Nope, cannot think of anything … Albania was a very fine country to visit.
Location in the World map …
Some interesting tidbits about Albania …
In 1967, Albania was declared the world’s first atheist state when all forms of religion were banned, a legacy of its communist past.
Albanians have a different gesture for “yes” and “no”—they shake their heads to mean “yes” and nod for “no”.
During the communist era, Albania was fortified with hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers to defend against a potential invasion that never happened. Some have since been repurposed as hostels or museums.
The Albanian language is a unique branch of the Indo-European language family and is not related to any other known language in Europe.
For a long period after World War II, Albania was extremely isolated from the rest of the world, a policy that only began to change in 1991.
Lake Orhid: This shared border lake with North Macedonia is one of Europe’s oldest and deepest lakes, supporting a wealth of unique and endemic species.
Mother Teresa was an Albanian.
It is noteworthy that Albanians do not refer to their country as “Albania”, but rather as “Shqipëri”, which translates to “Land of Eagles“. The eagle holds immense significance for Albanian people and is regarded as their national and ethnic symbol.
More Albanians live outside of Albania than within.
King Zog I – the first and only King of Albania: King Zog I was the sole monarch of Albania, reigning from 1928 until 1939. Notably, he was the only Muslim king in modern European history and gained a reputation for surviving numerous assassination attempts. King Zog played a significant role in modernizing Albania during his reign.
Former communist leader Enver Hoxha, who ruled Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. During his rule, Hoxha implemented a policy of extreme isolationism, causing Albania to become one of the most isolated countries in the world.
Butrint, a UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Albania, is home to some of the most significant ruins in the country, spanning 2,500 years of history across the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine eras, with its origins dating back to the 3rd century BC.
Enver Halil Hoxha was an Albanian communist revolutionary and statesman who was the leader of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985.
Capital: Tirane/Tirana
Largest City: Tirana
Population: 2.7M (0.5M in Tarane/Tirana)
Language: Albanian (50% speak English)
Religion: Islam (45%)
Currency: Albanian Lek (1 ALL == 1.07 INR)
GDP: 26 Billion USD
National Animal: Golden Eagle
Timeline:
Note: Constantinople was a historically significant city, once the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. It is now called Istanbul.
Note: Byzantine Empire was a continuation of Roman Empire, in its eastern half. 330AD – 1453 AD.
Romans >
Byzantine >
Ottomans >
Kingdom under King Zog >
Occupation by Italy/Germany during WWII >
Communist State (Enver Hoxha) >
Modern Republic of Albania in 1991
My 1st impressions:
Lousy weather again … 🙂 Though it was overcast throughout my time in Albania, was not caught in too much rain, luckily.
My Experiences
The bus from Kosovo dropped me off at the absolute outskirts of Tirana/Tirane, Albania. Had to take this local bus to get to the city center. Since I had my small suitcase with me (The only person with luggage), I thought why create space issues in the busy bus, so I took a seat. One problem. The only seat I got face every other passenger (Next to driver, single seat, facing everyone else). I dont mind being OutOfPlace or being stared at. Have faced it in Asuncion, Bagan, Irkutsk, Ulaanbaatar, Ashgabat, Bishkek, Tefe Etc. That I have faced it does not mean it is a comfortable experience 😁 Wanted to ask the passengers: “Alright, now, would you like me to perform a musical number?” 😂 The thrill of being out of my Comfort Zone, with no one with me to lean on to … Its a mighty invigorating drug indeed 😁Liked this installation near the City Center 🙂 Tirana, Albania.Interesting building … Tirana, Albania.Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral. From 2012. Tirana, Albania.Inside the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral. Tirana, Albania.Skanderbeg Square. The main square in the city. It was a cloudy day, but no rains and I could walk around in Tshirt 🙂. Tirana, Albania.A huge Albanian flag in full glory … Skanderbeg Square. Tirana, Albania.Gjergj Kastrioti, commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanian nobleman and military leader who led the League of Lezhë in the Ottoman-Albanian Wars until his death. Skanderbeg is considered to be a major figure of medieval Albanian history and today is the national hero of Albania. Tirana, Albania.Et’hem Beg Mosque. From 18th Century. At Skanderbeg Square. Tirana, Albania.BunkArt2 … There is a larger BunkArt1, a bit away from the City Center. Tirana, Albania.In case you want to know more on Albania’s bunkers. Tirana, Albania.Inside BunkArt2 … Tirana, Albania.There are various passages like this one within the bunker. BunkArt2. Tirana, Albania.“Bunk Art 2”. During the long rule of Communist Leader Enver Hoxha (In various capacities), from 1944 till his death in 1985, Albania was a very isolated/closed country. Many bunkers were built all over the country. Since 1991, these bunkers have been turned to Museums, Restaurants Etc. This is “Bunker 2”, converted to an underground museum. It was filled with tourists. There are several passageways in the bunker, with each room converted to highlight some aspect. E.g. How citizens were monitored. Labor camps. How foreigers were tracked. What happened to “Traitors” Etc. Looks like Enver’s playbook was the same as that of Joseph Stalin, Kim Sung II, Adolf Hitler and other such specimens. Tirana, Albania.A lit-up tree … Tirana, Albania.Well, my area of expertise 🙂 Tirana, Albania.View from atop the Pyramid of Tirana. Tirana, Albania.View from atop the Pyramid of Tirana. Tirana, Albania.There were many people on top of the Pyramid. Tirana, Albania.Liked this lighting a lot … Tirana, Albania.Albanian Lek (“ALL”). 1 ALL == 1.06 INR. Only the 6th non-Euro currency on this trip …Beer of the day! Tirana, Albania.Beer from a local MicroBrewery and Tave Kosi, a National Dish of Albania. Tave Kosi is made with Lamb, Rice, Yogurt and Eggs. To my taste, it was okay … 😐 For someone who eats raw Chilli as a condiment, this dish was absolutely spiceless 😁 The restaurant is within Tirana Castle (13th Century Fortress of Justinian, Byzantine Era), which is teeming with shops and restaurants. The area, probably because it was a Sunday, was bustling with people. Tirana, Albania.Tirana Castle was teeming with people … Tirana, Albania.For some reason, this pool is called “Taiwan Pool” 🙂 Has a nice couple of eateries nearby and there are seats beside the pool. Tirana, Albania.Liked the traffic signals in the City Center. The stripes also light up accordingly … Tirana, Albania.A hotel (Marriott?) all lit up … Tirana, Albania.“Pyramid of Tirana”, captured at two different times. Opened as a museum in 1988. Was used as a NATO base during the 1999 Kosovo War. Just 5 floors. One can climb up to the top, to get a decent view all around. It was teeming with people when I climbed up … Of course, climbing stairs is a specialty of mine 😎😁 Tirana, Albania.Namazgah Mosque. A Sunni mosque opened in 2024. Tirana, Albania.As these parts of Albania was very cloudy and rainy, these are all I could capture on the journey East from Tirana, Albania to Ohrid, North Macedonia.
Beautiful North-West Albania.Inside the TEG Mall. Tirana, Albania. Since it was around 8am, the mall was almost empty, except for the staff preparing for the busy day ahead …The TEG (Tirana East Gate) mall. TEG is so convenient. Modern mall to pass time. Free restrooms (In a region where pretty much every restroom is paid 🙂. Nice seating areas to relax on. Etc. Tirana, Albania.TEG Mall also houses the city’s main International Bus Terminal. Tirana, Albania.Quick breakfast at a Cafe in TEG Mall. Tirana, Albania.Had this Grape drink at a PitStop on the way to Montenegro …
