Sights · 37 of the best in Tirana
New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri)
Fruit, cheese, raki and terraces
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Besara1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri)
The New Bazaar, first built in 1931 and renovated in 2017, is the city’s food market: covered halls of fruit, vegetables, cheese, olives, honey, mountain tea and raki, surrounded by brightly painted buildings with Italian-style façades, restaurants and cafés. The historic Kokonozi Mosque stands nearby. Come in the morning to shop with locals, and return in the evening to eat at one of the restaurants around the square. It is about eight minutes’ walk from Skanderbeg Square.
From old bazaar to new
Tirana grew up around a great Ottoman bazaar that stretched over the area of today’s Skanderbeg Square. In 1931 a new market was built a short walk to the east, and the name Pazari i Ri, the New Bazaar, has stuck ever since. Under communism the old bazaar was demolished for the Palace of Culture, and the new one carried on as the city’s market, increasingly run-down.
A colourful makeover
In 2017 the area was transformed. The market halls were rebuilt with a covered glass-and-steel structure, the surrounding façades were restored and painted in bright colours with Albanian motifs, and the square around Avni Rustemi became a pedestrian space of restaurants and cafés. The 18th-century minaret of the Kokonozi Mosque rises nearby.
Built in 1931, rebuilt in 2017, the New Bazaar is where Tirana still shops for its raki, honey and mountain tea.
What to buy
Inside the halls, traders sell seasonal fruit and vegetables, cheeses from the mountains, olives, honey, dried herbs, mountain tea, nuts and home-made raki. Ask to taste before you buy; most sellers are happy to offer a sliver of cheese or a sip.
Around the square, restaurants serve Albanian dishes and grills, and Reka Pastry has a shop for something sweet.
Our advice: come in the morning to shop with the locals, buy a bag of mountain tea and a jar of honey to take home, and return in the evening to eat on the square.
Why it's on our list
- Covered market halls
- Local produce
- Busy terraces
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri) before you go.
Plan your visit
- Where Sheshi Avni Rustemi, 8 minutes from Skanderbeg Square
- When Morning for the market, evening for dinner
- Buy Mountain tea, honey, cheese, raki
- Pay Cash in the market halls
What’s nearby
Distances from New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri) are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Rruga Luigj Gurakuqi250 m3 min walk
- Taxi rank, Rruga 28 Nëntori350 m4 min walk
Key sights
- Tirana Castle450 mWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Clock Tower of Tirana500 mWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Et’hem Bey Mosque500 mWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Bunk’Art 2550 mWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Skanderbeg Square600 mWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- National Historical Museum650 mWalk 8 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 5 min
- House of Leaves800 mWalk 10 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 5 min
- The Pyramid of Tirana850 mWalk 11 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Postbllok – Checkpoint1.1 kmWalk 14 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Grand Park & Artificial Lake4.3 kmCycle 17 minCar or taxi 16 min
Getting around
- Tirana International Airport (TIA)13 kmCar or taxi 41 min