On this tour of communist Tirana, we'll travel back in time to learn about the history of the capital of Albania while visiting the Bunk'Art 2, the Secret Surveillance Museum and the house-museum of Ismail Kadare.
Tour of Communist Tirana
At 9 am we'll meet at the entrance of the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania in the center of Tirana. Once there, we'll start a tour in which we'll follow the traces of communism in Albania.
During this tour of Tirana, we'll learn about the history of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, a government that existed between 1946 and 1992. We'll also walk to Scanderbeg Square, where we'll see the statue of the national hero of Albania.
Nearby we'll visit the House Studio Kadare, the home of the famous Albanian writer Ismail Kadare, who encountered enormous obstacles in developing his work during the communist era. Inside the museum, we'll learn more about this author who was criticized and persecuted by the Albanian regime.
Our next stop will be at Bunk'Art 2, the largest nuclear shelter in Tirana turned history museum. We'll discover its interior, with 36 rooms built during the communist period, specifically between 1981 and 1986, to protect people in case of an invasion or nuclear attack.
During our tour of communist Tirana, we'll also pass by the city's government buildings and, of course, walk along the main boulevard until we reach the Pyramid of Tirana. We'll then stop for a coffee at the unique Komiteti - Kafe Muzeum.
Another site that is sure to attract your attention is the Post-Block Memorial, an original part of the Berlin Wall, a gift from the German Embassy to the capital of Albania. In the final stretch of the tour, we'll go to the former Blloku area, considered during the communist era to be a safe place to live, where we'll learn some of the peculiar stories of the area.
Finally, we'll enter the Museum of Secret Surveillance, used throughout its history for totally different purposes. Did you know that it was one of the first gynecology clinics in Albania? It was also used by the Gestapo during the German occupation.
We'll end the tour at the exit of the museum around 1 pm.
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