Tirana

Tirana, the capital of Albania, is a lively, colourful and fast-changing city that has reinvented itself since the fall of one of Europe's most isolated communist regimes. Once grey and drab, its buildings were famously painted in bold colours and patterns, and its buzzing centre around Skanderbeg Square now brims with cafes, bars and energy. Its fascinating recent history is told at sites like Bunk'Art, a vast former nuclear bunker turned museum, and the House of Leaves museum of surveillance, amid a youthful, optimistic buzz.

What you actually see

• Skanderbeg Square - the grand central square.
• The colourful buildings - the brightly painted facades of the city.
• Bunk'Art - the huge communist-era bunker turned history museum.
• The Blloku district - the once-forbidden elite quarter, now cafes and nightlife.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the mildest weather; the city is lively year-round, with its cafe and nightlife culture buzzing, and the cable car up to Mount Dajti offering a cool escape and views over the city and plain.

Honest expectations

Tirana is chaotic, gritty and still developing, its charm the energy, colour, affordable buzz and fascinating recent history rather than grand old monuments; the traffic is hectic. Its communist-era sites, the painted buildings and the youthful cafe culture are the draw. It is mainly a lively, characterful gateway and introduction to a country whose greatest sights lie beyond, in the towns, coast and mountains.

Nearby

Mount Dajti, the town of Kruja and the road to Berat are within reach.