Tour of Communist Tirana

On this tour of communist Tirana, we will explore the history of Albania's capital through significant sites including Bunk'Art 2, the Secret Surveillance Museum, and the house-museum of Ismail Kadare.

Tour of Communist Tirana

At 9 am, we will meet at the entrance of the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania in central Tirana to begin our exploration of the traces of communism in Albania.

The tour will cover the history of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, which existed from 1946 to 1992. We will visit Scanderbeg Square to see the statue of the national hero.

Our next destination is the House Studio Kadare, home of writer Ismail Kadare, where we will learn about his challenges during the communist era.

We will continue to Bunk'Art 2, the largest nuclear shelter converted into a history museum, featuring 36 rooms built between 1981 and 1986 for civil defense.

The tour will also include visits to government buildings, a walk along the main boulevard to the Pyramid of Tirana, followed by a coffee break at Komiteti - Kafe Muzeum.

We will see the Post-Block Memorial, an original section of the Berlin Wall. The final part of the tour includes the former Blloku area, known for its unique stories from the communist period.

Finally, we will visit the Museum of Secret Surveillance, which served various purposes, including as a gynecology clinic and by the Gestapo during the German occupation.

The tour will conclude at the exit of the museum around 1 pm.