Tirana — the most-improved Balkan capital of the decade

When Edi Rama (then-mayor, now PM) ordered apartment blocks repainted in vivid colours in the early 2000s, the world laughed. Today Tirana has:

• A pedestrian core larger than most Balkan capitals.
• The reborn Pyramid of Tirana as cultural centre.
• New parks (Grand Park, Skanderbeg Square).
• A young creative scene driving cafés and design studios.
• A skyline that's adding towers but with public space mandates.

It's no longer a layover. It's a destination.