Tirana beyond the main sights: the Pyramid, Postbllok and Pazari i Ri

Four places in Tirana answer the same question: what was left behind by communism, and what did the city do with it? One became a youth centre, one a memorial built from pieces of a prison and a bunker, one a market that was renovated, and one a park with a lake dug by volunteers. They sit outside the main circuit of square, mosque and bunkers, which is exactly why a visitor with a spare half day should look at them.

The Pyramid opened on 14 October 1988 as the Enver Hoxha Museum, and four architects shared the design: Pirro Vaso, Klement Kolaneci, Pranvera Hoxha and Vladimir Bregu. It was made to honour one man. The surprise is what happened to the shell afterwards, because nobody pulled it down.

The renovation by MVRDV began in February 2021, and the TUMO Center, a youth centre, has used the building since October 2023. The stepped facade has been open to the public since May 2023. A dictator's monument now works as a staircase for anyone who wants to climb it. Come for the facade first, and treat the inside as a bonus. The building is also a lesson in how a city decides what to keep: the museum is gone, the concrete stayed, and the people using it are young.

Postbllok opened on 26 March 2013, and the idea came from Fatos Lubonja and Ardian Isufi. It stands on the boulevard Dëshmorët e Kombit, in what used to be the garden of the villa of Mehmet Shehu. Blloku, the quarter that was closed to ordinary Albanians until 1991, begins next door.

The memorial is built from three things. The first is a set of beams from the prison at Spaç, where Lubonja himself was held, the second is part of a concrete bunker, and the third is a piece of the Berlin Wall, a gift from the government of Berlin. Concrete bunkers went up all over the country between 1967 and 1986, in the hundreds of thousands, and some are cafés and restaurants now. None of the three pieces needs a caption, since the beams, the bunker and the wall each say what they are. Walk past it on the way to an evening in Blloku, and the contrast takes care of itself.

Pazari i Ri was built in 1931 on the site of the old bazaar, and its renovation was completed in March 2017. The stalls sell fruit, vegetables, fish and meat, as well as wine and raki. Restaurants and bakeries surround the market, so the shopping and the meal happen in the same few streets. Walk through the stalls before you sit down, because the smells decide the order for you.

For lunch, try Lakror'Ane. Lakror is pastry thinner than byrek, baked under a metal lid on embers, and the version here comes filled with spinach and gjizë, a fresh cheese. Eat here at midday rather than in Blloku, which belongs to the evening, and buy fruit at the stalls for the walk to the park afterwards.

The Grand Park was laid out in 1955 and 1956 to a Bulgarian plan, and its artificial lake dates from 1955, dug by volunteers. The water is too polluted for any activity on it today, so the lake is for looking at, not for rowing. The park also holds the botanical garden, which covers 14.5 hectares, the zoo and the church of St Prokopius. That makes it a better ending to the third day than another museum. Finish here, with the church as the last stop.

3 daysThe three-day plan puts the Pyramid, Postbllok and the park on its third day, after the House of Leaves.Tirana in 3 days →

Where to stayPazari i Ri and Blloku are also two of the districts compared on the page about where to stay.Where to stay in Tirana →

FoodAfter the market, the food page covers byrek, fërgesë and the other dishes worth ordering.What to eat in Tirana →

MistakesThe page on common mistakes names the museum that is closed for renovation on Skanderbeg Square.Mistakes everyone makes in Tirana →

BudgetThe budget page sets entry costs next to meals and transport, so these four stops can be priced in.What Tirana costs →

When to goThe weather page shows which months suit a long walk in the park and a climb up the Pyramid.The best time to visit Tirana →

Day tripsWhen one more day is available, the day trips page covers Dajti, Krujë, Durrës and Berat.Day trips from Tirana →

Getting aroundThe page on getting around explains how to reach each of these places by bus or on foot.Getting around Tirana →