Find places in Albania

Must-Haves

• Bunk'Art 2 (Central Tirana)
  A former secret police bunker turned into a gripping museum of the communist years.
• Bunk'Art 1 (Tirana outskirts, near the Dajti cable car)
  A vast nuclear bunker built for the leadership, now a museum and art space.
• House of Leaves Museum (Central Tirana)
  A haunting museum of surveillance in the building where the regime spied on its people.
• National History Museum (Skanderbeg Square)
  The country's story from antiquity to communism behind a famous socialist realist mosaic.
• Et'hem Bey Mosque (Skanderbeg Square)
  A small, beautifully painted mosque that reopened in 1991 as a symbol of religious freedom.

Must-Haves

• Skanderbeg Square (Central Tirana)
  The vast heart of the capital, framed by the mosque, clock tower and opera house.

Fun for Everyone

• Pyramid of Tirana (Lana river, central Tirana)
  A former dictator's museum reborn as a youth and tech hub with steps you can climb.
• Tirana Castle area (Murat Toptani Street)
  A small pedestrian area inside the old fortress walls with cafés and shops.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tanners' Bridge (Central Tirana)
  A small Ottoman stone bridge, one of the last survivors of old Tirana.

Fun for Everyone

• Dajti Ekspres Cable Car (Mount Dajti)
  A long cable car ride to fresh mountain air and sweeping views over the city.
• Grand Park of Tirana (Southern Tirana)
  A green park around an artificial lake where locals walk, jog and picnic.

Off the Beaten Path

• Petrelë Castle (Petrelë, near Tirana)
  A small hilltop castle with views of olive groves and a family run restaurant.

Must-Haves

• Pazari i Ri (New Bazaar)
  A restored market hall of fruit, cheese, honey and raki surrounded by lively eateries.

Must-Haves

• Blloku (Blloku)
  The former party elite district, now packed with cafés, cocktail bars and clubs.

Great for Date Night

• Radio Bar (Blloku)
  A cosy bar decorated with vintage radios, good for cocktails and conversation.

Must-Haves

• Oda (Near the New Bazaar)
  A homely restaurant serving traditional Albanian dishes in rooms full of folk decor.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Era (Blloku)
  A long running local favourite for Albanian and Italian plates and wood fired pizza.
• Byrek shops around Pazari i Ri (New Bazaar)
  Flaky warm byrek from a bakery counter is the perfect cheap breakfast on the go.

Great for Date Night

• Mullixhiu (Grand Park, Tirana)
  Modern Albanian cooking built on farm produce and stone milled grains.

Must-Haves

• Komiteti Kafe Muzeum (Near the Pyramid)
  A café filled with communist era objects and a long list of homemade raki.

Fun for Everyone

• Summer Day (Dita e Verës) (Across Albania, biggest in Elbasan and Tirana)
  The March holiday that welcomes spring with ballokume biscuits and family outings.

Must-Haves

• Rogner Hotel Tirana (Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard)
  A long established hotel with a large garden and pool close to the centre.

Great for Date Night

• Maritim Hotel Plaza Tirana (Skanderbeg Square)
  A tall hotel above the main square with city and mountain views.

Must-Haves

• Berat Castle (Kalaja) (Castle quarter)
  A walled hilltop village of homes, chapels and views over the town and river.
• Onufri Iconographic Museum (Castle quarter)
  Icons by the master Onufri inside a beautiful Orthodox church.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ethnographic Museum of Berat (Mangalem)
  A traditional Ottoman house showing how Berat families lived and worked.
• Halveti Tekke (Mangalem)
  A small Sufi lodge with a richly decorated ceiling and quiet courtyard.
• Leaden Mosque (Lower town)
  One of the town's oldest mosques, named for its lead covered dome.

Must-Haves

• Mangalem Quarter (Mangalem)
  The famous stack of white Ottoman houses with their many windows.
• Gorica Bridge (Gorica)
  The old stone bridge with the classic view back to Mangalem.

Fun for Everyone

• Evening xhiro on the boulevard (Bulevardi Republika)
  Join locals on the evening stroll, a classic Albanian ritual.

Must-Haves

• Osumi Canyon (Çorovodë area)
  Deep limestone gorges for rafting in spring and views all year.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bogovë Waterfall (Bogovë)
  A cool forest walk to a waterfall that makes a perfect summer escape.
• Mount Tomorr National Park (East of Berat)
  A sacred mountain of the Bektashi order with high meadows and wide views.

Must-Haves

• Lili Homemade Food (Mangalem)
  Home cooked Albanian food served by a family in their own courtyard.

Great for Date Night

• Mangalemi Restaurant (Mangalem)
  Traditional dishes on a terrace with views over the old town.

