Bunk'Art 1 or Bunk'Art 2? Which Tirana museum is best to visit

If there’s one thing Tirana is famous for, it’s bunkers. Under Enver Hoxha’s communist regime, hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers were built across Albania, ready for an invasion that never came. Today, two of the largest survive as museums: Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2. Together, they’re two of the top things to do in Tirana.

The entrance to Bunk'Art 1 in Tirana is a little door in a cliff under a mountain on the edge of Tirana. But is Bunk'Art 1 or Bunk'Art 2 better? And should you visit both? — The entrance to Bunk’Art 1 in Tirana. But is Bunk’Art 1 or Bunk’Art 2 better? And should you visit both?

Both bunker museums in Tirana promise an atmospheric journey into Albania’s recent past, with dim tunnels, heavy blast doors, and exhibits that shed light on life under dictatorship. But if you’re short on time in Tirana, you may be wondering whether you should visit Bunk’Art 1 or Bunk’Art 2, or both?

I visited both Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2 on my trip to Tirana. In this guide I’ll walk you through the key differences between Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2, from size, focus and atmosphere, to ticket prices and how to get there, so you can decide which fits your trip best (or why it might be worth seeing both).

The entrance to Bunk'Art 2 in Tirana city centre. The actual entrance is under a replica concrete bunker dome. There's a jeep and a replica surveillance tower to the side of the entrance. — The entrance to Bunk’Art 2 in Tirana city centre

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Bunk’Art 1 vs Bunk’Art 2: the quick answer

Want the full experience? Head out to Bunk’Art 1 in Tirana’s eastern suburbs. Bunk’Art 1 is much bigger (106 rooms) and covers Albania’s history from WWII through the end of communism. A visit to Bunk’Art 1 takes at least 2 hours, plus travel time by bus or taxi from the centre of Tirana. It’s easy to combine with a trip up the Dajti Ekspres cable car.
Short on time? Visit Bunk’Art 2. It’s right by Skanderbeg Square in the city centre, takes between 60 and 90 minutes, and focuses on the Sigurimi secret police and how Albanians were surveilled and persecuted.
Which Bunk’Art is best? Bunk’Art 1 is significantly bigger and more interesting than Bunk’Art 2, but it does take more time, both to get there and to go round the bunker museum. Even so, I do think Bunk’Art 1 is worth the extra effort, and having been to both, I’d recommend Bunk’Art 1 over Bunk’Art 2 for most visitors to Tirana.

Bunk’Art 1: Albania’s largest bunker museum

Hidden beneath the slopes of Mount Dajti, Bunk’Art 1 is a vast underground complex built in the 1970s to shelter Albania’s communist elite in the event of nuclear war. Stepping inside feels like walking straight into the Cold War: long concrete corridors, heavy blast doors, and endless rooms branching off in every direction.

A curved concrete blast door at Bunk'Art 1 — A curved concrete blast door at Bunk’Art 1

What you’ll see at Bunk’Art 1

Bunk’Art 1 is enormous, a real underground government nerve centre with 106 rooms spread across multiple levels. Originally designed as a shelter for the highest-ranking Communist officials, it now houses a museum that traces Albania’s history from World War II through to the fall of communism in the 1990s.

Exhibits cover everything from the rise of Enver Hoxha’s regime to the paranoia that led to the country’s isolation and everyday life in Albania.

A long corridor with rooms leading off it at one of Tirana's two bunker museums — A long corridor with rooms leading off it at Bunk’Art 1, one of Tirana’s two bunker museums

Highlights at Bunk’Art 1 include:

The vast assembly hall, once intended for high-level government meetings
Command and communication rooms left furnished as they would have been, including Enver Hoxha’s office and private quarters
5 floors of atmospheric underground corridors with exhibitions on Albanian history and art installations

The entrance to Bunk’Art 1 is through a long tunnel to a yard hidden between two hills (where you’ll find the ticket office), then up another hill. You’ll start to see doorways in the cliff to your left hand side, then at the end of the path you’ll finally get to the entrance.

