There aren’t many cities that can boast a cable car trip to the top of a mountain. This was built in 2006 by an Austrian company and takes visitors from the outskirts of Tirana to the National Park at 1050m with views of the surrounding area, play area, restaurants and walking trails.
The trip takes 15 minutes in cabins which will hold eight people (at a pinch). Unfortunately the perspex glass is badly scratched with graffiti making it difficult to take pictures.
The cable car climbs quickly out of Tirana up a steep shrub covered slope with a lot of white flowered heather. It then swings across a wide, fertile valley with isolated farms before beginning the final almost vertical ascent to the top cable station. On a clear day there are good views down to Tirana and across the surrounding countryside.
At the top there is a large hotel and a couple of restaurants – one has excellent views from the terrace down onto Tirana (and also serves very good soup). For the fit and active, there are also walking trails. You can also hire a guide if you want to get more off the beaten track.