Great for Date Night

• Çobo Winery (Ura Vajgurore)
  A family winery known for local grapes, with tastings and food.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Cafés on the riverside boulevard (Bulevardi Republika)
  Simple cafés for a strong espresso and people watching by the Osum.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Mangalemi (Mangalem)
  A restored Ottoman house hotel with a terrace restaurant.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Gorica (Gorica)
  Traditional rooms with views across the river to Mangalem.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mount Tomorr pilgrimage (Mount Tomorr)
  A large August Bektashi pilgrimage to the summit shrine.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Castle quarter craft stalls (Castle quarter)
  Lace, embroidery and herbs sold by residents along the castle lanes.

Must-Haves

• Gjirokastër Castle (Above the old town)
  A vast fortress with vaulted galleries, old cannons and sweeping valley views.
• Zekate House (Palorto)
  A grand fortified Ottoman house with painted rooms and twin towers.
• Skenduli House (Old town)
  A beautifully kept family tower house, often shown by family members.

Off the Beaten Path

• Cold War Tunnel (Old town)
  A large hidden bunker beneath the city built for the regime.

Fun for Everyone

• Ethnographic Museum of Gjirokastër (Old town)
  A traditional house museum built on the site of Enver Hoxha's birthplace.

Must-Haves

• Old Bazaar (Old town)
  Five stone streets of craft shops selling carpets, copper and embroidery.

Must-Haves

• National Folklore Festival (Gjirokastër Castle)
  A major festival of song and dance held in the castle every few years.

Must-Haves

• Kujtimi Restaurant (Old town)
  A terrace favourite for qifqi and local dishes with views.

Great for Date Night

• Odaja (Old Bazaar)
  Traditional dishes in a cosy old room in the heart of the bazaar.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bazaar cafés (Old Bazaar)
  Small cafés where you can watch the town over Turkish coffee.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Kalemi 2 (Palorto)
  A restored stone house with views over the valley and castle.

Must-Haves

• Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) (Muzinë)
  A deep blue spring bubbling up through clear water in a green forest.

Off the Beaten Path

• Zagori valley villages (Zagori)
  Quiet stone villages, arched bridges and hiking trails above the Drino valley.

Must-Haves

• Butrint National Park (South of Ksamil)
  Greek, Roman and Venetian ruins in a forest beside a lagoon.

Off the Beaten Path

• Monastery of the Forty Saints (Above Sarandë)
  Ruins of an early Christian monastery that gave the town its name.
• Synagogue ruins of Onchesmos (Central Sarandë)
  Remains of an ancient synagogue and later basilica with mosaics.

Must-Haves

• Lëkurësi Castle (Above Sarandë)
  A hilltop fortress with the best sunset view over Sarandë and Corfu.

Fun for Everyone

• Sarandë Promenade (Seafront)
  A long palm lined walk that comes alive on summer evenings.
• Ferry to Corfu (Sarandë port)
  A short crossing that adds a Greek island day to your trip.

Must-Haves

• Ksamil Islands (Ksamil)
  Small islets you can swim or paddle to across shallow turquoise water.
• Mirror Beach (Pasqyra) (North of Ksamil)
  A small cove of white pebbles and very clear water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pulëbardha Beach (Near Ksamil)
  A cove reached down a steep road, calmer than Ksamil.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gjiro and souvlaki stands (Central Sarandë)
  Quick, cheap gyro wraps that locals grab after the beach.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mussel farms of Butrint lagoon (Butrint lagoon)
  Family mussel farms where you eat fresh mussels on wooden platforms over the water.

Fun for Everyone

• Beach bars of Ksamil (Ksamil)
  Sun loungers by day and relaxed drinks as the sun sets.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sarandë guesthouses near the promenade (Central Sarandë)
  Family guesthouses offer simple rooms a short walk from the sea.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Butrinti (Seafront)
  A large seafront hotel with a pool and bay views.

Must-Haves

• Rozafa Castle (Above Shkodër)
  A legendary hilltop fortress with views over the lake and three rivers.
• Marubi National Museum of Photography (Kole Idromeno Street)
  A fascinating collection of early Albanian photography.
• Site of Witness and Memory (Central Shkodër)
  A moving museum in a former secret police prison.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lead Mosque of Shkodër (Below Rozafa)
  A rare Ottoman mosque that sits in a field that floods in winter.

Fun for Everyone

• Kole Idromeno Street (Old centre)
  A pedestrian street of cafés and restored houses for the evening stroll.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mes Bridge (Mes, near Shkodër)
  An elegant Ottoman stone bridge over the Kir river.

Fun for Everyone

• Lake Shkodër at Shiroka (Shiroka)
  Lakeside cafés and fish restaurants reached by an easy bicycle ride.

Must-Haves

• Komani Lake Ferry (Komani to Fierzë)
  A spectacular boat ride through a steep, fjord like gorge.

Must-Haves

• Tradita (Shkodër)
  A traditional restaurant in an old house serving northern dishes.

Fun for Everyone

• Rruga Kole Idromeno bars (Old centre)
  Easygoing bars and terraces that fill on summer nights.