Tirana, the capital of Albania, is a hidden gem of Europe. It’s still one of the least visited capitals on the continent, but this is due to a simple lack of awareness about its trove of tourist attractions. Adventurous travelers with a taste for the peculiar will love exploring this untouched city with an Essential Free Tour of Tirana. This must-join tour will give travelers the opportunity to walk with a passionate local guide and understand why the country was isolated for many years, after the Chinese socialist regime and the Soviet Union cut the country off from the outside world until 1992. Accordingly, this tour of the historical center will cover many historical traces of Tirana’s past: from stunning mosques and Christian churches, to colorful Ottoman houses, and Soviet brutalist buildings.