Blloku quarter the place to party in Tirana

By Birgit Ulrich Jun 21, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Tirana - The call of the muezzin leading the residents of Tirana to prayer can be clearly heard as the sun sets in the Albanian capital.

But in a sign of the country's growing wealth and Westernisation, luxury cars slowly weave their way through the city traffic towards Tirana's Blloku district, considered the metropole's most expensive and cosmopolitan area.

Blloku is full of bars and nightclubs, making it the favorite place for Tirana's youth to go on a night out. The Oops Bar situated opposite the Sky Tower Hotel is the perfect starting point for a tour of Blloku, which roughly translated means 'the block'.

The district's six main streets are teeming with people while House music emanates from the numerous bars and clubs. 'If you want to have a good night then just let yourself get carried away,' says 22-year-old student Deni as she allows herself to be pulled along by the crowd.

However, Blloku hasn't always been such a boisterous place. Up until the collapse of Albania's communist dictatorship in 1990, the area was an exclusive residential area favoured by party officials. Today, the villas of the former political elite have all but disappeared from the Tirana landscape with brightly coloured apartment blocks now dominating the city.

The Club Radio retro-style bar is slightly set back from the street and Deni has to climb over a chain cordon and across a courtyard before reaching the entrance. 'That's the secret of Tirana's best bars, you only notice them at a second glance,' she explains.

The bar's interior walls are covered with chequered wallpaper, the furniture has a thrown together feel about it while the voice of legendary French singer Edith Piaf fills the room.

Tirana is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe with its population increasing by a third in the last three years alone. It is estimated that Tirana is now home to 900,000 people with a large percentage aged between 20 and 30, attracted by the possibility of work and fun.

'If you aren't able to leave the country then you go to Tirana. At least here you have the chance of a better future and the opportunity to have some fun,' says Deni.

Next stop is the more opulent Lollipop club with its polka-dot walls and tinsel-covered ceilings. Entrance costs approximately 5 dollars, a hefty fee considering the average student wage is no more than 2 dollars an hour.

Checkpoint Charly Pub is situated a few courtyards further down from Lollipop where Flavio examines the price list above the bar. 'The price of beer rises and falls depending on demand,' explains the 24-year-old, who has moved to Tirana in search of work.

'The current political stability is built on unstable foundations,' he says. 'Politics in Albania is a bit like the beer prices in this bar, you need a lot of patience before you notice any changes.'