Tirana, Albania (February 2026)

 

Our tour with Gate 1 ended in Tirana, Albania. It was a long journey from Bled, Slovenia, going through Ljubljana, Slovenia, Opatija, Split, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, and the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. This city was the starting point of another private tour to visit several cities of Albania and some more. Our stay in Tirana was rather short, but I felt it was adequate for now.

Albania is well known for bunkers that were built all over the country. The government converted a few of them into museums. We visited one of them and found out the gloomy history of the past. 

Albania has a national hero. His name is Gjergj Kastrioti-Skanderbeg. He led Albanians to fight against the Ottoman Turks for over 20 years. His statue was everywhere, not only in Albania but also in many neighboring nations.  

At the center of the city was a big plaza, surrounded by statues and high-rise buildings. To our surprise, the buildings in Tirana were quite new and contemporary. It was apparent that the city has been going through rapid and substantial transformation. 

On the way to Tirana, we made a stop in a town called Shkodra. It was a small town with some cute cafes and streets, but nothing spectacular. 

Our Gate1 tour ended in Tirana. On the way to a restaurant for our farewell dinner, we passed by an outstanding building, which is to be used for a hotel and casino. It stood out over a main street, looking like a famous landmark.

The night we had the farewell dinner was one day before Nina's birthday, our tour guide, whom I accidentally found out was the same age as Amanda. So our group of six spent some money to buy a cake and celebrated her birthday. I am sure it was a pleasant surprise for her. 

As usual, the Gate 1 tour ended well, and we were happy and content. - Jeffrey