Visiting Albania’s capital you’ll delve into the past and present of a country that has seen intense turmoil since it was founded in the 1600s. Tirana has disintegrating soviet-era buildings, brand new projects and proud historic monuments side-by-side, while the wonderful upland scenery that bounds the city to the east calls for exploration. Each monument has its own complicated and emotionally-charged story to tell, whether it’s about 20th-century oppression or daily life in Tirana in Ottoman times. And if things get too hot in the summer you’re free to cool off in the Adriatic sea, which is an easy drive away.