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albania

Typical Tirana street scenes outside of the central bit
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Some of the multi-coloured apartment blocks
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A lot of the (60s/70s?) housing blocks are pretty poor quality
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This was built as a kind of mausoleum for Hoxha after he died - now semi-abandoned and I believe partially used as a nightclub
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Click for > big image < which gives you an idea of the city's setting with the mountains in the background

"Mother Albania" overlooking the city
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Book market
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There are golden mercs everywhere...
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Fucking great teuchter - thanks!

I've seen Albania from a boat on the Montenegrin half of Lake Shkoder. Just three of us on the boat - one of the most peaceful afternoons of my life and the lake itself is amazing.

Gutted I couldn't get there then - visa bother and Serbia was calling... Hoping to get there next year and your photos have just got me excited again :D:cool:
 
Good stuff!

If you decide to go for it, feel free to PM me if you have any questions about practicalities.
 
fantastic pics n shit Teuch - Albania is fascinating

Ive got lots of pics lying around, but they are pre digital ( early 90's ) form my first jaunt there- and should one day scan some of them in
 
fantastic pics n shit Teuch - Albania is fascinating

Ive got lots of pics lying around, but they are pre digital ( early 90's ) form my first jaunt there- and should one day scan some of them in

You should. I'd be really interested to see some pictures from that time.
 
I went in 2009. Tried to have a fun night out in Tirana but it didn't really work. People weren't too friendly where I went, I couldn't find any music that wasn't the usual pop shite, and the bars in the centre were full of the new middle-to-upper class who seemed mostly concerned with status symbols and so on. But I was only there one night so I'm sure there is more to it.

If you like a bit of turkish architecture I recommend Berat:
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Actually the coolest thing about Berat was that everyone came out for a promenade at sundown. At least I assumed that was what it was - couldn't find anyone who spoke English well enought explain. Thousands of people strolling up and down the main drag for no apparent reason :cool:
 
For various reasons I didn't attempt a proper night out in Tirana but from a bit of wandering around in the centre your description of the obvious nightlife sounds about right. I imagine there could be more interesting stuff going on in other parts of the city though.
 
What's it like for day-to-day prices then? i.e. decent meal, beer in a bar, cup of coffee, train tickets, etc ??
 
I think the coastline is mostly not quite as beautiful as Croatia (not that I spent any time on the coast) because there is kind of a coastal plain for much of it.

Also, Croatians aren't quite so enthusiastic about dumping massive piles of litter anywhere and everywhere. Hopefully that's going to be a transitory phase as far as Albania is concerned. Also, I hope the Albanians don't trash too much of the coastline and natural beauty in general with lax planning controls and unfettered development. It would be a shame if in twenty years time it all looks like the worst bits of the Spanish coastline.
 
What's it like for day-to-day prices then? i.e. decent meal, beer in a bar, cup of coffee, train tickets, etc ??

Train tickets - next to nothing.

I didn't really go for a "decent meal" or to bars while I was there - most of what I bought was in supermarkets or street snacks - so amn't sure how that would compare.

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A nice piece of burek from a food stall - less than 50 cents as far as I recall ...
 
I had a real short stay in what must have been around 2004 ish, the amount of Mercedes everywhere was a shock! lovely people and though i do not have much to add i recommend a visit also. If you go on a bus do not look at the state of the tyres before you get on for a trip through any mountain roads :)
 
Good burek is the greatest snack in the world. Except those little indian crispy things you fill with chickpeas and spicy sauce. They are better. But burek is almost as good.
 
teuchter - great pics

A note on nightlife, it's a drinking culture, keep your wits about you.

And if you like plastic Italian techno you'll be fine.
 
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