MUGFOUNDRY

A gargantuan mural with a girl painted in earthy tones. A bright, striped block of flats. A new skyscraper shaped like a giant head.

Driving through Tirana, I can’t help but look up. My taxi driver, Erion, leans over the steering wheel and points to the buildings around us. ‘That’s new, that one is a couple of years old, that one is very popular with tourists, this is also new,’ he says.

A tantalising aroma wafts from a stall beside the car window. A seller is unwrapping fresh ballokume, a traditional sweet treat, and kulaç, Albanian soda bread. On the corner, men are playing an intense game of dominoes on a makeshift table.

At first glance, Tirana feels lively, but not overwhelming. The Albanian capital, with its almost 600,000 inhabitants, is more or less the size of the London borough of Brent, but it has ambitious plans.

And with its chequered history, Mediterranean climate and delicious cuisine, it’s an underrated choice for an affordable city break.

Things to do in Tirana

It’s impossible to visit Tirana without meeting memories of its Communist past. Not far from Skanderbeg Square, known as the heart of the city, is an underground Cold War bunker.

Bunk’Art 2 – and Bunk’Art 1, located further out – are museums that give life to Enver Hoxha’s paranoia (entry is £7.85, with cheaper options for a combined ticket or groups).

Albania’s Communist leader was so obsessed with foreign invasion that it’s estimated he ordered the creation of more than 170,000 bunkers – making Albania the country with the most bunkers in the world (as far as we know, at least).

After the fall of Communism in the early ’90s, Tirana was mostly made up of grey, Soviet-style buildings.

In the early ’00s, Edi Rama – the then mayor and now Prime Minister – launched an initiative to inject colour into the capital.

As a result, there are murals everywhere you turn, from residential corners to park benches. If you are planning to stay only a few days, consider joining a street art tour that will take you to hidden Insta-worthy spots.

Other attractions worth visiting include the Et’hem Bey Mosque – a beautiful cultural monument that was spared destruction during the Communist era – and Mount Dajti, which can be reached via cable car.

Something that surprised me about Albania was its eclectic and tasty food. It’s a mix of Mediterranean and Balkan flavours, with hearty meat dishes and delicious vegetarian staples.

I tasted perhaps too many crispy byrek (savoury pastries), as well as yoghurt-based sauces and juicy dolma (stuffed vegetables).

One of my favourite meals was at Piceri Era Blloku, which serves succulent Albanian qofte (meatballs) with a creamy sauce of plum nardem, a traditional preserve (£6.72).

Of course, I couldn’t not put Albanian nightlife to the test.

Head to Radio Bar Tirana for some seriously cheap cocktails (starting at £6.54) with retro vibes.

If you’re looking for something more upmarket, the 360° rotating bar at Sky Club offers an incredible view and a romantic atmosphere. I sat there for two hours, waiting for the sun to go down and paint the skyline red, sipping blood orange martinis (around £10 each).

What’s not to love?

However, my favourite was Komiteti Bar.

The venue calls itself a ‘café-museum’, and it’s decorated with objects from the Communist period. There are handmade doilies, repurposed sewing machines, and traditional costumes hanging on the walls. After our first visit, when we had some classic cocktails, we came back again, this time determined to give raki (a traditional Albanian spirit) a try.

The team behind the bar welcomed us with a smile, shouting from afar, ‘You back again?!’

Due to some language difficulties, we decided to fully trust our waiter to choose a selection of raki drinks based on the options ‘spicy, sweet, or sour’.

We were not disappointed when we received a refreshing berry-based infusion and a tumbler with a simil-whisky sour, the perfect accompaniment to the live music in the background.

A fast-changing city

‘Everywhere in Albania is an active building site,’ Arber Musabelliu, a local guide from Free Walking Tour Tirana, tells me.

When she visited last year, Metro‘s Alice Murphy also noticed that several areas of the country were overbuilt and overcrowded.

There’s even a Reddit thread devoted to the issue, ominously titled ‘The consequences of mass tourism in Albania’.

Tirana isn’t the exception. Before becoming the capital of Albania in 1920, it was a relatively small town in a strategic position at the centre of the country.

Now, just over 100 years later, it’s a modern European city with bold development plans.

A masterplan – known as Tirana 2030 – aims to transform the capital into a greener, more sustainable and technological urban centre.

Led by Italian architect Stefano Boeri (the brains behind Milan’s iconic forest building), the vision includes quirky buildings and architectural drama.

Some that have already been erected include a pixelated map of the country, a skyscraper that looks to have been inspired by a Jenga set, and a patriotic block of luxury condos in the shape of Albania’s national hero.

And, because Tirana is mostly made up of low-rise Communist-era buildings, the effect is disorientating.

Architecture isn’t usually my thing, but in Tirana, I was hooked.

Watching the city’s skyline, with Mount Dajti in the background, my eyes were captivated by these monumental pillars, towering over the landscape.

One disappointing aspect of Tirana was its untidiness, sadly. While this didn’t spoil my visit, there is a lot that could be done to improve the situation.

Where to stay in Tirana

Compared to other European capitals, Tirana is small and easy to explore on foot. Buses in the centre are also very frequent (£0.35 for each ride).

For a weekend getaway, stay near the lively Blloku (‘the Block’, once an elite communist enclave) or Skanderbeg Square to be close to the main attractions and nightlife.

The city has plenty of affordable options when it comes to accommodation.

As I was travelling with three friends, we opted for something with shared (but private) living spaces. For us, making the most of our time together – whether visiting a museum or just resting on the sofa after a day of walking – was the most important thing.

We chose a two-bedroom, two-bathroom Airbnb with a 4.98 rating for £220 in total. Located near the Blloku, it was just a four-minute walk from the main street, which meant we could easily get home after dinner and drinks in one of the district’s trendy bars.

The apartment was certified as a Guest Favourite, meaning the listing was rated highly by previous guests. Elton, our host, was extremely responsive and made sure we felt right at home.

For a luxury experience, the Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana is the top-rated 5-star hotel on TripAdvisor. Located in the centre, it has a 24-hour gym, a wellness centre and three different restaurants to choose from. Prices start at £103 per night for a standard room.

For families, Hotel Mondial takes the crown on TripAdvisor. Reviewers praise the spacious and modern family rooms, which accomodate large groups and come with connecting doors. This is also one of the few hotels with a rooftop pool in the capital. Prices start at £75 per night for a standard double room.

If you are on a budget, or travelling alone, Tirana Backpacker Hostel is a highly rated option. With some very strong hippie vibes, reviewers raved about the day tours, the cheap vegetarian dinners and nicely decorated rooms, with one guest calling it ‘the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in’. A night in a six-bed mixed dorm starts at £10.42.

How to get to Tirana

You can fly directly from London to Tirana for as little as £26 from Stansted (with Ryanair), from Luton (with Wizz Air) and from Heathrow with British Airways.

Ryanair also runs direct flights to Tirana from Manchester and Edinburgh airports. Once landed, the city centre is a 30-minute drive away.

Martina Andretta was a guest of Airbnb.