A long tunnel leading from the public road towards Bunk'Art 1 — A long tunnel leading from the public road towards Bunk’Art 1

From the tunnel entrance to the entrance to Bunk’Art 1 is around a 10-15 minute walk; the tunnel actually goes underneath the Dajti Ekspres cable car station. I visited on a sunny and warm spring day, and the contrast between the flowers and butterflies on the walk to the bunker, with the quiet, sombre corridors inside was really striking.

You’ll enter through one of the original blast doors; you’ll then find yourself on one of the many long, narrow corridors inside the bunker. Some of the rooms leading off the corridor have been preserved as they were during Enver Hoxha’s regime, including his apartment, while others have been repurposed as exhibition spaces.

Enver Hoxha's office at what is now Bunk'Art 1. A narrow room has a desk and seating area. There's a large Albanian flag hung on the wall. — Enver Hoxha’s office at what is now Bunk’Art 1

The exhibition at Bunk’Art 1 is much more wide-ranging than the displays at Bunk’Art 2, and tells the story of how the communist regime came to power, why bunkers like this one were built, and why the regime became so paranoid and secretive. It also covers everyday life in Albania under Hoxha’s rule.

As a foreigner visiting Tirana, I found Bunk’Art 1 way more helpful for understanding Albania’s history than Bunk’Art 2.

A recreation of an Albanian family's living room during the Communist regime. There are cosy chairs and a table. A TV in the corner is showing a political broadcast. — A recreation of an Albanian family’s living room during the Communist regime

Like Bunk’Art 2, there’s a lot of panels to read at Bunk’Art 1. Unfortunately a lot of these are in the narrow corridors, and the text is pretty small, so you can end up waiting for the person in front of you to finish reading before you can carry on with your visit. I’m not a big audio guide fan, but if you are, you can buy an audio guide in Albanian, English or Italian along with your ticket at the entrance.

The auditorium at Bunk'Art 1. Rows of red seats slope towards a stage at the front of a large, double height room. — The auditorium at Bunk’Art 1

Towards the end of your visit you’ll arrive at the auditorium, which is just astonishing. It’s a full theatre, but underground; two storeys high, with a proper stage and rows of seats for the audience. It’s still used occasionally for events.

How long to allow at Bunk’Art 1

I spent at least two hours at Bunk’Art 1, and that’s without reading every panel. The scale of the bunker makes it easy to get lost in both the layout and the history.

A simulation of a chemical gas attack. A soldier figure is stood in the corner of a bunker room. Green smoke is being pumped into the room. — A simulated chemical gas attack

How to get to Bunk’Art 1

Bunk’Art 1 is located on the eastern side of Tirana, very close to the base station of the Dajti Ekspres cable car. There are two options to get there from Tirana city centre.

By bus

To get to Bunk’Art 1 by bus, take the blue city bus number 11 to Porcelan from the Biblioteka bus stop on Rruga Ludovik Shllaku, just behind Skanderbeg Square (Google Maps link). Walk along the pedestrian street between the Palace of Culture and Et’hem Bej Mosque until you get to the Friendship Monument; the bus stop is on the right hand side of the street.

The Biblioteka bus stops at Rruga Ludovik Shllaku in the centre of Tirana. A wide street has multiple buses parked up. — The Biblioteka bus stops at Rruga Ludovik Shllaku in the centre of Tirana. You can catch the number 11 bus to Bunk’Art 1 from here.

Like the other buses in Tirana, you pay on board. Just get on, and the conductor will come and find you to take your fare. The ticket cost me 40 lek. The journey from the centre of Tirana is meant to take around 30 minutes but it took more like 45 minutes for us. There’s a bus about every 15 minutes.

On the number 11 bus to Porcelan and Bunk'Art 1. People are stood holding on to the handrail. There's a bus map above the window showing the loop that the bus does at the end of the route. — On the number 11 bus to Porcelan and Bunk’Art 1. When I visited Bunk’Art 1 this bus was absolutely packed and very hot!

