Tirana’s 20th century: the museums that tell the story

About Tirana’s 20th century: the museums that tell the story

By the ULTIMATE Tirana Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

From 1944 to 1991 Albania was one of the most isolated countries in the world. Its history is now told by some of the best museums in the Balkans, and visiting them is one of the most moving experiences in Tirana.

An isolated country

After the Second World War, Albania’s communist government broke in turn with Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and China, and closed the country to the outside world. Travel abroad was forbidden, religion was banned in 1967, and the secret police, the Sigurimi, watched over daily life.

The bunkers

Fearing invasion, the regime built hundreds of thousands of small concrete bunkers across the country, from beaches to mountain passes. Many survive, some painted, some turned into cafés or art.

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers were built across Albania.

Bunk’Art 1 and 2

Bunk’Art 1, on the city’s eastern edge, occupies a vast underground bunker built for the leadership, with rooms over several floors telling the history of Albania from the war to 1991, and exhibitions of art. Bunk’Art 2, in the centre, is a smaller bunker built for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, devoted to the history of the police and the Sigurimi.

The House of Leaves

The House of Leaves, named after the creeper that covers its walls, was a doctor’s clinic before becoming a Sigurimi surveillance centre. Its Museum of Secret Surveillance shows the equipment and methods of the secret police and the lives of those who were watched.

Postbllok and Blloku

The Postbllok memorial, on the boulevard by Blloku, brings together a bunker, a section of the Berlin Wall and concrete pillars from the Spaç labour camp. Blloku itself, once closed to ordinary citizens, is now the city’s liveliest district.

Our advice: give these museums time. See Bunk’Art 2 and the House of Leaves in the centre one morning, then combine Bunk’Art 1 with the Dajti cable car, which is nearby. They are informative rather than sensational, and they help you understand the city you see today.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Tirana’s 20th century: the museums that tell the story before you go.