Albania
While visitors to Albania must still prepare to walk some seriously uncharted paths, to dismiss a country that brags a pleasantly unpolished Mediterranean coast and fascinating Ottoman and Roman heritage (tangible and not) would be a major lapse in judgement. It took Albania many years to recover after Communism, hardships of yesteryear being forgotten by Albanian people as some of the ubiquitous war bunkers become transformed to hostels and cafes, and the capital of Albania – Tirana – begins to slowly bud as a tourism destination.
Tirana
Tirana is a mixture of Western Europe and old Russia, interspersed with influences from the Middle East. The city has overcome its recent troubled past and risen as a gem of Eastern Europe. The modern Tirana is full of restaurants, nightlife and hotels, and has rediscovered itself and become an energetic, vibrant and cosmopolitan city that it is worth exploring.
