Tirana / Durrës, Albania
A unexpectedly fantastic weekend in one of Europe’s lesser visited countries.
GO. This was one of our more unusual trips - a location that not many people had been to before, but now one that our friends are looking to book. A route opened up from Birmingham to Tirana - and we had seen a few posts on Facebook groups about it being a great location to visit - so we found some cheap flights over a half term (under £100 return per person we’d consider in the “cheap” flight range), and set about working out what to do! From the airport in Tirana to both Durres and Tirana it’s around 25-30 Euros in a taxi, which given the less than reliable buses and lack of train service, we just accepted for convenience. Be prepared from some fun driving!
STAY. As this was a double location trip, we had two hotels - one in Durres, on the coast, and one in the capital Tirana. Both took quite a bit of research, as review for hotels in Albania seem to be a bit patchy with a lot of variation. We swithed both hotels close to the time based on review in the Few Days Away and Extreme Day Trips Facebook pages - corroborating trip reports with Tripadvisor and Google review to find the best options. Here’s where we ended up:
Palace Hotel and Spa, Durres. The Palace Hotel could be mistaken for a luxury hotel from a desert island in some photos - and in others you are back to what it is - a good 4 start hotel on the Albania coast. We loved it for the clean private beach, great pool area and quiet, cool rooms. We had a room hidden in the annex at the back - which is a very short walk from the main building - which was spacious and provided a serene space in which to relax away from the heat.
Monarc Hotel, Tirana. A simple and good value city centre hotel which provided a great breakfast included. From here we could walk pretty much everywhere, and there was quick access to buses to get to places like the Dajti Mountain cable car. The room was a little on the small side however this is the case is city centre hotels the world over. For the price, this hotel was well worth the money - safe, convenient and with friendly staff.
Neat compact room the MonarC Hotel, Tirana
EAT. The food in Albania is amazing, with quite heavy Turkish influence and lots of good, hearty local staples to try.
The Fisherman’s Net, Durres. Wandering along the seafront at Durres Beach this restaurant stood out as clean and inviting, with a nice outside area for sitting. The building itself looks to also be used by fishermen (or was) to store their nets and equipment, hence the name. Food here was fresh and simple, with salads and good fish dishes. The beers were super cold and refreshing! A lovely spot to sit and have a chilled out lunch.
Kosova Restaurant, Durres. We were a little bit wary of this very ‘touristy’ looking restaurant on the front at Durres Beach - however it did have a good selection of Albanian dishes and we were keen to try some local meals. I think we probably got a little bit taken in by the offer of a tasting platter - and could have ordered the same stuff cheaper off the menu - but it was nice to simply be brought a selection of dishes to try.
Pasticeri Pelikan 3, Durres. Right next to the Venetian Tower, a lovely spot to sit outside and try some of the wide range of nice cake or pastries with a cold drink.
Great selection of Patisserie!
Panorama Restaurant, Dajti Mountain, Tirana. Up on the top of Dajti mountain it is quite tempting not to go in the restaurant and see it as a tourist trap. However, you’re on the mountain once in a lifetime so does it really matter if the food is a couple of quid more expensive that if it was in the centre of Tirana?
We had a nice drink and some local dishes overlooking the cracking view back down towards Tirana city.
Zagara Korcare, Tirana. There are a few roadside restaurants along this little stretch near the market area - and it looked as though all served up the same type of food. That is - big old meat platters and pints of beer! We loved the fact that it was a bit rustic, sat pavement side with great fresh cooked meat and a cold drink. Would massively recommend one of these places.
Only one image needed - the meat platter!
Mon Amour Patisserie, Tirana. A little haven of French style patisserie just outside the centre of Tirana - great snack on the move although there was a cafe attached which also looked good.
Cake Selection at Mon Amor Patisserie.
DO. Some things to see and do around both Durres and Tirana.
Durres Beach. Durres beach is nice - although the sea itself towards the city end of the beach is quite stony and not the best for going into the sea. Still - a fantastic and picturesque beach with soft sand that is great for relaxing.
The beach outside the Palace Hotel, Durres
Durres Town. Toss up here - get a taxi from Durres Beach up to the town, and risk the range of possible taxi fleeces that operate - or walk for about an hour in the blazing sun. We picked the latter and should probably have just done the former.
Durres town is worth the trip however, with some Roman ruins, and old fort and lots of cool little cafes and bars to try. We saw the amphitheatre and the Venetian tower, wandered around and stopped for a drink and some cake. On the way back we got a taxi - £5 on the “app”, £10 after some arguing - but in the grand scheme of things not worth worrying about.
Bunk’Art. A fascinating insight into the history of Albania through exhibitions in one of the old bunkers used by the government. Easily reached via taxi (about £7) or local bus in about 20 minutes from the centre, this is without doubt a must do in Tirana.
Dajti Mountain and Express. A fab trip up the hill on the cable car, despite a slightly rainy and cloudy day. There was still good views from the top - and in the summer season there would definitely have been more to do up there with the adventure playground and plenty of walking routes.
A 20 minute bus ride from the centre, the Cable Car station is a 10 minute walk up and round the corner from Bunk’Art.
Tirana Market - Pazari i Ri. In the heart of Tirana is this hustling market area filled with souvenirs and local produce. The square is also surrounded by plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants
Tirana Park. The large Tirana Park is a lovely space to take a stroll - short or long - and get some fresh air. There’s a few kids play areas dotted around and it is close enough to the city centre to walk to. We stopped at the “My Favourite Tirana” bar in the park, where they have awesome huge beanbags to lounge around on a have a beer, Aperol or any drink you want whilst chilling. We played a bit of Uno here before wandering back towards the city centre.
National Stadium. You probably wouldn’t even know it’s there - but worth routing your walk towards the park past the stadium due to its unique design and pretty cool exterior.
Trip Date: May 2024.