Condé Nast Traveller: Tirana, the coolest city in Europe

iStock           (Pyramid of Tirana)

The coolest city in Europe - has had several very serious candidates, for ex: Barcelona; Brussels; Birmingham etc. Now, all of them must make room for a new participant: Tirana. That’s how the Condé Nast Traveller - a lifestyle travel magazine describes Tirana.
Tirana is not only the capital of Albania; it is also its nerve center, where the past, the present and, above all, the future of this emerging nation collapse in a whirlwind of history, traffic and art.

After awakening in the '90s from a communist dictatorship, Tirana has learned to reinvent himself in what he now offers with open arms to travelers. Between Ottoman, Italian and political relics, Tirana is discovered in a path of boulevards flanked by minarets, socialist murals and curious architectural works that you will not find anywhere else. Everything, with the characteristic Albanian mark that lets you sees that you are discovering one of the best kept secrets of Europe.

“Come to Tirana now! When you realize it, it will be mainstream.”

Photo: Alamy

The cool factor of Tirana is concentrated in the district of Blloku, a stone's throw away from the city center and Skënderbej square, where the Opera House and the National Gallery are located. This neighborhood was reserved for the political elite of Albania for decades and the entrance is strictly prohibited to the rest of the population.

When the dictatorship fell in 1991, Blloku was revealed for the first time to the whole of Albania, and seeing it now, we can imagine the reaction of the country.

With its interlacing of wide streets dotted with mansions and green spaces, Blloku could not get any further away from the traditional communist architectural style.

Among cafés, restaurants and shops that would make New York 5th Avenue pale, Blloku will make you question time and again any preconceived notions about Tirana that you might have brought home.”

And since we mention the coffees ... Get ready, because Tirana has coffees with spaghetti. The Balkans , in general, are a region of the world that appreciates, and much, their coffee breaks during the day. Albania is not far behind.

Traditional Albanian cuisine is purely Mediterranean: lots of fish, lots of vegetables, little artifice. However, if you are looking for something with little more gastronomic fireworks, Tirana is the best place in Albania to find it.

Looking forward to a typically tyrannical daytime activity?

Photo: Visit Tirana 

In terms of art and cultural attractions, Tirana goes for free. Leaving aside the highly recommended National Gallery and the Opera, which together form virtually the entirety of the traditional artistic offer of the capital, what you will find in Tirana in question of artistic shows is not like anything you have seen before.

Another of the must-see attractions of the capital is the Pyramid. Nothing to do with Keops or Teotihuacan, no: this pyramid with a certain futuristic air was built in 1988 as a museum in honor of the late Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha, and then reconverted into a conference and exhibition center.

See original article: Conde Nast Traveller