Top-secret nuclear bunker is a popular tourist attraction in Albania

Описание: (10 Mar 2026)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gjirokaster, Albania - 2 March 2026

1. Mid of bunker museum coordinator, Albana Ismaili, unlocking the gate at the entrance to the bunker
2. Tracking shot through narrow corridors of the bunker
3. Wide of sign outside castle directing tourists to the bunker
4. Wide aerial zoom towards the 12 century Gjirokaster Castle built on a hill which housed the bunker
5. Rusty pipes inside the bunker
6. Various of power room
7. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Elona Llano, tour guide:
"It took 10 years to build this bunker in secret, and it was never used. It was simply a product of the paranoia of the communist leader Enver Hoxha.”

8. Rusty metal cabinet door
9. Close of communist era newspapers, books on a wooden table
10. Sign at the entrance to the courtroom set up in the bunker
11. Interior of courtroom with rows of simple chairs and a bench table
12. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Elona Llano, tour guide:
"In the event of a nuclear war, the entire structure of local government would have moved here, including the court officials, police investigators, everyone who was part of the government.”

13. Wide of sign on a wall
14. Various of room inside the bunker furnished with preserved period furniture
15. Close of communist era newspaper clippings on a table
16. Communist era chairs in one of the rooms
17. Close of an old rotary telephone
18. Inside of a room with a chair and table with an old telephone switchboard on top of it
19. Wide of the switchboard
20. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Engjell Serjani, communist-era journalist:
"I worked for the information and propaganda office. At that time, on daily basis, for 24 hours a day, we produced fake stories from the frontlines. Somewhere the enemy was approaching, somewhere hostile forces were entering our country. All those fabricated stories were supposed to teach the population how to behave in an emergency. At that time, we did not use the word ‘wartime,’ we used a softer expression to explain that we did what we were doing to prepare the people for the emergency situation.”

21. Tabletop with communist era newspaper clippings and old rotary phone on it
22. Old book on the table
23. Various of corridors, doors and sparsely furnished rooms in the bunker
24. Wide of visitors following behind Ismaili walking down a corridor
25. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Albana Ismaili, bunker museum coordinator: +EXTERIOR+
"We have a large flow of visitors, equally from western and from eastern Europe, who are very curious to learn more about Albania’s dictatorship and the difficult years immediately after the end of Second World War."

26. Sparsely furnished room inside the bunker
27. Various of Ismaili talking to a couple inside the bunker who are visiting from America
28. SOUNDBITE (English) Amy Michels, visitor from United States : +AMY AND JOE MICHELS IN ONE SHOT+
"We decided to come here because we were interested in learning about some more history in Albania and about the history of this city coming to be what they are.”

SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Michels, visitor from United States
“We hear everything from the American perspective, so we wanted to see it from the Albanian perspective too. But yeah, my dad is a history teacher, so I always stop at all the historical sites in every city we visit, so I wanted to come here. We thought it was pretty spooky; she got scared so that is why we turned around and left. But yeah, I would visit again. It kind of reminds me of the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt like I was locked inside, that is what I was thinking walking around, you are just locked in those rooms, hidden.”

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