Exploring Albania: From Communist Isolation to Modern Transformation
November 2008: I visited Albania twice—first in 2008 during a two-week backpacking trip across the Balkans with my friend Dan, and later in September 2021 with my wife Paula.
On my first visit, Dan and I spent three days traveling across Albania, entering from Greece in the south and exiting into Montenegro in the north. I was particularly intrigued by Albania’s bizarre communist past under Enver Hoxha, a dictator whose isolationist policies rivaled even North Korea. Though Hoxha was long gone, his legacy still shaped the country, which, despite becoming democratic and open, continued to struggle with poverty, corruption, and mafia influence.
Returning in 2021 with Paula, we entered from North Macedonia and spent two days exploring Tirana, witnessing firsthand how much Albania had changed and modernized—a striking contrast to my first experience.
My route across Albania
About Albania
Albania: A Legacy of Isolation, Bunkers, and Mafia Influence
Albania’s history spans ancient civilizations, including the Romans, the Ottoman Empire, and various ruling principalities. But its most recent and infamous chapter was under Enver Hoxha, the communist dictator who ruled with absolute control for four decades until his death in the mid-1980s.
Hoxha is considered one of the most oppressive leaders of the 20th century. He executed or imprisoned even his most loyal allies if they were perceived as a threat to his power. He isolated Albania from the world, convinced NATO and even fellow communist states were plotting against him. Under his rule, Albania became the most closed-off country on Earth—more isolated than even North Korea.
Hoxha’s Bunkers: The Concrete Legacy
One of Hoxha’s most visible legacies today is the network of nearly one million bunkers scattered across the country. Believing that every Albanian should be ready to defend the nation, he ordered their construction nationwide, from mountains and beaches to city streets and backyards.
To prove their strength, he forced the bunker’s architect to sit inside one while it was struck by an artillery shell. These bunkers were never used but remain so common that Albanians joke about losing their virginity in them. While some have been converted into cafés, storage units, and even restaurants, the cost of removing them is so high that most remain abandoned relics of a paranoid regime.
Post-Communist Challenges: Poverty, Corruption, and the Mafia
With communism behind it, Albania now faces widespread poverty and mass government corruption. These issues have allowed the mafia to thrive, leveraging Albania’s strategic location between Europe and Asia for arms trafficking, drug smuggling, and organized crime. The massive stockpiles of military equipment left behind by the communist regime have further fueled the black market, making the Albanian mafia one of the most profitable criminal networks in the region.
Though Albania has opened up to the world, the shadows of its past are still deeply ingrained in its landscape and society.
Abandoned concrete bunker in the mountains
Abandoned concrete bunker in the mountains
Abandoned concrete bunker in Tirana
Streetside produce market in Tirana
Horse cart, a common sight during my visit
Elderly Albanian man
Crossing the Southern Border
Crossing into Albania: A Remote and Rugged Adventure
Dan and I traveled from Corfu, Greece, taking a ferry to Igoumenitsa, where we hired a taxi to the remote land border at Konispol—one of the least-traveled crossings into Albania.
After clearing Greek immigration, we entered a muddy, unpaved no-man’s-land, walking toward a primitive Albanian border hut. Since Albania was not part of the EU, it had its own border formalities, which, surprisingly, were quick and easy.
On the Albanian side, the road was under construction, rough, and isolated. Only a few beat-up old Mercedes taxis were available, as very few travelers used this border. We managed to find a ride to Saranda, a journey that turned out to be both scenic and adventurous.
The rugged road wound through castles and mountains, offering breathtaking views. At one point, we even had to cross a river by car ferry—a simple raft with just enough room for a few vehicles. It was an authentic, off-the-beaten-path entry into Albania, setting the tone for the adventure ahead.
Our Mercedes taxi. Old Mercedes Benz cars seem to be the most common vehicle in Albania.
Crossing Konispol Border
Crossing Konispol Border
Castles on the way to Saranda
Car ferry
Castles on the way to Saranda
Castles on the way to Saranda. This was a castle that dominated a small island that I wish I could live in.
Castles on the way to Saranda
Saranda
A Night in Saranda: Swanky, Gritty, and Empty in November
We spent one night in Saranda, a swanky yet gritty beach town that seemed more like a spring break getaway for Italian teenagers than a scenic coastal retreat. Overdeveloped and lacking much charm, it didn’t leave a strong impression—especially in the off-season.
With Albania nearly empty in November, our guesthouse was deserted, making us the only guests. The upside? We got to drink homemade plum brandy with the elderly Albanian owner, who insisted on sharing his drink with us—at 6 AM.
It was a memorable send-off, proving once again that Albania’s true charm lies in its people, not its tourist hotspots.
Saranda
Sharing plum brandy with the owner of our guesthouse
Ionic Coast
Driving Albania’s Ionian Coast: Stunning Scenery, Uncooperative Weather
I had read that Albania’s Ionian coastline was one of the last unspoiled Mediterranean shores, with secluded pebble coves meeting turquoise-green waters. The stretch between Vlorë, Llogara Pass, and Dhërmi Beach was said to be one of the most breathtaking coastal drives in the country.
