Anti-nuclear bunker built during Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship was recently reopened for visitors. 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.
Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj as well as Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Milva Ekonomi were present during the opening ceremony. Veliaj said during his speech that the re-opening of Bunk’Art museum goes hand in hand with the policies and philosophies of Tirana Municipality for preserving and promoting 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.
The villa of former dictator Enver Hoxha, which is located in the former Bloc, was also recently opened for the public. “One of the closest cultural projects of the Municipality of Tirana is the opening of the villa of the former dictator Enver Hoxha, in the former bloc. We will be using some spaces that used to be a taboo,” Veliaj said.
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.
“By creating these poles, by revitalising and bring back tourism at Kalaja e Tiranes, Pazari i Ri, Bunk’Art, Shpella e Pellumbasit, Kulla e Sahatit, Galeria e Arteve, etc, in my memory, Tirana has never had a richer package with so many touristic destinations,” Veliaj added.
