Starting from April 2016, Bunk’Art is now opened permanently for anyone who would like to get to know more about the Albanian life during the 45 years of communism. Turned into a unique attraction site for tourists in the region but not only, anti-nuclear bunker built during Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship was just recently reopened for visitors and features a video museum exhibition.
“A 5 floor palace underground, with 106 rooms and an assembly hall, now turned into an historical and art center called “BUNK’ART”. The passageways, the areas provided for the meetings of the General Staff of the Army in case of war, the rooms where was thought would sleep the communist ex-dictator Enver Hoxha and the former Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu in case of a nuclear attack, the gigantic hall dedicated to the meetings of the political Bureau which contains also an albanian typical Buffe are transformed into a video museum exhibition and into art,” according to Bunk’Art.
The re-opening of Bunk’Art museum aims to preserve and promote Tirana’s cultural heritage as well as develop the economy by attracting more visitors within and outside Albania.
“Bunk’Art is a microcosmos of what happened during the Cold War in Albania. I am glad that this touristic attraction, which I think should be visited and promoted without any complexes, is a very important asset for Tirana’s tourism, especially for the Municipality of Tirana which generates income from every tourist that visits Tirana,” according to Veliaj.
Veliaj stressed out that Tirana Municipality is determined to give its maximum so that all Albanians as well as tourists consider Tirana not only as a transition place that they have to go in order to visit other great ancient cities in Albania, but as a key place that besides its capital attractions, night life, etc, to offer them more historical places to visit.
Bunk’Art was opened for the first time in November 2015. The museum stayed opened until December 30, 2015 closing its first season with over 60,000 visitors. This time Bunk’Art has a new entrance that passes through a long underground tunnel previously unexposed to the public and will stay permanently open to the public.
