Exploring Tirana

In my last post, I shared details on how to navigate Tirana, Albania as a digital nomad. Now, on to the fun part! Here are my tips on what to do, see, and eat in and around Tirana. You’re going to have a blast!

Favorite Eats in Tirana

Tirana is a decent-sized city with a thriving and easy-to-navigate international food scene, so I’ll focus on providing some guidance on the local cuisine. The most common option you’ll find for traditional Albanian food is a ‘zgara’, or ‘grill’. The focus in these casual restaurants will be on grilled meats, with side dishes served family-style. I’ll note that there will not typically be a lot of vegetables on the menu at these places, but most zgaras will at minimum serve you a side dish of grilled vegetables if you ask for it, even if it is not on the menu (usually some combination of peppers, tomatoes, and onions). A couple that I really like are Zgara e Tirones and Tymi. Cafes will serve light fare such a simple ham and cheese sandwich, but some also serve a daily lunch special of home cooking. Check out, for example, Te Muzeu ,where the daily special is usually a beautiful plate of hot and cold small dishes, and always delicious and affordable. If you are looking for something a little nicer, and with a wider selection of traditional foods, then either of the Restaurant Era locations are a good bet. The menu is extensive, and the food quality is solid.

Finally, if you need a break from the cigarette smoke, there are a handful of restaurants in the city that do not allow smoking at all. Here’s a short list of ones that I have frequented:

Things to Do in Tirana

Tirana has it’s fair share of museums and historical sites for touring in your free time. Whether or not you’re a history buff I’d recommend getting some background on Albania’s unique history, which may provide some context for the still-emerging modern Albanian culture you are experiencing. Two can’t-miss offerings are the House of Leaves and the confusingly named Bunk’art (this is not an art museum!). Both are small museums that offer a perspective on the oppression by Albania’s long communist regime during the 20th century, the first through the lens of its spy network and the second through its police state. You might need some ice cream afterward to help shake the horror. You can also check out this almost unbelievable short documentary on Albania’s financial collapse in the 1990s, and this uplifting one on the harboring of Jewish refugees in Albania during World War II.

These are quite heavy experiences, but if you want to have a barrel of fun with some local flavor, both literally and metaphorically, I can’t more highly recommend taking this cooking class offered by Go As Local. The young host is hilarious, great at getting folks out of their shell, and generous both with stories of growing up in a transitioning Albania, and with her family’s homemade wine. This tour company is also reliable if you want to book organized sightseeing.

If you want to join in on the local fun, Tirana has a lot going on in the summertime, from festivals and exhibitions to transformations of central Skanderbeg Square to a giant public soccer-viewing party. One of my favorite things to do is the outdoor movie night series in the park. Check out the Open Air screening schedule. All the movies are international hits with Albanian subtitles.

Outdoor Fun Near Tirana

Albania is surrounded by mountains and lush forest, so there are great hikes a few minutes to a few hours away. The closest peak is Dajtie and you can take a lovely cable car ride from Tirana to an activity center at the top. There you will find a restaurant with a view, mini-golf, zip-lining, and hiking trails.

If it’s too hot to move and you just want to get away from it all, I recommend a pool day at Select Hill Resort just outside the city. A short 15 minute car ride away, the sprawling pool has tons of seating and offers a day pass.

Exploring Beyond Tirana

Tirana is a great home base for experiencing the entire Balkans region. If you are looking for just a day trip, there are several lovely spots that you can get to and come back from easily within a single day. Durres is a coastal town just 30 minutes away. You can soak up sun on the beach, tour ancient ruins, and of course enjoy deliciously fresh seafood. Berat is a picturesque town a couple of hours away into the center of the country. Here, the city sits on a hill overlooking a gorgeous river valley landscape. It is crowned with a well-preserved castle where you are rewarded for your climb with a 360-view.

If you have a long weekend to spend, you might consider a relaxing weekend in Vlore on the Albanian riviera. The beaches are nicer and the scenery more stunning of the coast, compared to the beaches that are more accessible to Tirana. You can also easily get to a few other countries in a similar amount of time. I highly recommend renting a car and crossing the border to the Northern Macedonian side of Lake Ohrid. Ohrid town has nice night life, scenic historical sites, and a number of touristic offerings from boat rides on the lake to paragliding from the nearby hills. On the way there or back to Tirana, consider making a pit stop to lunch in Elbasan castle in Albania.

Another nice weekend trip option is to visit Montenegro, Albanian’s neighbor to the north. Podgorica the capital is easily reached by bus and has a lot to do, but I would recommend hiring a car to more easily get to one of the many charming cities nestled in the stunning green cliffs that make up the Montenegro coast. Budva is popular, but I was quite happy with my visit to smaller Kotor. On the way to the border, you will pass through Shkoder in Albania, which is worth a stop.

I hope you have a ton of fun exploring Tirana! If you’d like to see more travel and digital nomad content, please sign up for my newsletter to get these posts sent directly to your inbox!

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