I knew beyond a doubt that I was going to explore one of the nuclear bomb shelters and bunkers in the city. Passing by this one, on a rainy day, I paid the 900 LEK and entered. What I found was a world beyond comprehension. A visit to the unique BunkArt 2 in Tirana Albania is worth the time.
Getting There
If you can find your way to Skanderbeg Square, you are so close. I’ll put a link here, the bunker is right beside the large and beautiful pink building. What you see above ground is only the tip of the iceberg.
Depth
Its not nearly as deep as I imagined it would be. All on one single level, the bunker is vast to be sure but not that deep. The ticket desk is located at the bottom of the first and only set of stairs. Once you have paid, walk through a single bored out door and you are in. Follow the narrow hallways, backtrack a lot and enter every room.
Rooms
Some, especially the ones at the beginning have flat static displays, information boards with a lot to read and not much to see. Here is where it might be worth paying the extra for the audio guide.
Once you walk further along, you begin to see physical pieces of the past. Perhaps a mannequin dressed in military clothing. Or instruments used to detect the locals who were thought to be spying.
One room contains a large statue, a piece of art rather, created from equipment found in the bunkers. Called ‘Monster of the Dictatorship’, he is certainly bizarre, especially standing and studying all that he encompasses.
Another room has a model of a patrol dog, gnashing his teeth in chase of a bad guy. And yet other rooms showcase phones and guns hanging from the ceiling portraying varying aspects of the communist era in Albania.
Ministers Quarters
Towards the end and definitely more luxurious, if I can use that word, are the rooms of the minister. Here the walls are covered with wood creating a sense of warmth. The large meeting room is incredibly eerie especially if you find yourself in there alone as I did. The red telephone sitting at the leader’s desk was especially poignant.
Duck into the Ministers bedroom next door. A simple cot with a lamp and a wardrobe would suffice in such a situation as the use of these quarters.
Passages & Decontamination Rooms
What surprised me was the length and number of passages down here. They seem to go on forever. Just when you think you might be nearing the exit, you discover another hall of rooms to explore. At the end of some of these halls are the decontamination rooms. They are especially creepy, pitch black inside and if you venture in, you will pass through at least three separate rooms.
An area that I struggled with emotionally were the interrogation rooms. With the flashing lights on the ceiling, one could quite easily feel how awful it would have been to be a subject under suspicion. Visitors will see a jail cell here and living quarters too.
The rooms filled with pages and pages of names of souls that were interrogated, suspected and then lost their lives during this harshest dictatorship are absolutely awful to witness.
I’m glad I visited BunkArt 2. Seeing the physical space, how vast the underground network is here, is really eye opening. I can walk around above ground and realize that below my feet are more than likely empty rooms and abandoned corridors that may never see the light of day again. Tirana is a fascinating city, full of emotion, turmoil and transformation.
