From Bunkers to Gangs – An Albanian Story

To start off with this tour, you will meet up in Skanderbeg Square. Your first stop will be BUNK’ART 2. The museum itself it’s a bunker and it lays underneath the Ministry of Internal Affairs. BUNK’ART reveals the secrets of “Sigurimi”, the political police that was the harsh persecution weapon used by the regime of Enver Hoxha. It is the first major video museum exhibition dedicated to the victims of communist terror.

In a 10 minute walk you’ll find yourself right in front of the Pyramid. Built in 1988, its purpose was to serve as a museum for Enver Hoxha, the dictator of the period. Its rare architecture makes it one of a kind building.
Remember when we talked about gangs? Well, right next to the Pyramid you’ll find “The Bell of Peace”, a Bell made of the cartridges during the Civil War of 1997, when most of the infamous bands flourished.

Your coffee break accompanied by a shot of Raki, the national Albanian drink, will follow-up to Komiteti. Komiteti is a museum cafe, and a living proof of the Albanian past.

Albania counts almost 173,371 concrete bunkers with an average of 5.7 bunkers for every square kilometre. Further in your tour will visit Postbllok (Checkpoint), which is also a bunker and at the same time a memorial to Albanian communist isolation, conceived as an artistic installation.Next to it are the remaining supports of a mining gallery in the notorious labour camp Spaç and a piece from the Berlin Wall, taken from Potsdamer Platz.

To finish this communism tour, your last stop is the villa of Enver Hoxha inside the quarter of Bllok. During the period of his rule, the area was only reserved for government officials and the general public could not enter. After Hoxha’s death, the area was reopened and is now a popular hangout and destination point.