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An Albanian Holiday
From rocky mountains to palm tree lined coastlines, this Balkan state has a rich history
Jan. 14, 2024 6:00 am
Mountains and dramatic valleys greeted my plane as it landed in Tirana, the capital of Albania, on Oct. 22, 2023. I had traveled to Albania with my partner and his parents to watch his brother compete in the U23 World Wrestling Championship.
Albania is a developing country located on the western coast of the Balkan Peninsula. While Albanian is the official language, almost everyone we encountered spoke at least some English.
We spent a majority of our time in Albania in Tirana. We visited Skanderbeg Square, which boasts a statue of Gjergj Kastrioti, a military commander, feudal lord and Albanian national hero who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in 1444. The square holds a beautiful carousel and small park. Nearby is the Et'hem Bey Mosque, the sole survivor of eight mosques built in Tirana during the 18th and 19th centuries. Also located on the square is the Clock Tower of Tirana, National Museum of History and the Palace of Culture, which holds the National Theater of Opera and Ballet and the National Library.
If you visit Tirana, you must take the Dajti Ekspres cable cars up Mount Dajti. The top of the mountain has a hotel, restaurant and conference center. There also is mini golf, rollerblading, paragliding, a playground. It also is the home of a colony of rabbits. Once you’ve had your fun, you can return to the bottom of the mountain the same way you came.
The windows of the cable cars were sadly heavily vandalized so many of my photos did not turn out the way I wanted them to, so I would suggest putting away your phone and enjoying the moment.
You don’t need a car in Tirana, but we were glad to have it because it allowed us to travel to the coastal city of Durres. The waters of the Adriatic Sea were a bright teal blue and freezing cold. Durres has a number of bakeries with beautiful selections of baked goods, baklava and gelato. It’s worth stopping for and trying something new.
Of course, we were there for the wrestling competition, which was held at Olympic Park. The competition didn’t go our way, but watching the best greco-roman wrestlers in the world was a great way to spend a few days in Albania. We were surrounded by people from Ukraine, Switzerland, Azerbaijan — and a few families from the United States which helped to stave off homesickness.
Eating in Tirana
Lek is the official currency in Albania but Euros also are accepted. A little lek can go a long way — one dinner for five people was about $65 (1000 lek is about $10.)
One night we ate at Serendeville, a Tex-Mex restaurant that credits itself with bringing the first onion rings, fajitas and cheesecake to Albania. The menu read, “Back then no one could believe that cakes could be made with cheese … At best, our guests thought it a bad joke.”
My partner’s mom has Celiac’s disease and finding gluten free options was not impossible, but the options were limited. We opted to cook at our Airbnb one night with gluten-free products picked up from grocery stores around the city. You can easily pick up fresh produce from street vendors. You should not drink the tap water in Albania. All restaurants serve bottled water.
Smoking is common around the city and the patios of the many cafe bars were always crowded with people enjoying cigarettes and cigars. I found this to be overwhelming at times.
I tried the traditional Albanian sausage kolloface, which is made with pig or lamb. It was pleasant, flavorful and filling. Round pies filled with cheese and meat are popular breakfast and snack foods and you can get them almost anywhere along with baklava.
Some more seasoned travelers may see this as a cop out, but when I travel I love to see what fast food restaurants offer. So, my partner and I headed to one of the many KFCs in Tirana. Street advertisements featured the “Dirty Louisiana Burger” but the location we ate at didn’t offer it. Instead, we could choose from fried chicken, chicken burgers, chicken wraps and salads. For dessert you could get a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and enjoy a taste of home away from home.
Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com
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