A blue city bus stopped at the end of the Bunk'Art 1 tunnel — The number 11 bus letting passengers off at the end of the tunnel leading to Bunk’Art 1

When you get close to Bunk’Art 1, the bus does a big loop, first along Rruga Muhamet Deliu, then up and round on Rruga Fadil Deliu towards the entrance to Bunk’Art 1. I didn’t realise it was going to loop round so I got off too early, had to ask for directions through some unpaved and pretty dusty residential streets to get there then ended up meeting the same bus outside the entrance! Look out for a tunnel and a sign for Bunk’Art 1 on the right hand side of the road.

By taxi

The bus can get very busy, you’ll probably have to stand and there’s no air con, so a more comfortable way to get there is by taxi. You can call a taxi, go to one of the taxi ranks around Tirana city centre or use one of the taxi apps like Taxi LUX, MerrTaxi and SpeedTaxi that are starting to pop up in Tirana (there’s no Uber in Tirana yet).

A mannequin dressed as a soldier stood in a pillbox — This mannequin really gave me a fright!

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A taxi to Bunk’Art 1 from Tirana city centre will take around 20 minutes, depending on traffic, and will cost around 1000 lek or 10 euros.

Since you’ve already made the effort to get out to Bunk’Art 1, you can combine your visit with a ride on the Dajti Ekspres cable car for sweeping views over the city.

A view of Tirana from the Dajti Mountain cable car — Looking down at the bunker from the Dajti Mountain cable car. The entry tunnel goes under the hill to the left, the buildings in the bottom right are where the ticket office is, and the bunker itself is off to the right.

Practical tips for visiting Bunk’Art 1

Tickets for Bunk’Art 1 cost 900 lek (9 euro). You can pay by cash or card, and in Albanian lek or euro. There are reductions for retired people over the age of 60 and children under 16.
If you’re planning to visit both Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2, you can buy a combined ticket for 1300 lek (13 euro) instead of separate tickets for 1800 lek (18 euro).
The interior stays cool even in summer, so it’s worth bringing an extra layer of clothing if you feel the cold.
Be prepared for stairs, low ceilings and dim lighting. If you’re prone to claustrophobia, some sections may feel challenging.
If you’re travelling with children, Bunk’Art 1 is probably less scary than Bunk’Art 2, but neither are child-friendly.

The ticket office at Bunk'Art 1. A wooden ticket office with a price list outside, a credit card sign and umbrellas to shelter customers. — The ticket office at Bunk’Art 1

Bunk’Art 2: Bunker museum in Tirana city centre

Bunk’Art 2 is housed in a bunker complex underneath government buildings in Tirana city centre. It’s just steps away from Skanderbeg Square in the centre of Tirana, so it’s very convenient for visitors to the city – much more convenient than Bunk’Art 2 on the outskirts.

The domed roof of a concrete bunker with rows of photographs. There's a hole in the roof, as if the bunker has come under bombardment. — The entrance to Bunk’Art 2 commemorates victims of the secret police

What you’ll see at Bunk’Art 2

Bunk’Art 2 is much smaller than Bunk’Art 1, with only 24 rooms, compared to Bunk’Art 1’s 106 rooms. It was built underneath the Ministry of the Interior buildings between 1981 and 1986, and was one of the last significant bunkers to be built in Albania.

The dictator Enver Hoxha, who ordered its construction, died before it was finished. Like Bunk’Art 1, it was built to withstand a nuclear or chemical weapons attack.

Another long corridor in a bunker, this time at Bunk'Art 2, just a few steps from Skanderbeg Square — Another long corridor in a bunker, this time at Bunk’Art 2, just a few steps from Skanderbeg Square in the centre of Tirana

The dramatic entrance, with its concrete dome, is a modern addition, as the original entrance and exit was inside the Ministry.

At Bunk’Art 2 you’ll see:

An apartment reserved for the Minister of the Interior
Secret recording equipment
Poignant stories about the victims of the regime’s secret police

While Bunk’Art 1 covers the communist regime as a whole and includes information about how the regime came to power, foreign relations and everyday life in Albania, Bunk’Art 2 concentrates on themes of repression and the activities of the Sigurimi, the regime’s secret police.

