Did you know you can take 60-90 minutes of your day and get a glimpse of Albania’s past through the eyes of currency? We took a hour and enjoyed a personalised tour of the Bank of Albania (Banka e Shqipërisë.)
It was opened in 2015, and we went on a tour in 2024 and truly enjoyed my time. If you happen to be around Skanderbeg Square or the centre on a rainy day, swing by the bank and enjoy a tour!
Bank and Tour Rules
We weren’t able to take pictures due to bank rules (you leave your phone in a locker with bank security before the tour), but will attempt to describe our tour.
You can get a glimpse of some of the areas/exhibits with this video from RTV here: https://youtu.be/lp6-s2z2YxQ
Tour Timing and Scheduling
The tours kick off at 09:00; 11:00; 14:00 on days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. (See their official hours here.) We arrived without booking a time slot around 9am, and were able to get a tour after talking with security. (We showed them the phone screen of the museum tour.)
After waiting a few minutes (if you’re a group or want to stay on a schedule, it would be best to book a visit.) Our tour started!
Tour Route and Currency Exhibits
We walked into the museum area, and the tour circles it, and occasionally will allow you to look inside. Around the vault, there are ancient coins that have been excavated from ancient times.
Some of the coins look like these and these.
After learning about the various coins, and history of Albanian currency into the modern era, the tour moves to paper currency and 1800s – Present.
We learned about how various countries have helped Albania print currency throughout the 1900’s, the bank note system, and commemorative coinage. (Something neat: There used to be 100 Lek bills, before the 100 lek coins!)
After this section, we moved to the older banking area – Where bank members used to be able to talk to bank tellers. It has a unique art style and tiles on the walls to create art. Along with this section, we learned about modern bill design and security features.
After this section, we moved into the history of the bank, learning about previous bank directors throughout history. Currencies from EU countries, and other meta-currency topics.
Overall, the tour was a wonderful whirlwind through the history of Albania with the unique lens of currency. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable on all of my (many) questions, and we left with a new appreciation for the coins and bills we handle every day. Speaking of Lek and modernity, here’s our article about contactless ATMs, and withdrawal rates.
