While planning my summer trip, I was looking for the following:

And I decided on visiting Albania and other Balkan countries nearby.

The main square in Tirana is named after Skanderbeg, the national hero of Albania.

Skanderbeg square

The square is vast, mostly empty and very hot.

Vast

Mosaic

There are cooling stations that spray water.

Tirana cooling station

Architecture is all over the place.

Modern buildings

Mushrooms

Avenue

In the city centre of Tirana, I saw my very first Albanian bunker, one of the many scattered all over the country.

Bunker

Inside the bunker

Climbing the Pyramid of Tirana

Mosque

The Albanian flag is appreciated in the country and can often be seen.

Albanian Flag

I was surprised to find modern shopping centres. They contrast with the rest of city like an oasis, offering a familiar experience served cold.

Various shopping experiences

Overall the city is unpleasant and there is not much to see.

Unpleasant

One of the things that I liked in Tirana is the Bunk’Art museum, dedicated to the communist past of Albania. It is situated in a nuclear bunker, where it’s refereshingly cool inside.

Corridors

Exhibition

Albanian is notably distinct from other languages, being the sole member of its own branch. Even the country’s name is completely different: Shqipëria.

Press it once

Walking along the long corridors, I listened closely and heard a familiar language: Russian. For some reason, Дельфин - Туннель was played there. Probably to create an intimidating atmosphere. I think it’s even more intimidating when you understand the lyrics.

Intimidating

I noticed that Albanians are very similar: they share the same style and tastes. For example, there are a lot of Mercedes cars and all men have a similar haircut. I got a haircut in Tirana too, showing them a picture of what I wanted, but got an Albanian one instead. Other people even told me that I have the “Albanian haircut”, so I blended in nicely.

On the second day after arriving, I left Tirana for the coast. The bus station in Tirana is located in the outskirts of the city, accessible by city bus.

Waiting for a bus

The bus station is simply a big car park. It’s easy to navigate because the buses have signs with their destination and you can ask. I don’t understand why people say it’s hard to travel without basic knowledge of the local language. I say the name of my destination and people point me.

Bus station