The Sigurimi used torture, forced labour camps and political prisons, and over 6,000 people were executed. As a result, Bunk’Art 2 is a dark and in places upsetting experience (there are photos of people who had been hanged), and can be quite difficult to understand if you don’t already have a good understanding of Albanian history.

An art installation at Bunk'Art 2. A robot figure has a TV for a head. — An art installation at Bunk’Art 2

As at Bunk’Art 1, there’s a lot of information to read, and again, the more general, context-setting information boards tend to be in the narrow corridors so you get stuck behind people reading. Bunk’Art 2 was much busier than Bunk’Art 1 when I visited, so I did miss sections of information as I just couldn’t get near the boards.

How long a visit to Bunk’Art 2 will take

I spent just under an hour at Bunk’Art 2, compared to 2 hours at Bunk’Art 1.

How to get to Bunk’Art 2

Bunk’Art 2 is in the centre of Tirana, close to other attractions like Skanderbeg Square, Et’hem Bej Mosque and Tirana Castle. You’ll probably end up walking past it by accident!

People walking up the stepped, concrete sides of Tirana Pyramid, another relic of the Hoxha regime — Bunk’Art 2 is close to Tirana Pyramid, another relic of the Hoxha regime

The entrance is in a little courtyard just off Rruga Abdi Toptani (Google Maps link), with the ticket office at the bottom of the stairs. After your visit, you’ll emerge from the exit on the other side of the courtyard. It’s easy to combine with other things to do in Tirana, including visiting the Pyramid, Skanderbeg Square, the rotating Sky Bar and the Bllokku area.

If you’re particularly interested in this aspect of Albania’s history, I recommend visiting the House of Leaves museum, which is located in the secret police’s former base and covers their surveillance activities in more detail.

An underground bunker door. The sign beside it says that this was once the original entrance via the Albanian Ministry of the Interior building. — The original entrance to the bunker that’s now Bunk’Art 2 was through the Ministry of the Interior building

Practical tips for visiting Bunk’Art 2

Tickets for Bunk’Art 2 cost 900 lek (9 euro). You can buy a combined ticket for Bunk’Art 1 and 2 for 1300 lek (13 euro).
Bunk’Art 2 is down a flight of stairs from the surface, but once you’re down there, it’s on a single level, unlike Bunk’Art 1 which is across multiple floors. Neither are accessible for people in wheelchairs, but Bunk’Art 2’s smaller size may make it an option for more people.
Bunk’Art 2 covers themes of torture, so it’s not suitable for children. Bunk’Art 1 is less scary so could be a better option if you’re travelling with older children. Neither are child-friendly.

What about the art?

Having visited both Bunk’Art museums in Tirana, I felt that the name Bunk’Art is a little bit misleading. I visited Bunk’Art 2 first, and expected a gallery of art installations in a bunker, but it’s really not like that at all – they’re definitely museums rather than art galleries.

An art installation with lots of clay heads suspended in a bunker corridor — One of the art installations at Bunk’Art 1

Both Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2 do have art installations, but they’re another, additional way to interpret the history rather than the main point of the museum.

So, which Bunk’Art is best? And should you visit both?

If you have time in Tirana, both Bunk’Arts are worth a visit, but if you have to choose, then I’d definitely make the effort to go to Bunk’Art 1. It’s a bit annoying to get to, but I found it so much more informative and memorable (that underground theatre was just jaw-dropping) that it’s worth the trip.

A bed in a dark underground room — Enver Hoxha’s bed in the apartment he would have used at Bunk’Art 1

If you’re only in Tirana for one day, Bunk’Art 2 is a good way to see inside one of Albania’s bunkers. It’s interesting and definitely thought-provoking, but I think that the scale and variety of rooms at Bunk’Art 1 gives it the edge.

I feel that if you’re planning to visit both Bunk’Art museums, it would be better to visit Bunk’Art 1 first, as the context I got from the information there would have been helpful for visiting Bunk’Art 2. I did it the other way around and I think I would have got more out of Bunk’Art 2 if I’d been to Bunk’Art 1 first.

I hope this post has helped you understand the differences between Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2 in Tirana. Let me know in the comments if you need any more information or tips!

Bunk’Art 1 vs Bunk’Art 2: the quick answer