History and Art at Bunk'Art 1 museum

In the 1970s, Albania launched a massive bunkerization project. Over 221,000 bunkers were planned, but around 173,000 were built – roughly one for every 11 inhabitants. Every year, thousands of young people were mobilized, while hundreds lost their lives during construction. Fortresses of concrete, built for a war that never came…

Today, they can be found among the sea, bushes, or cities... some ruined, some painted and turned into art, even with graffiti trying to erase their original purpose… the war and the fear they were meant to represent.

You look at them, maybe laugh a little at the absurdity, but suddenly you remember the people and the time that created them.

Some of these bunkers still live today as BUNK’ART, two museums that bring Albania’s history to life, showcasing decades of wars, the communist regime, daily life, fear, resistance, and the sacrifices of its people.