Dajti Ekspres: Riding the Cable Car Up Tirana’s Mountain Balcony
Ride Dajti Ekspres, the cable car up Tirana’s ‘balcony’ mountain. Current prices, hours, what’s at the top, and honest tips from a lifelong Tirana local.
History
History
Gjirokastër, Albania: Inside the UNESCO City of Stone
Explore Gjirokastra, Albania’s UNESCO ‘City of Stone’: the hilltop castle, Cold War spy plane, Ottoman bazaar, tower houses, and Kadare’s birthplace.
Grand Park of Tirana: How Locals Spend a Day at the Lake
Tirana’s Grand Park and Artificial Lake, the green heart south of Blloku, where locals run, picnic, and take the evening xhiro around the water.
The Pyramid of Tirana: From Hoxha’s Museum to Tech Hub
Piramida went from a 1988 museum for dictator Enver Hoxha to a graffiti ruin kids slid down, then reopened in 2023 as Tirana’s free-to-climb tech hub.
The Canadian Who Gave Us Back Our Own Books: Gheg Literature, Told Through Robert Elsie
A foreigner buried in Theth spent his life translating northern Albania’s Gheg literature — Fishta, Bogdani, Migjeni — back into reach. Here’s the tradition, told through him.
The Albanians Who Have Lived in Sicily for 500 Years — And Are Now Calling Us Home
Five Sicilian villages have spoken Albanian since 1488. Now their mayors want a direct flight from Tirana. Here’s the story of the Arbëreshë — and why I think you should put one of their towns on your travel list.
Albania’s Path to the EU: Where Things Stand in 2026
Key Takeaways Albania applied for EU membership in 2009, gained candidate status in 2014, and opened accession negotiations in 2022