Tirane & Kruje, Albania
Our second day in Albania was devoted to the capitals: Tirane, the modern capital that is revitalized by the dynamic mayor Edi Rama; and the historic capital of Kruje, which was home to the national hero George “Skanderbeg” Kastriati.We began the day with an entrance into Albania’s largest and most industrial port of Durres.
After breakfast we drove the secondary road up toward Tirane, passing numerous houses under construction, agricultural fields, gas stations, and leftover bunkers. There was visible sign of activity and progress as we made our way closer to the capital, while our guides David and Kela introduced us to modern day Tirane. Brightly painted apartment buildings, cleared boulevards and riverbeds, functioning traffic lights, and plenty of traffic were evidence of a city alive.
We spent the late morning in the well-presented National Museum, focusing on the medieval period of Skanderbeg and the shocking realities of the 20th century. Some of us braved the heat and walked the main boulevard to lunch, while others rode the bus to the beautifully constructed Restaurant Juvenilja.
The afternoon was devoted to the town of Kruje, set dramatically under the Dinar Mountain escarpment.We hiked up to Skanderbeg’s Castle to visit the ethnographic museum, and then strolled through the dizzying cobblestone streets of the medieval bazaar. By 1800 we were back on board to try to sort out all of the sights, sounds and experiences of two action-packed days in Albania.
Our second day in Albania was devoted to the capitals: Tirane, the modern capital that is revitalized by the dynamic mayor Edi Rama; and the historic capital of Kruje, which was home to the national hero George “Skanderbeg” Kastriati.We began the day with an entrance into Albania’s largest and most industrial port of Durres.
After breakfast we drove the secondary road up toward Tirane, passing numerous houses under construction, agricultural fields, gas stations, and leftover bunkers. There was visible sign of activity and progress as we made our way closer to the capital, while our guides David and Kela introduced us to modern day Tirane. Brightly painted apartment buildings, cleared boulevards and riverbeds, functioning traffic lights, and plenty of traffic were evidence of a city alive.
We spent the late morning in the well-presented National Museum, focusing on the medieval period of Skanderbeg and the shocking realities of the 20th century. Some of us braved the heat and walked the main boulevard to lunch, while others rode the bus to the beautifully constructed Restaurant Juvenilja.
The afternoon was devoted to the town of Kruje, set dramatically under the Dinar Mountain escarpment.We hiked up to Skanderbeg’s Castle to visit the ethnographic museum, and then strolled through the dizzying cobblestone streets of the medieval bazaar. By 1800 we were back on board to try to sort out all of the sights, sounds and experiences of two action-packed days in Albania.
