Not to miss

Clock Tower

Behind the mosque is the tall clock tower, which you can climb and use to get your bearings. Indeed, it's quite peaceful up there watching the square and its colourful Ferris wheel entertain the tiny Tiranans.

National Museum of History

The National Museum of History has a wonderful socialist-realist Albania mosaic on its front. It still shows proud Albanians marching through history, only now the flag is missing its communist star. Inside are many of this ancient land's archaeological treasures, dating back as far as 100,000 BC. The extensive partisan-communist section has been retained (unfortunately without English translations), but it now ends with a large memorial exhibit to victims of Hoxha's regime.

Et'hem Bey Mosque

The exquisite 18th-century Et'hem Bey Mosque escaped destruction during the battle for the liberation of the city near the end of WWII, and went on to survive the state's atheism campaign due to its sheer beauty. Take off your shoes and look inside at the beautifully painted dome of this once-again functioning mosque.