Shqipëria (Albania) Intro

I’m celebrating the conclusion of the Czech language course with a vacation to the southern Balkans, visiting three countries new to me: Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. First up: the land of the eagles, as the Albanians themselves call it, Shqipëria!

Albania is admittedly a country I formerly knew very little about, and I still have much to learn. Its history and its nature are both remarkable. The nation is situated between multiple countries and seas, with Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south. Both the Adriatic and the Ionian seas lap its shores, with the heel of Italy due west, as few as 44 miles (70 kilometers) away across the water. In fact, Italians have long had influence and connection with Albania since at least Roman times, and nowadays in the grocery stores here one tends to find mainly Italian products (reading Italian ingredients is relative child’s play compared to reading Czech food labels!). And in the ancient coastal city of Durrës, where I am currently, I would estimate that perhaps 95% of the restaurants are Italian. On the waterfront strip, one pizzeria after another line up side by side. Rather boring and unoriginal, but pretty tasty.

The Italian invasion in 1939 at the beginning of World War II precipitated Albania’s eventual conversion to communism under the Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha. Albania became the North Korea of Europe for decades, severely restricting outsiders from visiting and preventing citizens from leaving. For Hoxha and his loyalists, over time each of the other big communist nations was perceived as not communist enough! Albania fell out with fellow communist neighbor Yugoslavia early on, and turned away from the USSR after Stalin died, cozying up to China for some time. But then even China wasn’t communist enough when they opened relations with the US in the 1970s and began market reforms. So then Albania went on their own and attempted to be completely independent of aid and trade, trying to be fully self-sufficient. This attempt failed miserably, causing the country to become amongst the very poorest in the entire world. Hoxha died in 1985, and his cult of personality disintegrated, leading to the eventual fall of communism in Albania in 1991, in the same time frame as it fell elsewhere in Europe.

The 1990s saw much instability and infighting in the country, but since the 2000s there’s been mostly improvement, and Albania is even on track to eventually join the European Union. There’s still much development to go, but the massive increase in tourism in recent years is helping the momentum. I have been in Albania for just a handful of days as of this writing, but one definitely gets a sense of its rapid pace of development, with a common juxtaposition of old and dilapidated vs new and gleaming.

Sometimes even personal houses are a seemingly inexplicable combination of old and new, like this one (as seen from a cable car mountain descent):

In Tirana, they’re on a spree to build as many one-of-a-kind skyscrapers as possible. I like the uniqueness of these, and they will make Tirana more memorable, though I’m not sure that all of them will be completed anytime soon, if ever.

One evening a famous Turkish DJ performed on Tirana’s huge main square. It was a paid show, but of course the sound was freely available for all to hear, and by standing on nearby steps one could peek into the performance as well. You can see some of the unique big buildings around the square.

I recently told my brother that Albania seemed comparable to Peru in terms of organization, cleanliness, modernity, and the like. But I realize that this is a very unfair comparison indeed. Despite its relative noisiness, dirtiness and crumbliness compared to Prague, Albania is certainly not at a South American country level. Yes, they have trash problems, stray dogs and cats, aggressive drivers, crumbling or incomplete infrastructure in places, and corruption. But actually big parts of Tirana and Durrës are quite nice and modern, and despite the stereotype of Albanian mafia members, the country seems safe. Perhaps I’m naive, but I walked for over an hour through the far outskirts of Tirana and never felt at risk. Out of place, for sure, but not in danger. No one gave me funny looks, though I clearly stood out. Albanians seem mostly friendly and helpful, and I’ve been quite amazed at how much, and how well, English is spoken. Albanians are impressive polyglots, and I’ve seen several switching seamlessly between Albanian, English, Italian, and Spanish, at the least. One tour guide semi-jokingly told us that the Albanian criminal elements are exports, and so the people still in Albania itself are mainly good honest folks. In Durrës I was up on a hill overlooking the city, and this group of four dudes walked up to me, with no one else around. I thought I might be in trouble, but they just wanted to tell me that the villa above was open for tours, haha. Nice guys.

