City & Bunk'Art Tour
Skanderbeg Square, Pyramid and the bunkers.
AlbaniaIShowSpeed streamed here
Tirana
Europe's most surprising comeback — a once-grey communist capital painted in rainbows, ringed by bunkers and mountains.
- Metro population
- 1,000,000
- Country
- Albania
- Region
- Europe
Overview
Why visit Tirana
Tirana spent 45 years sealed inside Europe's most paranoid dictatorship — then exploded into colour. Mayor-turned-painter Edi Rama had the drab communist blocks painted in bold patterns, and the city has been repainting itself ever since.
The symbols of isolation are now the attractions: Bunk'Art turns the regime's giant nuclear bunkers into museums, Skanderbeg Square was repaved as a stone pedestrian plain, and the Pyramid — a mausoleum for the dictator — was rebuilt as a climbable tech hub.
Speed's 2024 tour streamed from Tirana. From the centre, the Dajti Express cable car climbs a mountain in 15 minutes, and the Albanian Riviera's beaches are a few hours south.
Things to do
Top things to book in Tirana
Popular tours and tickets. Compare prices and book ahead to skip the lines.
Dajti Cable Car
Mountain views 15 minutes up.
Berat or Kruja Day Trip
Ottoman castle towns an hour away.
Riviera Adventure
Ksamil beaches and the Llogara pass.
Plan your trip
Compare prices for Tirana
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Side by side in Tirana
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Fun facts
Things you didn't know about Tirana
- 01
The Painted City
Post-2000 the mayor had drab blocks painted in bright patterns — the city has been colorful ever since.
- 02
750,000 Bunkers
Albania's regime built a bunker for every few citizens — Tirana's biggest are now museums.
- 03
The Pyramid Reborn
The dictator's abandoned mausoleum reopened as a climbable tech and youth centre.
- 04
Bunk'Art
Cold War nuclear bunkers under the outskirts are now history-and-art museums.
- 05
Skanderbeg Square
The huge pedestrian plaza was repaved with stones from every Albanian district.
- 06
Dajti Express
A cable car climbs 1,613m Dajti mountain from the city edge — longest in the Balkans.
- 07
Coffee Nation
Albanians drink more café coffee per capita than almost any European nation.
- 08
Besa
The Albanian code of honour — besa, the given word — sheltered Jews through WWII.
- 09
The Isolated Decades
For 45 years Albania was Europe's most closed country — the transformation is the story.
- 10
Riviera Gateway
Ksamil and the Albanian Riviera's turquoise beaches are a few hours' drive south.
Random Tirana fact
Tap the button for a random fact about Tirana.
FAQ
Quick answers about Tirana
Where is Tirana located?
Tirana is in Albania, in Europe.
What is the population of Tirana?
The greater Tirana area is home to about 1,000,000 people.
What is Tirana famous for?
Tirana is famous for the rainbow-painted communist-era centre, Bunk'Art's giant bunkers, and the Dajti mountain cable car.
Did IShowSpeed stream from Tirana?
Yes — IShowSpeed streamed from Tirana on his 2024 Europe tour. See his full world tour map.
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