We arrived in Tirana, Albania around midnight last night.  Our flights went very well and we must have been on about the last flight to arrive for the evening, because everything in the airport was closed when we arrived and it was pretty deserted.

Our hotel is situated on what looks to be one of the major roads and we were surprised by our initial impression.  Albania is listed as the fourth poorest country in Europe.  I realize that typically the capital cities of most countries are pretty modern.  Tirana has the usual left-over architecture from communist rule and also the same type of architecture as other Eastern European nations from before the USSR came to power.

However, today, there are lively restaurants and cafes all along the street of our hotel and may of the cars are very nice.   There are also some very large parks.   Dajti, standing at 1,613 m (5,292 ft) above sea level, is a mountain and national park on the edge of the city.  The Dajti belongs to the Skanderbeg range. In winter, the mountain is often covered with snow, and it is a popular retreat to the local population of Tirana that rarely sees snowfall. Its slopes have forests of pines, oak and beech, while its interior contains canyons, waterfalls, caves, a lake, and an ancient castle.

The religious affiliation of the population of Albania is 56.7% Muslims, 13.79% undeclared, 10.03% Catholics, 6.75% Orthodox believers, 5.49% other, 2.5% Atheists, 2.09% Bektashis and 0.14% other Christians.  The Jewish population of Albania is estimated to be in the range of 40 to 50 people.

Views from Tirana, today.

There is a huge need for sound Bible teaching here.  We look forward to meeting the people and sharing with them Bible truth.