But there aren’t that many people still left in Albania – there are around 2.7 million currently, but with continued emigration and low birth rates, the number trends downward. Another tour guide said that Croatia is importing seasonal tourism workers because its own population has decreased so much. Perhaps Albania will eventually need to do the same because tourism numbers are doubling every few years lately, putting a strain on a still-recovering infrastructure after decades of neglect. I’ve heard various estimates of the number of Albanians living outside of Albania, totaling in the millions, but I suppose that depends on how one counts, such as figuring in descendants. But regardless, many have left permanently or temporarily since finally being able to do so in 1991 after travel controls ended. That’s certainly part of the reason that Albanians are so good at languages. “The Albanian people are considered one of the most polyglot people in Europe. They generally speak more than two languages, which are mainly French, Greek, Italian, and English, which are increasing due to migration return.” (Wikipedia)

Some famous Albanians abroad include(d) Mother Teresa and Kosovar Albanian Dua Lipa. John Belushi and Danny DeVito also had/have Albanian roots, for example.

In Tirana it can be tricky to find one’s way around, particularly to specific destinations. So much so that already I’ve had to watch provided walking videos to reach both my first apartment and the bus stop for the bus to reach the cable car station. Doors are hidden down hallways hidden in courtyards hidden down alleys hidden off side streets. Layers of unintentional obfuscation. Here’s the video showing (on Instagram) how to get to the apartment in Tirana, for example.

Below are some other things I’ve learned or encountered:

– Albania was the world’s first officially atheist state (during communist times).
– This may help explain why most people here don’t seem very religious.
– While Albania is known for its Islam due to the legacy of being in the Ottoman Empire for several hundred years, only about half of the population still identifies as Muslim.
– Stoplights in Tirana include helpful long LED strips for visibility (see gallery further below for an example photo). They need these in Washington, DC!
– Older people tend to often stroll (slowly) on the left. This  makes it difficult to walk anywhere quickly – someone is always in the way through the entire sidewalk width. I couldn’t figure out the cause; I was baffled. They drive on the right, and don’t have a history of driving on the left. So I asked my reliable friend, ChatGPT. It gave an answer, which while perhaps inaccurate, seems quite plausible:

“In Tirana, and more broadly in Albania, the tendency for pedestrians to walk on the left side of the sidewalk or path may seem counterintuitive given that people drive on the right. However, this behavior likely stems from a combination of practical and cultural factors rather than strict rules:

Facing Traffic on Roads Without Sidewalks

In rural or poorly developed urban areas (including parts of Tirana), pedestrians often walk on the left side of the road so they can see oncoming cars — a safety measure. This behavior might carry over to sidewalks out of habit or perceived safety.”

– Smoking, vaping, and spitting are all common (and gross) habits in Tirana.

– In every public men’s restroom I’ve visited in Albania, including at all restaurants, cafes, and museums, there are no seats or lids on the toilets. Again, ChatGPT to the rescue for an explanation!:

“In Albania, as in some other countries, men’s public toilets—especially in older or more utilitarian settings—often lack seats and lids for a few practical and cultural reasons:

1. Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance: Public toilets, particularly in high-traffic areas, are more prone to becoming dirty. Removing seats and lids simplifies cleaning and reduces surfaces that can break or harbor bacteria.

2. Durability and Vandalism Prevention: Toilet seats and lids in public restrooms are frequently damaged or stolen. By not installing them, maintenance costs and the need for frequent replacements are reduced.

3. Cultural Habits: In some places, it’s common for people (including men) to squat or avoid sitting entirely in public restrooms due to hygiene concerns. This makes seats less necessary.

4. Design Simplicity: Older or more basic public restrooms are often constructed with minimalism in mind. The goal is functionality over comfort.

This trend isn’t unique to Albania—it can be observed in parts of the Balkans, Middle East, and other regions where public infrastructure has been shaped by practical considerations and cultural norms.”

A future post will cover Albania’s unbelievable bunker creation story.

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Today’s DadGPT jokes:

1. I used to play piano by ear… But now I use my hands.

2. Why did the father bring a ladder to Durrës?
Because he heard that the history there is on another level.

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Today’s music video:

Since the finals for Eurovision 2025 recently aired, it makes sense to share this novel Albanian entry. It’s so original that it’s difficult to absorb on a first listen. But it grew on me after second and third plays.

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Today’s Epictetus:

Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours.