Albanian Lek (ALL) is the official currency in Albania. Lek was introduced as the official currency of Albania in 1926 by King Zogu I. He named the currency according to his son, Prince Leka. The current exchange rate is around 105 Lek-1 Euro.
You can easily get the prices wrong in Albania. That is because many Albanians use Old Lek values in verbal communication. Old Leks have a zero more. The zero was removed in the Eighties but is still widely popular. Assuming you want to buy a product that costs 10 Euros, if you ask an Albanian it can cost 1.050 Lek (official) or 10.500 Lek (old Lek). Double-check before buying any product if the prices are in old or new ALL.
Tirana has typical Mediterranean weather, with hot and dry summers and mild but rainy winters. November is often sunny and moderate but can also be windy and humid. Average temperatures at the time of the Conference vary between 17-6 C.
English is usually spoken fluently by the young generation and most of the service providers employ people fluent in English. Italian is widely spoken. French, German, Spanish and Greek are also frequent second languages among Albanians
At the Hotel and during the Conference, free Wi-Fi will be provided. There is no free city Wi-Fi, but most of the bars, restaurants, and shops do provide a free of charge wi-fi connection for their guests
Burkart 2
Bunk'art 2 reconstructs the history of the Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs from 1912 to 1991 and reveals the secrets of “Sigurimi”, the political police that was the harsh persecution weapon used by the regime of Enver Hoxha. Bunk'art 2 is the first major video museum exhibition dedicated to the victims of communist terror.
New Bazaar
The New Bazaar was established in 1939 and through the following years it kept on prospering and developing. Its establishment came as a necessity, due to the continuous increase of the trade activity which could not be afforded any longer by the only Old Bazaar. After the demolition of the old Bazaar in 1959, the new Bazaar remained for a long time the only trading centre of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits in Tirana. The New Bazaar is located in one of the oldest areas of the city
National Historical Museum
The most important museum in Albania, there are about 6,200 objects on the museum’s premises, beginning back to the IV millennium BC until the second half of the 20th century. Currently, the National Historical Museum has seven pavilions: Antiquity, The Middle Ages, Iconography; National Renaissance, Independence, and communism.
Castle of Tirana
Fortress of Justinian or simply known as Tirana Castle is a castle in Tirana, Albania. Its history dates back before 1300 and is a remnant from the Byzantine-era. The fortress is the place where the main east–west and north–south roads crossed, and formed the heart of Tirana.
House of Leaves
The building known as the “House of Leaves” (so-called because of the clambering plant covering its facade) has now returned to the Museum of Secret Surveillance. The newest museum in Albania and certainly the most intriguing one that tries to narrate to young people and foreigners, one of the darkest periods of the country’s history.
The Grand Park
With a size of 270 hectares, the Park includes an artificial lake and many other landmarks such as the Saint Procopius Church, the Presidential Palace, and memorials to several Albanian personalities. It remains one of the most relaxing places in the city. To the southern end of the Park, there is the Zoo and the Botanical Garden. The latter includes many flowers and plants that are common to the Albanian environment.
National Gallery of Arts
The National Gallery of Art is a state museum, research, and scientific institution. Its objective is the enrichment of the collection, conservation, study and promotion of national heritage values in the field of visual arts.
Blloku
One can find everything at Blloku, starting from bars, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, hostels, shops and boutiques and that's what makes this area so interesting for everyone ; it offers a large variety of alternatives and things to do. You can choose the place that matches with your interest. If you feel hipster enough there's a lot of bars waiting for you, if you want to party 'til dawn there's nightclubs or if you want to have a coffee and read a book away from the noises that's the right place.
Skanderbeg Square, the most important square in Tirana, pictured in the 1990 and 2020
Albanian has two main dialects; Gheg and Tosk. In Albania, the Shkumbin river is roughly the dividing line, with Gheg spoken to the north of it and Tosk to the south. The official Albanian language is based on Tosk dialect and perceived to be a softer version of the language. The two dialects sound alike, but there are obviously some differences. As a traveler, you probably won’t notice them, but you will most likely see this one on city signs and maps:
Gheg has nasal vowels while Tosk does not. For instance: Gheg âsht vs. Tosk është
Or for example; in South Albania they use ¨, which you can see in several of the city names (Gjirokastër or Sarandë). They don’t use ¨ up north.
Hello – Përshëndetje! / Tungjatjeta
Good morning – Mirëmëngjes!
Good day – Mirëdita!
Good evening – Mirëmbrëma!
Good night – Natën e mirë
Bye – Mirupafshim!
Yes – Po
No – Jo
How are you? – Si Jeni?
What’s your name? – Si quheni?
Nice to meet you – Gëzohem që ju takoj
Sorry – Më fal
Excuse me – Më falni
Thank you – Faleminderit
You’re welcome – Ju lutem
I don’t understand – (Unë) nuk kuptoj
Do you speak English? – Flisni Anglisht?
Where can I find the toilets? – Ku është tualeti / banjoja?
What time is it? – Sa është ora?
Can you help me? – Mund të më ndihmoni?
