Tirana’s main square, Sheshi Skënderbej, is that vast expanse of asphalt where you‘ve got to dodge both Mercedes and plastic kiddie cars. The square was large even before World War II, but the Communists made it absolutely massive (and in the process, cleared away an old bazaar).
Started in 1958, the pompous Palace of Culture was built with Soviet assistance. But when Albanian-Soviet relations deteriorated, the chief Soviet engineer on the project gathered up all the blueprints and left the country. Chinese experts had to be called in to finish the job. Today this building contains the Opera and the National Library.
The mosaic on the facade of the National History Museum represents the flow of Albanian history. The Puppet Theater has a surprising past: before World War II, it housed King Zog‘s puppet parliament. Other sights here include the imposing red-brick National Bank, the Et‘hem Bey Mosque and Skanderbeg's statue.
Recent plans envision a complete makeover of Tirana’s city centre over the next years, with a green and pedestrianised main square, 80m-high buildings accentuating the core of the city, new shops, offices, apartments and a cinema multiplex. Starting with the empty spot to the west of the National History Museum, it looks like Tirana’s main square will finally be hip.