{"id":11349,"date":"2026-04-12T05:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T09:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gowatkinsgo.com\/?p=11349"},"modified":"2026-03-25T08:40:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T12:40:01","slug":"first-impressions-of-tirane-our-first-week-in-albania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gowatkinsgo.com\/?p=11349","title":{"rendered":"First Impressions of Tiran\u00eb: Our First Week in Albania"},"content":{"rendered":"
Before we even set foot in Albania, we realized it\u2019s a country that we knew very little about. For much of the 20th century, Albania was one of the most isolated countries in the world. After World War II, communist leader Enver Hoxha ruled the country for more than 40 years, cutting Albania off from much of the outside world. During that time, over 170,000 concrete bunkers were built across the country in preparation for invasions that never came. When communism collapsed in the early 1990s, Albania rapidly opened its doors and began transforming into the vibrant, curious, and welcoming country that we landed in.<\/div>\n
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