Albania Shopping and nightlife

Shopping in Albania

The best place in Albania to shop for traditional crafts is Kruja, less than an hour from Tirana. The Ottoman bazaar there has rug-weavers and antique dealers. Many of the Kruja shops sell small souvenirs such as alabaster, copper crafts, traditional Albanian clothing and embroideries. Apart from Kruja, there are a few souvenir shops in Tirana, arts in Gjirokastra and a souvenir stall at Butrint.

Shopping hours

Generally Mon-Fri 0800-1700, some businesses might not be open on Saturdays or Sundays.

Nightlife in Albania

Nightclubs in Tirana stay open until very late. The music is sometimes live, especially at weekends. Clubs and bars in the Blok area play a variety of live music. Outside Tirana, clubs of this sort are less common; in the coastal towns during the summer tourist season, music and dancing is laid on in the big hotels.

Millennium, a Tirana cinema, screens Hollywood films with Albanian subtitles.

Albania has a high standard of classical music. Opera, ballet and concert performances take place throughout the year in Tirana. Tirana is also home to the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Albania, built in 1953, the largest theatre in the country.