The truest face of Communism

The truest face of Communism

This tour will take you to the frightening communist regime in Albania, which consists in presenting you the lifestyle, the old dictator’s Enver Hoxha crimes, a surveillance museum, bunkers built to survive the dangers of a nuclear war which existed only in the leader’s imagination, the Historical Museum and lots more.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Skanderbeg Square, At the center of Tirana, Tirana Albania

The first thing we will explore is the main square of Tirana which is composed of the Et'hem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower of Tirana, the National Theater of Opera and Ballet (in which the first brick was put by the ex. President of Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev), the National Bank of Albania, one of the oldest hotels, iconic in Tirana, the Tirana International Hotel and more.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Muzeu Historik Kombetar, Skenderbej Square, Boulevard Zogu I, Tirana 1001 Albania

Did you know that Albania was the only atheist country in the world before it was cool? And that a family of four could 'easily' live with 2 kg. of meat and 3 kg. of bread in a month?

That looks kinda weird, but living in a communist country it was hard to have more than others. And living (literally) in the most isolated country in the world was something extremely hard. No connections to the outside world (like, at all) meant no import-export process and no import-export meant not enough food for everyone but enough metals for all of the country's railway and more in stock. And that's only the beginning...

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Enver Hoxha Pyramid, Boulevard Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana Albania

One of the most famous buildings in Tirana, the Pyramid stands at the main boulevard as a sign of the communist non-sensical regime. It was first built as a museum dedicated to Hoxha, the leader of the Communist Party, First Secretary of the Party of Labor from ’44-’85 to his day of death and the head-architect of the communism crimes. The Enver Hoxha mausoleum was opened three years later, in ’88 and it was co-designed by Hoxha’s daughter. After the fall of Communism in Albania it has served as a cultural center, as a National Television office and has survived a project to be destroyed but still stands as a symbol of a notorious communism and mostly as an touristic attraction.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Postbllok - Checkpoint Monument, Bulevardi Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana Albania

The ‘Postbllok’ is a Memorial to the Communist Isolation and deed and was built by the former regime dissident Fatos Lubonja and the artist Ardian Isufi. It consists of three main elements: a concrete defensive bunker (the dictatorship built thousands of them, one for each family, in case of a nuclear or world war), several concrete supports from the mine at the notorious Spaç labor camp where thousands of political prisoners suffered between 1968 and 1990 and a brightly painted section of the Berlin Wall from Postdamer Platz that once split Germany in two.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: House of Leaves, Rruga Ibrahim Rugova Face A La Cathedrale Orthodoxe, Tirana 1000 Albania

All the rooms of important people, foreign affair workers and ambassadors, (a few) tourists and everyone who was as close as to be called 'a threat' to communism and the society. Everyone could be a spy back then and you could go to prison for saying 'i'm hungry'. Why would you be hungry? The Party is feeding you well. Are you saying that the Party isn't doing it's job? What could you be? Maybe a foreign secret agent wanting to seize our beloved country...BAM you would be sent to prison for most of your lifespam.

The former Intelligence Agency is the best showing place of the terrors of the communist regime secret agency. It is the newest museum in Tirana called the Museum of Secret Surveillance and has taken the name “House of Leaves” because of the plants covering it’s facade. It narrates best the terrors that cover a harsh dictatorship and is filled with mystery and legends about the secret activities that used to occur there. One of the most mysterious attractions in this ‘Communism Tour’ we will observe it closely and be shown the terrors and the creepy lifestyle of the era.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Blloku, Tirana Albania

During our trip we will pass at the notorious Block area, an area that used to serve as a living and leisure neighborhood only to the political communist bureau and that even maps used to miss. Nowadays it’s the heart of Tirana, full of fancy boutiques, colorful coffee shops, cocktails bars and pubs and creative street-art. Here also lies the former villa of Hoxha, left untouched and unused (just like the pyramid), but still as a sign of the luxurious life lived by the dictator. We can only see it from the outside since it’s not allowed to enter. We offer traditional food and rakija in a restaurant near the area and here we will make a short stop.

Duration: 50 minutes

Stop At: Liqeni Artificial i Tiranes, Tirana Albania

The Grand Park of Tirana is the biggest green space in the city. It's perfect for chilling out, having a coffee and taking a short walk.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Bunk'Art 1, Rruga Fadil Deliu, Tirana 1001 Albania

The museum is a new addition to the city of Tirana and it's filled with different rooms that would serve as shelters and rooms for the elite in case of an attack from the outer world...something that never happened. Nowadays the rooms are turned into museum rooms that contain fragments of the communist history of our country. It is almost 3000 m. square of underground rooms, corridors and container rooms, spread over several floors The bunker was built in the '70 and remained a secret for much of its existence. It was designed to survive nuclear attacks, with walls made of double concrete and enough space to host more than 100 people. The labyrinthic style of the underground resort is exiting and the history will leave you speechless.

Duration: 1 hour