RunCity

Tirana on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 9 of Tirana's best-known sights, including Tanners' Bridge, Tirana Castle, Et'hem Bey Mosque and more. It is about 4 km on foot, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Tirana leaderboard.

  • 9Stops
  • about 4 kmDistance
  • 1.5 hoursWalking
  • about 42 minRunning
Play Tirana in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Tirana
Photo: Photo: Chris Walts · CC BY-SA 2.0

Tirana is Albania's colourful, fast-changing capital, and this route covers its centre in about 4 km on flat streets. It starts at the bonus stop, the New Bazaar, a renovated market square of food stalls, and passes the small Ottoman Tanners' Bridge and the rebuilt walls of Tirana Castle, now full of restaurants. The Et'hem Bey Mosque, with frescoes on its porch, and the clock tower beside it stand on the edge of Skanderbeg Square.

The wide square, paved with stone from all over the country, holds the statue of the national hero on horseback and faces the big socialist-era mosaic on the National History Museum. Rinia Park and the Pyramid of Tirana, a former museum to the dictator now open to climb, lead to Blloku, the district once closed to all but party leaders and now the city's café and bar quarter. Bunk'Art 2, a museum in a Cold War bunker, is just off Skanderbeg Square.

123456789

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. New Bazaar

    New Bazaar Bonus Photo

    The renovated market square with food stalls and the old market hall.

    Photo: Kevin Jasini · CC BY-SA 2.0

  2. Tanners' Bridge

    Tanners' Bridge

    The small Ottoman stone bridge over a sunken stream.

    Photo: Antidiskriminator · Public domain

  3. Tirana Castle

    Tirana Castle

    The rebuilt fortress walls with restaurants inside.

    Photo: Ardit Ajdini · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Et'hem Bey Mosque

    Et'hem Bey Mosque Photo

    The painted mosque porch with the clock tower beside it.

    Photo: Steffen Schmitz (more photos) · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Skanderbeg Square

    Skanderbeg Square Photo

    The wide central square with the horseman statue.

    Photo: Leeturtle · CC BY-SA 3.0

  6. Rinia Park

    Rinia Park

    The central city park with its paths and fountains.

    Photo: a.dombrowski · CC BY-SA 2.0

  7. Pyramid of Tirana

    Pyramid of Tirana Photo

    The concrete pyramid with its sloped sides, seen from the front.

    Photo: BBB2021 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  8. Blloku

    Blloku Photo

    A café-lined street in the former party-leaders' district.

    Photo: Kleidieski · CC0

  9. National History Museum

    National History Museum Photo

    The big mosaic on the museum façade above Skanderbeg Square.

    Photo: Vectorized by Kj1595 · Public domain

Play Tirana in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Tirana on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 9 stops on this route add up to about 4 km, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Tirana is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Tirana?

    Open Tirana in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Tirana leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at New Bazaar and finishing at National History Museum. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities