been this mysterious place, and now it’s etched into my memories. Will I be going back? You bet. Maybe just not for the liver next time.