Sights · 37 of the best in Tirana
Tirana Castle & Murat Toptani street
Old walls, new cafés
About Tirana Castle & Murat Toptani street
Behind the National Gallery, pedestrian Murat Toptani street runs beside a six-metre wall of the Fortress of Justinian, Tirana’s old castle, whose history goes back before 1300; the wall foundations are now set into the pavement. Opened to visitors in December 2018 through the Toptani family and the municipality, the castle courtyard holds an old bazaar of restaurants, cafés, wine bars and craft shops. It makes a pleasant stop in the evening, a few minutes from Skanderbeg Square.
The Fortress of Justinian
Tirana Castle, also called the Fortress of Justinian, stood where the main east–west and north–south roads crossed, forming the core of the early town. Its history goes back before 1300, and the visible walls are Ottoman-era; the Toptani family, who dominated Tirana for generations, built their residences inside.
Most of the castle disappeared as the city grew. What survives above ground is a six-metre wall along Murat Toptani Street, and in recent years the foundations of other wall sections were uncovered and set into the paving of the pedestrian street.
All that is left above ground is a six-metre wall covered in vines, but behind it the old heart of Tirana has come back to life.
The castle bazaar
In December 2018, through an agreement between the Toptani family and the municipality, the castle courtyard opened to visitors as a small old bazaar. Its low houses now hold restaurants, cafés, wine bars and craft shops, and on summer evenings it is one of the most atmospheric places in the centre.
Around it
Murat Toptani Street runs past the National Gallery to the Toptani Shopping Center and the Parliament, and the restored Toptani Seraj stands by the walls. Bunk’Art 2 and Skanderbeg Square are a few minutes away.
Our advice: come in the early evening, walk the length of the wall, then have dinner or a glass of Albanian wine in the castle courtyard when the lights go on.
Why it's on our list
- Old walls
- Pedestrian street
- Cafés and restaurants
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Tirana Castle & Murat Toptani street before you go.
Plan your visit
- Where Shëtitorja Murat Toptani, by the Parliament
- When Early evening
- Inside Restaurants, wine bars, craft shops
- Nearby Bunk’Art 2, Skanderbeg Square
What’s nearby
Distances from Tirana Castle & Murat Toptani street 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 28 Nëntori150 m2 min walk
- Taxi rank, Bulevardi Zhan d'Ark200 m3 min walk
Key sights
- Bunk’Art 2250 mWalk 3 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Et’hem Bey Mosque300 mWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Clock Tower of Tirana300 mWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- Skanderbeg Square350 mWalk 4 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 4 min
- The Pyramid of Tirana400 mWalk 5 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 4 min
- New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri)450 mWalk 6 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 4 min
- House of Leaves500 mWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- National Historical Museum550 mWalk 7 minCycle 2 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Postbllok – Checkpoint650 mWalk 8 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 5 min
- Grand Park & Artificial Lake4.6 kmCycle 18 minCar or taxi 17 min
Getting around
- Tirana International Airport (TIA)13 kmCar or taxi 42 min