Since public transport was scarce in this remote and spread-out region, Dan and I hired a taxi from Saranda to Tirana, negotiating a price with the driver under the condition that we could stop for photos whenever we wanted.
The plan worked out—but the weather didn’t. While the dramatic scenery was as spectacular as promised, the cloudy skies and misty conditions dampened the experience. Even so, the winding mountain roads, rugged coastline, and glimpses of hidden beaches made for an unforgettable drive, proving that Albania’s natural beauty shines, rain or shine.
Drive along the Ionic coast between Vlores via LLogaraja Pass and Dhermi Beach
Drive along the Ionic coast between Vlores via LLogaraja Pass and Dhermi Beach
Drive along the Ionic coast between Vlores via LLogaraja Pass and Dhermi Beach
Drive along the Ionic coast between Vlores via LLogaraja Pass and Dhermi Beach
Drive along the Ionic coast between Vlores via LLogaraja Pass and Dhermi Beach
Drive along the Ionic coast between Vlores via LLogaraja Pass and Dhermi Beach
Tirana
A Night in Tirana: Communist Relics and Unexpected Charm
Tirana was a pleasant city to explore for a night, with a familiar Eastern European, ex-communist feel—rundown apartment blocks, fading Soviet-style murals, and abandoned revolutionary monuments left to decay.
We stayed in a homestay within one of these aging apartment buildings, which, despite its dilapidated exterior, was surprisingly comfortable inside.
Walking day and night, we found Tirana to be safe and welcoming, with no sense of crime or danger—a contrast to the city’s gritty past. Though Albania still carried remnants of its communist era, Tirana had an energy of resilience and transformation.
Communist era murals
Communist era carvings
Outside of our homestay
Tirana: A City of Contrasts—Modern Trends Amidst Communist Relics
Tirana was a city of stark contrasts—modern fashion and trendy cafés side by side with rundown communist-era buildings. Though Albania is historically Islamic, decades of communist rule and a state-imposed ban on religion left it largely secular.
We visited a former state-run hotel, once the only place where foreigners were allowed to stay under Enver Hoxha. Every room had been equipped with surveillance devices, ensuring that guests were constantly monitored—a chilling reminder of the dictatorship’s paranoia.
Another relic of Hoxha’s rule was the massive pyramid-shaped museum, built by his daughter in his honor after his death. At the time, it was said to be the most expensive building ever constructed in Albania. By the time Dan and I visited, it had been abandoned, its white walls covered in graffiti. We climbed to the top, scaling its steep, sloped exterior, standing atop a decaying monument to a dictator Albania had long since left behind.
Abandoned museum dedicated to Hoxha
A Scenic Exit: From Albania to Montenegro by Bus and Van
On our last day in Albania, we took a series of public buses and shared vans, making our way north to Montenegro. The journey was a patchwork of connections, but it allowed us to soak in the countryside one last time.
Along the way, we passed a spectacular castle, standing as a reminder of Albania’s deep history, before finally crossing into Montenegro and continuing all the way to Kotor—a perfect transition from Albania’s rugged charm to Montenegro’s stunning coastal landscapes.
Castle in Shkodër
2nd Time in Albania
Returning to Albania: A Dinner at Hoxha’s Summer Estate
September 2021: On my second trip to Albania, my wife Paula and I crossed from North Macedonia via the Lake Ohrid border. Our first stop was an unexpected piece of history—the summer residence of Enver Hoxha, Albania’s former dictator.
Once a lavish estate where Hoxha lived in opulence while the rest of the country suffered in poverty, the property has since been converted into a public park and restaurant. We stopped for dinner there, dining in a place that once symbolized the vast divide between Hoxha and his people.
Our Albanian taxi driver had grown up in the area, and as we ate, he shared his personal experiences under Hoxha’s regime. As a child, he was forbidden from leaving Albania—even though North Macedonia was just across the border—because attempting to flee meant risking death.
He also recalled a rare personal encounter with Hoxha. Though the dictator was a shadowy, unseen figure, the driver once stumbled upon his secret service while riding his bike as a boy. The guards stopped him immediately and tried to escort him away, but Hoxha himself noticed and asked to meet him.
At the time, the young boy—raised under propaganda to believe Hoxha was godlike—felt like he had experienced the most incredible moment of his life. But as he grew older, his perspective changed. He no longer felt honored; instead, he realized that he had once stood face to face with the devil.
Hearing his firsthand account while sitting in Hoxha’s former estate was a powerful reminder of how deeply his rule scarred Albania, and how even today, its people are still processing the weight of his dictatorship.
lake Ohrid
Enver Hoxha’s summer residence
Paula at Enver Hoxha’s summer residence
A Changed Tirana: A Brief but Eye-Opening Stay
Paula and I spent one night in Tirana, staying at an upscale yet affordable hotel. I was amazed by how much the city had changed since my last visit—modernized, livelier, and far more developed than the Tirana I had explored years before.
The next day, we continued our journey south to Crete, leaving Albania with a newfound appreciation for how much the country had evolved.